Roster Building thread - Part IX - (2024 edition)

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

The Chytil money is an opportunity to Drury to add a couple of good players or one good player. No rentals. Maybe a very cheap rental to fill a hole. Try to add players who will be here beyond late April. The salary cap is going up to $87.675M this summer. $92M in 25-26. The Rangers will have some cap flexibility. Chytil may never play again. Drury can move players this summer. Goodrow could finally be bought out. Free up nearly $3.9M for next season. The $3.5M cap hit will hurt in 26-27 but the cap could be over $95M then. New CBA. Maybe a team trades for him. Kreider and Trouba will no longer have full no movement clauses. Lindgren and Kakko will be group II free agents. I am not trading them for a bag of pucks but there is flexibility there. Other teams add players and figure it out later. Igor is entering the last season of his contract. Panarin will have two seasons remaining on his deal. Drury has the opportunity to reset the team. Even Trocheck has a full NMC expiring after next season. His trade protection is very favorable to the Rangers.

The team is broken but Drury has the opportunity to fix that. The Rangers keep firing the coach. However, the coach never changes anything. Kreider plays with Zibanejad. The power play has been the same setup since Quinn was the coach. Fox replaced Tony and Trocheck replaced Strome. No opportunity for Lafreniere or even Kakko. That's infuriating. The same issues remain with the cap. The team is top heavy. No cap flexibility. Management handed out contracts in 2019 and 2020 but Covid happened and the cap stagnated. I sound like a broken record but this situation needs to change. They try to change the way the team plays but they don't have the personnel to play a big and heavy game or be hard on the puck. It's the same shit every year. These players get their money and we get the same lousy product.

While all the changes you suggest are viable, as someone else here posted, it's time to make a system/organization wide change.....if you're going to play a big/heavy game, you need to draft/trade for players/prospects that fit your needs. Rangers, in all my years of watching them, have never done this.

 

[DialUp]

While all the changes you suggest are viable, as someone else here posted, it's time to make a system/organization wide change.....if you're going to play a big/heavy game, you need to draft/trade for players/prospects that fit your needs. Rangers, in all my years of watching them, have never done this

They have tried; McIlrath, Jessiman. Reaves!
We haven't really been good at it.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

They have tried; McIlrath, Jessiman. Reaves!
We haven't really been good at it.

We finally nailed one with Cuylle.

 

[NYR Viper]

While all the changes you suggest are viable, as someone else here posted, it's time to make a system/organization wide change.....if you're going to play a big/heavy game, you need to draft/trade for players/prospects that fit your needs. Rangers, in all my years of watching them, have never done this.

I'd argue that the team has been trying to go in that direction. Othmann, Berard, Sykora, Edstrom, Laba, Chmelar, Rempe. They added Trouba and Trochek. I can see Drury wanting to go in that direction but it's not an about face. They seem to be in a bit of a middle ground at the moment with some of the holdovers

 

[DialUp]

We finally nailed one with Cuylle.

Agreed on that so far. Can't complain about his draft position and play.

 

[Machinehead]

View attachment 812405

Kreider is a cheat code.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Kreider is a cheat code.

No that's Gabe. Kreider stinks.

 

[Machinehead]

Dowd is excellent. Better than Monahan at every aspect of the game.

Why is Monahan garnering attention and not Dowd? Why will Monahan almost certainly cost more?

Special teams. Remove special teams and Monahan has 17 in 49 to Dowd's 13 in 38. It's so frustrating that the hockey world still refuses to look at efficiency and context when it comes to offense.

 

[Avery16]

Our chance at Lundell was at his draft. He ain’t getting moved now.

