Speculation: Roster Building Thread - Off-season Part I

[Oscar Lindberg]

Idk why people are drooling over JT, no thank you

You have to trade prime assets just to get him and he’s out the door in 12 months and they’re right back in this situation

They have to try and get someone with at least a little bit of term

 

[NickyFotiu]

Players evolve, and he even said that getting traded again after Tampa woke him up. I see comments like these and it makes me wonder if 3/4 of this board has even seen him lace up a pair of skates since Tampa dumped him. The guy is 100% a star now. He always had the talent. Young and naive is what you could chalk his early career up to.

He did plenty of good things here as well. I never wanted to trade him. He played really well with Zooks and had some good moments with Hayes as well.

 

[Savant]

I think it was Staple's podcast. He said the Rangers were more aggressive at the trade deadline because they had so much space available to them and the team was having a good season. This opportunity would not be available again because the Rangers will be in a cap crunch until the salary cap increases.

It all depends on what Copp gets in free agency. What will his market be on July 13? Money is tight. How many players will get everything they want? Other teams trade picks for players and they keep the player. Not always.

The annoying thing about the Copp trade was the condition on the first round pick. The Rangers pick became a 1st round pick when the Rangers reached the conference finals. The same thing happened with the St.Louis trade in 2014.

The Rangers were on the opposite side of that trade with the McDonagh trade to TB and the Rangers were getting TB's first in 2019 if they made the Cup finals in 2018 or 2019. Why not conference finals?

The Rangers seem to always bend on these issues.

The Zuccarello to Dallas trade was another one that was a period away from hitting the jackpot

 

[McRanger92]

It seems like everyone has accepted that the rangers are not gonna resign copp and will trade more assets for another center. Am I the only one that thinks this has been horrible asset management.

Other teams seem to have been able to acquire players that have term and sign for very manageable $$.

I get the rangers went to the eastern conference finals , but if they wanna keep being competitive we can’t keep throwing assets away like this.

They've thrown away zero assets. Still don't get why fans think Drury is going out there trading everything that isn't bolted down. It hasn't been the case.

 

[NickyFotiu]

I have the same reservations with Kadri. He had a career year yes, but will he be able to replicate that? He turns 32 in October, any kind of long deal is a red flag for me.

I wouldn't do a long term deal with a guy who will be 32.

 

[GAGLine]

This is why I never understood Drury’s handling of the DeAngelo situation.
Don’t buy him out; waive him.
If he gets claimed, win, he’s off the books.
If he doesn’t get claimed; send him to Hartford.
If you’re worried about him poisoning the Wolfpack well. Than make him a healthy scratch.
Last year we had cap space to burn. Worst case scenario, if he hadn’t been claimed, you buy him out this year.
It’s just business.

He was waived. That's the first step in the buyout procedure. No one wanted him at his full cap hit.

If we buried him in the AHL and made him a healthy scratch, he would no doubt file a grievance, which he'd likely win.

His contract would have been up this summer, so if we had kept him, there would be no need for a buyout, but the buyout was minimal due to him being 25 at the time (only 1/3rd instead of 2/3rds).

The Rangers gave him an ultimatum and they followed through on it. Sometimes it's better to just cut your losses and move on.

 

[McRanger92]

I just don't trust JT Miller.

He's only been good for Vancouver. I have serious reservations that he just woke up one day and became a good player at 26 and he's going to be able to replicate those results anywhere.

Granted, he plays 20 minutes per game in Vancouver and we played him *checks notes* ...not 20 minutes.

He will play a ton here. Exactly the type of player Gallant and Drury love. PP/PK/ES. I don't love that he's probably a 1 year rental, but that gets the cost down and he is playing for a big contract.

 

[Machinehead]

I have the same reservations with Kadri. He had a career year yes, but will he be able to replicate that? He turns 32 in October, any kind of long deal is a red flag for me.

I don't think anybody wants to acquire Kadri expecting that he'll be 2022 Kadri.

Even if he reverts back, he's still a fast, nasty center.

My only concern is that his career year will bump his salary.

