Roster Building thread - Part IX - (2024 edition)

[Machinehead]

I agree but we need to be practical. We are living with him for now. Thats an offseason move, no one is getting traded off the roster now that they've had a nice run of strong play.

There has to be a 3rd pair guy out there who can provide depth for us. No option is going to be perfect, but it doesnt change that its a large team need.

If you're not changing the top 4 then leave it alone. Or just get a different #7 that's not Jones if you feel the need.

You're changing our most effective pair for the sake of changing it.

 

[DanielBrassard]

I agree but we need to be practical. We are living with him for now. Thats an offseason move, no one is getting traded off the roster now that they've had a nice run of strong play.

There has to be a 3rd pair guy out there who can provide depth for us. No option is going to be perfect, but it doesnt change that its a large team need.

A 3rd pair guy only helps if he’s taking one of Lindgren or Trouba out of the lineup, if he’s not that it’s a waste of time. There are no upgrades on Gus that are going to be cheap and Schneider isn’t being scratched.

 

[mas0764]

3:30 left in NYR/DAL hot take.

We have a "#1" Center who only shoots the puck if it's a one-timer from the left circle.

We ain't winning when it matters most within that paradigm.

ISWIS.

Go ahead. Post the heat map of Zibanjads goals. I'll eat my boot if I'm overwhelmingly wrong.

Most people now realize that Zibanejad contract is going to kill us and that he's really more of a #2 center on a Cup winner.

 

[McRanger92]

A 3rd pair guy only helps if he’s taking one of Lindgren or Trouba out of the lineup, if he’s not that it’s a waste of time. There are no upgrades on Gus that are going to be cheap and Schneider isn’t being scratched.

It's foolish to assume all 6 defenseman will stay healthy. The odds are that Lindgren is going to miss time organically anyway. They need another body.

 

[Machinehead]

If we're going to be practical, we have to be practical about role.

Gustafsson might have some warts, but he's the best third pair defenseman in the NHL. If you get any better, you're in the top 4. We don't have the cap space (nobody does) to get a top 4 guy and put him down there just to have an embarrassment of riches.

 

[mas0764]

If we go for a twofer, what are the options?

Hayes/Buchnevich
Wennberg/Eberle
Henrique/Vatrano


Which other ones?

I feel like Hayes/Buch is what I'd want, but, I don't want to part with a first.

 

[NYR Viper]

Doesn’t seem like the best idea to waste about half the cap space we have on a 7th defenseman. If you ar making a move for a defenseman it has to be with the mind of upgrading on Lindgren that’s the only thing that makes sense.

Scandella may be a #7 just because we think the top-6 is set but in all reality, he's a 5/6 d-man. I would like to think that he would play the majority of the games down the stretch, giving Lindgren some much needed time off, as well as others as needed.

If we're going to be practical, we have to be practical about role.

Gustafsson might have some warts, but he's the best third pair defenseman in the NHL. If you get any better, you're in the top 4. We don't have the cap space (nobody does) to get a top 4 guy and put him down there just to have an embarrassment of riches.

He's a re-sign guy for me because that pairing, at 5v5, is really a top-4 pairing and it's going to get better as Schneider improves. It's also going to cost peanuts compared to the value they bring even with Gustafsson's likely raise ($2.5-3m)

I feel like Hayes/Buch is what I'd want, but, I don't want to part with a first.

Just trade for Hayes. Mid-round or late pick + prospect. If they add Hayes, that slides Brodzinski down and Goodrow over. The lineup is set.

 

[Machinehead]

I'm getting into the "no realistic replacement" category with Brodzinski as well.

There isn't a 3C out there who's much better than he is for what he costs, and he already has chemistry on the line.

The 2C's that we could have put there for upgraded depth are pretty much off the market, and imo Monahan was never that anyway.

Mabye Henrique, but he's not going to get any PP time here. At 5v5, consider Henrique at his cap hit plus trade assets, versus Brodzinski who is a free asset. There's almost no upgrade.

 

[DanielBrassard]

Scandella may be a #7 just because we think the top-6 is set but in all reality, he's a 5/6 d-man. I would like to think that he would play the majority of the games down the stretch, giving Lindgren some much needed time off, as well as others as needed.



He's a re-sign guy for me because that pairing, at 5v5, is really a top-4 pairing and it's going to get better as Schneider improves. It's also going to cost peanuts compared to the value they bring even with Gustafsson's likely raise ($2.5-3m)



Just trade for Hayes. Mid-round or late pick + prospect. If they add Hayes, that slides Brodzinski down and Goodrow over. The lineup is set.