 

[bernmeister]

The Chytil money is an opportunity to Drury to add a couple of good players or one good player. No rentals. Maybe a very cheap rental to fill a hole. Try to add players who will be here beyond late April. The salary cap is going up to $87.675M this summer. $92M in 25-26. The Rangers will have some cap flexibility. Chytil may never play again. Drury can move players this summer. Goodrow could finally be bought out. Free up nearly $3.9M for next season. The $3.5M cap hit will hurt in 26-27 but the cap could be over $95M then. New CBA. Maybe a team trades for him. Kreider and Trouba will no longer have full no movement clauses. Lindgren and Kakko will be group II free agents. I am not trading them for a bag of pucks but there is flexibility there. Other teams add players and figure it out later. Igor is entering the last season of his contract. Panarin will have two seasons remaining on his deal. Drury has the opportunity to reset the team. Even Trocheck has a full NMC expiring after next season. His trade protection is very favorable to the Rangers.

The team is broken but Drury has the opportunity to fix that. The Rangers keep firing the coach. However, the coach never changes anything. Kreider plays with Zibanejad. The power play has been the same setup since Quinn was the coach. Fox replaced Tony and Trocheck replaced Strome. No opportunity for Lafreniere or even Kakko. That's infuriating. The same issues remain with the cap. The team is top heavy. No cap flexibility. Management handed out contracts in 2019 and 2020 but Covid happened and the cap stagnated. I sound like a broken record but this situation needs to change. They try to change the way the team plays but they don't have the personnel to play a big and heavy game or be hard on the puck. It's the same shit every year. These players get their money and we get the same lousy product.

concur and this jives with what I have been saying
more of the same = more of the same
vets for vets ok
youth for youth ok
vets for youth ok
BUT NO MORE YOUTH FOR VETS
eff win now = epic fail

 

[LORDE]

Hes not calling it a career. He’s sitting out the season

Do you honestly believe that he's going to be fine in 2025?

He went down, sat out for weeks, eventually went home, trained there & came back for one practice in a non-contact sweater & THEN called it a season. Pretty obvious where this is heading. Ask LaFontaine or Lindros.

But, if you read the very 1st line in my post, it clearly states that they were going to have to do something about center anyway. Regardless of Chytil.

Now that he's out for AT LEAST this season, the need is more apparent than ever.

 

[bernmeister]

It absolutely is salvageable. They had a rough month, no doubt, but I am not letting a month overshadow what this team showed they were capable of when fully healthy. The major key is goaltending, though. Shesterkin needs to get it together. He's been awful.

Yeah Shesty had a flat month tho I think this is more due to let down by team than vice versa.

The truth: bern is right
We don't have the horses.
We continue to have a chance, based on injury, luck, etc
But we are not dominant enuf to exert will to win.
We need to find better pieces
Not be afraid to overpay within reason using correct currency to get foundation pieces we need, then continue to develop -> go young -> manage cap

 

[NYR Viper]

Dowd is excellent. Better than Monahan at every aspect of the game.

Why is Monahan garnering attention and not Dowd? Why will Monahan almost certainly cost more?

Special teams. Remove special teams and Monahan has 17 in 49 to Dowd's 13 in 38. It's so frustrating that the hockey world still refuses to look at efficiency and context when it comes to offense.

Dowd would be an excellent addition. What's your opinion on Nico Sturm, Radek Faksa and Sean Kuraly

 

[Machinehead]

Dowd would be an excellent addition. What's your opinion on Nico Sturm, Radek Faksa and Sean Kuraly

Sturm and Kuraly are pretty much warm bodies. Kuraly is having a decent year driving offense but has mostly been replacement level. They both meet the lofty bar of "not Barclay Goodrow" but I would want them to replace Goodrow, not Chytil. Dowd is good enough to replace Chytil.

Faksa is all over the map in terms of results and I don't see Dallas having any interest in moving him anyway.

 

[NYR Viper]

Dallas is right up against the cap. Faksa is an interesting player. He makes $3.25m this year and next but only has 10 points in 42 games. His possession numbers look good at 5v5, FO% is very good at ~54%. He appears to get pretty heavy defensive usage @ ~65% defensive zone starts (yes I know this isn't a huge stat but it probably at least indicates where the coach uses him.