Players evolve, and he even said that getting traded again after Tampa woke him up. I see comments like these and it makes me wonder if 3/4 of this board has even seen him lace up a pair of skates since Tampa dumped him. The guy is 100% a star now. He always had the talent. Young and naive is what you could chalk his early career up to.

Derick Brassard woke up and then went back to sleep when he left New York.

Some guys just find the right fit. We might not be the right fit.

He will play a ton here. Exactly the type of player Gallant and Drury love. PP/PK/ES. I don't love that he's probably a 1 year rental, but that gets the cost down and he is playing for a big contract.

As a rental, I wouldn't mind it. I just don't want to commit to it.

 

[duhmetreE]

I'd much rather pay Horvat 7.5M for 6 years than Copp 4.5-5.5M for any amount of time.

I wouldn't.

I don't get the hate Copp is receiving. He was playing with Panarin and Strome. He was dealing with a lower body injury. He's not the focal point of a line

We jumped to another level after his acquisition.

 

[Bob Richards]

I just don't trust JT Miller.

He's only been good for Vancouver. I have serious reservations that he just woke up one day and became a good player at 26 and he's going to be able to replicate those results anywhere.

Granted, he plays 20 minutes per game in Vancouver and we played him *checks notes* ...not 20 minutes.

He was thrown into the McDonagh trade like he was a free month of Spotify if you buy a car off the lot today and now we are going to reacquire him at his absolute highest value imaginable? I’d pass.

Maybe that’s the wrong way to look at it but it leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

 

[GAGLine]

He will play a ton here. Exactly the type of player Gallant and Drury love. PP/PK/ES. I don't love that he's probably a 1 year rental, but that gets the cost down and he is playing for a big contract.

We don't need him on the PP. There's an open spot with Strome gone, but Strome contributed almost nothing to the PP and we were still one of the best in the league. We have plenty of guys to take that spot who can do just as well, if not better.

Miller led his team in SHTOI/GP among forwards. Vancouver was tied for 2nd worst PK in the league. And despite all that PK time, he only had 2 SH points all year. We don't need him on the PK either.

Miller played 15:41 per game at even strength. On the Rangers, only Panarin got more. Mika was almost a full minute less.

Miller would not get the same ice time here as he does in Vancouver and he would not be as good. He will also cost more than he's worth and we won't have the cap space to re-sign him to a contract he also won't be worth.

 

[EdJovanovski]

Idk why people are drooling over JT, no thank you

You have to trade prime assets just to get him and he’s out the door in 12 months and they’re right back in this situation

They have to try and get someone with at least a little bit of term

They also probably only see him play a couple times per year, as someone from Vancouver who watches him regularly the guy is still just as big of a bozo regardless of production. An upper middle class man's Ryan Strome.

One example is on a delayed powerplay in 3v3 OT, he dumped the puck in... You don't dump the puck in on 3v3 OT to begin with, you dump it back into your own end because possession is key. But to dump it on a delayed PP in 3v3 OT?? It's almost admirable how a guy that dumb made it to the NHL.

I remember a game I went to in December 2019 against the Leafs, Canucks pulled their goalie, almost 2 mins left and JT Miller takes the puck behind the Canucks net, there were multiple Canuck players on the left side near the boards he could pass it to with no Leafs in sight, there's a Leaf coming at him from the right side of the net so what does Bozo do? Tries passing it on the right side of the net/or passing to himself and going around him, like saucing it over the leafs stick, so he passes it right to the Leaf and he scores on the empty net

 

[PuckLuck3043]

He was thrown into the McDonagh trade like he was a free month of Spotify if you buy a car off the lot today and now we are going to require him at his absolute highest value imaginable? I’d pass.

Maybe that’s the wrong way to look at it but it leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

He was and there was no reason to include him in that trade. It was an overall terrible job by Gorton.

 

[duhmetreE]

I would not give up primo assets for JTM unless he re-signs. Even then, I don't think he's what 'we need'. We need strong 2way middle 6 centers. We have a '1C'

He will cost A LOT. A lot in assets to acquire. A lot in cap space. I don't see how it works

It's Copp or even Trocheck imo

 

[NYR Viper]

Still no word on buyouts. Seems odd, no?