He wouldn’t or shouldn’t play the majority of the games unless there’s an injury. But if guys are healthy enough to play they will, especially someone like Lindgren. The NHL hasn’t caught on to the idea of load management like the other sports outside of the goalie. And again, it’s eating up a lot of cap space when the Rangers have bigger needs.

 

[Machinehead]

He wouldn’t or shouldn’t play the majority of the games unless there’s an injury. But if guys are healthy enough to play they will, especially someone like Lindgren. The NHL hasn’t caught on to the idea of load management like the other sports outside of the goalie. And again, it’s eating up a lot of cap space when the Rangers have bigger needs.

In order to get into the culture of load management, hockey first needs a salary cap system that allows you to actually carry backups, instead of going with 20 roster spots to accrue the $3,000 you need at the deadline.

 

[DanielBrassard]

In order to get into the culture of load management, hockey first needs a salary cap system that allows you to actually carry backups, instead of going with 20 roster spots to accrue the $3,000 you need at the deadline.

Lmao that is a fair point, however even if there was enough cap room and in this scenario for the Rangers there is, I still don’t believe we would see a guy like Lindgren sit for load management reasons.

 

[bernmeister]

And we have picks and prospects to pay for those unicorns.

yes, but it is unrealistic to expect those unicorns will extend for affordable $$$. Ergo, ya need to develop unicorns internally so you at least have chance to team control-> push vs salary exploding -> cap controls you, you do not control/manage cap

 

[Fitzy]

The replacement for Brod is a simple trade which is why I'm perplexed as to why so many people here are keyed in on getting a top 4 defenseman. I think it's a near certainty we go to the playoffs with the defensive 6 that we have- if anything I think we add a #6/7 for flexibility at most with that position.

 

[bernmeister]

The replacement for Brod is a simple trade which is why I'm perplexed as to why so many people here are keyed in on getting a top 4 defenseman. I think it's a near certainty we go to the playoffs with the defensive 6 that we have- if anything I think we add a #6/7 for flexibility at most with that position.

Should always be open to upgrading where possible across the board

that said, improving on Brodz is not our highest need, esp not immediately

 

[SA16]

I don't think it would cost that much to get them to retain to the point that he is making ~$2.5M which is reasonable. There won't be many teams lining up for his services because of his cap hit and quality of play is my guess.



And this is the issue. Jones can't be the only other NHL d-man. The team has been pretty fortunate up to this point with injuries but Lindgren is a walking mummy with all of his bandages and bruises.

Yea I think 2.5M is way too much. If we have 5-6M to spend and ideally want a top six RW and 3C I am not wasting half that money on a guy whose role is to sit in the press box and play if someone gets hurt.

I don't think trading for a quality D is the move either. Trouba/Lindgren are not coming out of the lineup. We don't need to upgrade on Gustafsson. Anyone available is either not better than him or not better enough that it's worth the assets. If Lindgren is in the trade that's obviously totally different but I doubt it. The guys we need are the extremely cheap depth guys to have just in case. They don't prevent us from adding at other spots. In the past we got Braun and Mikkola who both made like 1.8M.

In addition to the guys I mentioned someone like Jon Merrill is a fine option. Been a 6/7 D forever, he's not totally terrible, he only makes 1.2M this year and next.

 

[mas0764]

I'm getting into the "no realistic replacement" category with Brodzinski as well.

There isn't a 3C out there who's much better than he is for what he costs, and he already has chemistry on the line.

The 2C's that we could have put there for upgraded depth are pretty much off the market, and imo Monahan was never that anyway.

Mabye Henrique, but he's not going to get any PP time here. At 5v5, consider Henrique at his cap hit plus trade assets, versus Brodzinski who is a free asset. There's almost no upgrade.

The truth is we just need to roll with what we have instead of overpaying for rentals.

This offseason maybe Othmann and Perrault can get on the team, maybe Chytil is back. They should acquire a young long term center and double down on trading Lindgren for a young forward and moving out Goodrow and Trouba and getting a top paid D back somewhere. Schneider takes over 2nd pair duties and Jones/Robertson can move into third pair.

 

[NYR Viper]

The replacement for Brod is a simple trade which is why I'm perplexed as to why so many people here are keyed in on getting a top 4 defenseman. I think it's a near certainty we go to the playoffs with the defensive 6 that we have- if anything I think we add a #6/7 for flexibility at most with that position.

I think they're going to look for a depth d-man and a quality depth forward. Scandella and Okposo? Scandella and Sturm? Scandella and _____

Yea I think 2.5M is way too much. If we have 5-6M to spend and ideally want a top six RW and 3C I am not wasting half that money on a guy whose role is to sit in the press box and play if someone gets hurt.