If Dallas wants to add to their team going into the deadline, would they consider moving our Faksa to create some cap room?

 

[Jaromir Jagr]

Dowd is excellent. Better than Monahan at every aspect of the game.

Why is Monahan garnering attention and not Dowd? Why will Monahan almost certainly cost more?

Special teams. Remove special teams and Monahan has 17 in 49 to Dowd's 13 in 38. It's so frustrating that the hockey world still refuses to look at efficiency and context when it comes to offense.

Dowd was drafted in the 7th round and Monahan went 6th overall.

 

[Machinehead]

Dowd was drafted in the 7th round and Monahan went 6th overall.

Yeah, that also doesn't help.

 

[UAGoalieGuy]

Dowd is excellent. Better than Monahan at every aspect of the game.

Why is Monahan garnering attention and not Dowd? Why will Monahan almost certainly cost more?

Special teams. Remove special teams and Monahan has 17 in 49 to Dowd's 13 in 38. It's so frustrating that the hockey world still refuses to look at efficiency and context when it comes to offense.

Has there been any rumors of Dowd being available? That could be it.

 

[bl02]

Anyone know whats going on with Edstrom? I know it won't happen because Brodz would be plucked off waivers but would be nice to see what he can do over a stretch of 5-10 games at center.

 

[Kovalev27]

Nic Dowd is who we’re talking about?

He’s a a 4th line center at best. That’s not moving the needle for us. Brodzinki can give us those numbers. Plays a tougher game would be a nice 4C upgrade but certainly not a 3C option.

Henrique is a guy that will make some plays in the playoffs, elevates his game. Excellent in the faceoff circle. That’s the guy

 

[Bruner4329]

No that's Gabe. Kreider stinks.

Really? Is this the best you can do? I do not get the continued pounding CK gets on this board from the same posters over and over. Reality is the contract he signed a few years ago has been basically a bargain and at worst market value for the production we have had. Do you people even realize how much it costs to lock up on average a 35-40 goal scorer which is what he has been the last couple of years. Even this year he has 23 goals and 22 assists through 49 games and is on target for another 35 goal season. He is also a plus 13 for the year. This team has problems but this is not one that requires constant harping.

It is almost embarrassing to see Ranger fans treat this guy like they do. This is an all time great that is still producing. You get rid of this guy where you going to make up this production?

 

[Savant]

Nic Dowd is who we’re talking about?

He’s a a 4th line center at best. That’s not moving the needle for us. Brodzinki can give us those numbers. Plays a tougher game would be a nice 4C upgrade but certainly not a 3C option.

Henrique is a guy that will make some plays in the playoffs, elevates his game. Excellent in the faceoff circle. That’s the guy

I mean, Dowd absolutely makes this team better if they can get him.

But yeah Dowd and a guy like Henrique (who I still don’t love) is probably the path that they need to take.

They need two. They need to say “this is the guy we are offering our FRP for” and rank those how they want them (not what I would do but what they are going to do) get their first choice / or best choice in for that and then figure out what assets they have left

 

[Profet]

i honestly don't believe any new additions matter with the current coaching staff and their lack of holding players accountable.

I don't know if Drury gets a shot with another coach, but Peter is not the coach that this team needed.

 

[Anthony5967]

I’ll continue to bang the drum for Bjugstad. Size, grit, scoring, takes draws, and he’s signed for $2M next year. Arizona is not making the playoffs. Would Armstrong be willing to add assets for him? Kill two birds with one stone and add Zucker too. NYR probably check in with about $4.5-5.3M in cap space depending on send downs on off days and paper transactions leading up until the deadline. Bjugstad is perfect for the Cuylle and Kakko line. They play in straight lines and are physical. Zucker is that pit bull player in the mold of Vatrano. He's a rental so say Arizona eats half, I'd absolutely be okay sending my 1st and a player like Robertson there.

 

[haohmaru]

The Rangers need to make a hockey trade that helps both teams for the foreseeable future and not rentals. Whatever that trade is.