 

[McRanger92]

I would not give up primo assets for JTM unless he re-signs. Even then, I don't think he's what 'we need'. We need strong 2way middle 6 centers. We have a '1C'

He will cost A LOT. A lot in assets to acquire. A lot in cap space. I don't see how it works

I dont agree with this. Fiala got a 1st and a good not great prospect and is 4 years younger and an RFA. Vancouver overplayed their hand. If they wont budge on their high ask, look elsewhere.

 

[Fitzy]

Still no word on buyouts. Seems odd, no?

I feel like some teams will want to wait until the last minute in case any more favorable trade offers for buyout candidates come along.

Arizona is probably ringing off the hook. The NHL's dumpster

 

[rangers1314]

Still no update on if Strome needs surgery or not?

 

[duhmetreE]

I dont agree with this. Fiala got a 1st and a good not great prospect and is 4 years younger and an RFA. Vancouver overplayed their hand. If they wont budge on their high ask, look elsewhere.

not a similar comparison.

Minnesota literally does not have the space to sign Fiala. He had to be moved.

JTM is signed. If he's not moved in the offseason, they'd attempt to start a bidding war at the TDL. Vancouver has more leverage than Minnesota did.

 

[RangersFan1994]

I feel like some teams will want to wait until the last minute in case any more favorable trade offers for buyout candidates come along.

Arizona is probably ringing off the hook. The NHL's dumpster

Take Nemeth please

 

[Beer League Sniper]

He was thrown into the McDonagh trade like he was a free month of Spotify if you buy a car off the lot today and now we are going to require him at his absolute highest value imaginable? I’d pass.

Maybe that’s the wrong way to look at it but it leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

100% agree. Some doors are better left closed.

 

[huerter]

We don't need him on the PP. There's an open spot with Strome gone, but Strome contributed almost nothing to the PP and we were still one of the best in the league. We have plenty of guys to take that spot who can do just as well, if not better.

If they don't have a right handed shot and aren't named Tyler Johnson they can take a spot on PP2.

 

[Larrybiv]

He was thrown into the McDonagh trade like he was a free month of Spotify if you buy a car off the lot today and now we are going to require him at his absolute highest value imaginable? I’d pass.

Maybe that’s the wrong way to look at it but it leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

Same bad taste here, but have to admit that that was a strange set of circumstances. He must have learned something VERY VALUABLE in Tampa, playing with some very solid PEOPLE.
Always was on JT's side (albeit the bad side at the time),but people DO change, and would take "what we know" over other ??? marks.
Have a feeling he and Panarin would have a blast, and would be reuniting with Kreids.
He would prob kick ass in that one year, but then what? THAT is the part that will make Drury have to come up with harder decisions.

 

[JimmyG89]

I feel like some teams will want to wait until the last minute in case any more favorable trade offers for buyout candidates come along.

Arizona is probably ringing off the hook. The NHL's dumpster

Teams typically will wait as long as possible before pulling the trigger. Once we hit the draft, teams will have an idea if a deal is being made to move that bad contract or if it'll need a buyout.

There are definitely a few candidates, but I'd expect more deals moving bad contracts vs buyouts. Teams would rather part with the 2nd rounder to shed the deal entirely. I don't think anyone wants to be like Minnesota at this point. You don't know when the cap is expanding. If you buy someone out this summer, it could be during a cap boom or during a flat cap. If you're rebuilding, you don't care, but contending teams don't want that insane cap charge coming their way when the cap is only going up 1M per season.

I think there might only be 1 or 2 buyouts at this rate.

 

[Beer League Sniper]

Just pick someone off the scrap heap in UFA for the 3C spot and hope they overperform. Enough players are going to get cap squeezed that I think we'll be able to grab someone useful. Let Chytil try and grow into the 2C role. Even if he fails, I think we're still a playoff team. Address it at the TDL and go to war.