The issue is, the team has options at forward who can be called up. They don't have those options on defense. Edstrom, Rempe, Othmann, Berard, Belzile. They have options up front. If they need to allocate some of their open cap space to defense because they do not, then that's what needs to happen. Jones can't be the only guy capable of taking a NHL shift on defense outside of the top-6.

 

[Fitzy]

I think they're going to look for a depth d-man and a quality depth forward. Scandella and Okposo? Scandella and Sturm? Scandella and _____

Whomever the forward is absolutely must be able to play center.

I have questions about Brodzinski's style of play in tight postseason checking hockey, but we will see.

 

[SA16]

I think they're going to look for a depth d-man and a quality depth forward. Scandella and Okposo? Scandella and Sturm? Scandella and _____



The issue is, the team has options at forward who can be called up. They don't have those options on defense. Edstrom, Rempe, Othmann, Berard, Belzile. They have options up front. If they need to allocate some of their open cap space to defense because they do not, then that's what needs to happen. Jones can't be the only guy capable of taking a NHL shift on defense outside of the top-6.

None of those guys are viable options for the 1RW or 3C role. Their 4th line guys. They need to get a cheap depth dman. Not one who costs 2.5M+. Merrill, Dermott, Megna, Goligoski. Someone alone those lines. They already have one depth guy in the AHL in Mackey too though he isn't very good. He has a little bit of NHL experience though.

It's also much more important to improve in the spots you know you need and that will contribue. We definitely need a RW and a C. They will play in the playoffs. The depth D could realistically play 0 games. It's something that would be nice to have but not worth spending significant cap on when their ideal role is to not play a single game.

 

[NYR Viper]

None of those guys are viable options for the 1RW or 3C role. Their 4th line guys. They need to get a cheap depth dman. Not one who costs 2.5M+. Merrill, Dermott, Megna, Goligoski. Someone alone those lines. They already have one depth guy in the AHL in Mackey too though he isn't very good. He has a little bit of NHL experience thoug.

1RW is Lafreniere.
The RW opposite Kreider and with Zibanejad should be Vesey.
3C is Brodzinski. None of the options remotely available are an upgrade there. Especially when you consider the cost.

In an ideal world it would be fantastic to add Scandella or Scandella and Hayes

 

[Machinehead]

The truth is we just need to roll with what we have instead of overpaying for rentals.

This offseason maybe Othmann and Perrault can get on the team, maybe Chytil is back. They should acquire a young long term center and double down on trading Lindgren for a young forward and moving out Goodrow and Trouba and getting a top paid D back somewhere. Schneider takes over 2nd pair duties and Jones/Robertson can move into third pair.

I like Brodzinski too. Dude is 30 years old and worked his ass off to get into the NHL full-time.

People talk about wanting heart and whatnot. That's it right there. He works hard, he's improved a lot on faceoffs and defense, and he's not giving up that spot easily now that he has it.

He's been a leader in the AHL and he's a vet in pro hockey. Knows how to carry himself. He could be a glue guy who didn't cost a bunch to acquire because he's already here. That's how you do it.

People will say "oh he's a career AHL player." That's in the past. He's been good for us at this level two seasons in a row.

 

[SA16]

1RW is Lafreniere.
The RW opposite Kreider and with Zibanejad should be Vesey.
3C is Brodzinski. None of the options remotely available are an upgrade there. Especially when you consider the cost.

In an ideal world it would be fantastic to add Scandella or Scandella and Hayes

Hayes likely is not even available as the Blues are currently in a playoff spot, with games in hand, and teams behind them have already started selling. They have 8 games before the deadline and would have to go on an absolutely terrible losing streak to even be out of it. And if so, again, unless they are trading Buch there is little reason for them to trade Hayes for a mid round pick.

There is almost no chance they see Vesey as a viable top six wing and Brodzinski as a viable 3C going into the playoffs. They may have no choice but to stick with one just because you can't trade for everyone but not both. Scandella is an absolute waste at his salary and projected role and the only way I would even consider acquiring him is if they are 15 minutes away from the deadline, have already missed out on all their other targets, and have extra cap space available that would go to waste otherwise.

 

[NYR Viper]

I challenge anyone here to defend the position that trading for a center at this deadline would be:
1) A substantial improvement on Brodzinski
2) Worth the cost it would take to acquire

And I want to see real numbers in the comparison

None of the rental centers, from what I can see, are worthy of trading for them. At least none of them that people deem as 3C's. Now, 4C? To improve on Goodrow and push him to wing? I can see that.

 

[McRanger92]

If we are pivoting off a center, get me Reilly Smith for the RW spot. Pittsburgh is circling the drain.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

If we are pivoting off a center, get me Reilly Smith for the RW spot. Pittsburgh is circling the drain.

We'd be getting him a year too late.

Last year's iteration would have been nice.