Speculation: Roster Building Thread: Part LIV

[LiveLongandProspal]

It's odd to me that Brassard had most of the same flaws in his game that Strome does while he was here, but everyone loved Brass.

Guess it had to do with playoff performances??

Yeah, pretty much. And his chemistry with Zucc and Pouliot.

 

[SA16]

Brassard did not play with anything close to an MVP level player and was able to produce.

 

[Shesterkybomb]

We heard you the first 100 times you said this.

Thanks for taking the time to reply to me, really means a lot. Your post was informative, creative and really made me think about whether I've made the correct choices in life, your reply affirmed that i did, i thank you for your positive vibes.

 

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

It's odd to me that Brassard had most of the same flaws in his game that Strome does while he was here, but everyone loved Brass.

Guess it had to do with playoff performances??

Well me personally I was never the biggest Brassard fan. I kind of poopoo’d his contract extension and was stoked when I saw we traded him for Mika.

At least Brassard didn’t need to be carried by an MVP caliber player for all his flaws

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

It's odd to me that Brassard had most of the same flaws in his game that Strome does while he was here, but everyone loved Brass.

Guess it had to do with playoff performances??

Yeah thats a factor for sure, his Ranger career was basically all uphill from day 1.

A big part of the reason why the feelings around Brass are so flowery is because they sold him at the perfect time before his performance started to decline. Had we been subject to that part of his career, a significant portion of the fanbase would have soured on him pretty quickly.

But I don't really think they were all too similar outside of being high picks who failed to meet expectations prior to being dealt (twice in Strome's case.) Brass was a more productive player before coming here and didn't have his biggest season(s) playing next to a Hart Trophy finalist.

 

[huerter]

If Brassard doesn't rip up the WC does he have the same trade value?

 

[HatTrick Swayze]

Personally I’m expecting a quiet offseason. Uncertainty over what conditions will be in the future kills deal making.

Laf, RFAs returning, maybe a depth signing or two. Hank bought out or Georgiev traded for a 2nd. That’s about it.

Next offseason could get very interesting if teams run into cap / financial troubles in “2020-21” and there is hopefully more normalcy with expectations for “2021-22” timing and financial considerations.

 

[Brooklyn Rangers Fan]

Well me personally I was never the biggest Brassard fan. I kind of poopoo’d his contract extension and was stoked when I saw we traded him for Mika.

At least Brassard didn’t need to be carried by an MVP caliber player for all his flaws

I liked Brassard and defended his early production when people weren't recognizing how well he performed in the first year and a half after we got him...

...and like you, was also one of the few who was ecstatic with the trade when we moved him for Zibanejad (plus a 2nd!) in the years to follow.

 

[Raspewtin]

Brassard scored more with significantly less talent around him and was way, way better defensively than Strome; in addition to all the good points already made

 

[Mikos87]

I think there’s also a difference between a guy who can “maybe” slide into a fourth line role, and a guy who really owns that role. And even then, it’s harder to have multiple players fall into the maybe category.

My expectations for names like Richards, Fogarty and Gettinger are modest at best.

I don't see the latter two in any extended role, and while Richards is tailor made for a 4th line game, he very well needs some time to cook. Morgan Barron is the guy that I can see taking a run, he's already a hulking physical specimen. A smart hard worker who plays a consistent game.

The thing with Richards is that he's been around on a couple of good college teams that won the national championship, and he's was out there as a lead protector. He was the last man out off of his match-ups, and did that very consistently. I'm a little unsure of the natural athleticism, but in the games I saw in the NCAA playoffs, I can say I remember the game, and I remember seeing him out there in 1 goal situations protecting the lead. That's not the type of prospect that really stands out, or I should say, I don't go into a game looking for. In other words, he's played the type of minutes you want your grinder accustomed to playing.

 

[leetch99]

Can I hire you a stenographer to type up a transcript for the board?

LOL...the aerosol can laying there ! I have never and would never attempt ...but I am not an alcoholic either . But I do know lots that have sunk that low for a quick fix and a popular drink around here other than the aerosol fix was a bottle of Vanilla extract ...YUCK ! Damn...quoted the wrong reply...Sorry Mahomes.

 

[Crease]

Maybe I’m misremembering but I liked Brassard’s two-way game. He also drove the offense on his lines. Then there’s the fact that he consistently found another gear in the playoffs. Just the ideal middle-six center in my opinion.

I want to like Strome, but I find myself banging my head against the wall when I watch him play defense. His penalty minutes are up compared to Brass’s and obviously he’s benefiting statistically from playing with Panarin.

 

[n8]

It's odd to me that Brassard had most of the same flaws in his game that Strome does while he was here, but everyone loved Brass.

Guess it had to do with playoff performances??

I assume it was that 1 season of Pouliot-Brassard-Zuccarello that was magical in addition to the whole Brassgod meme here.
It was a shame we couldn't extend Pouliot but the 5 yr / $20,000,000 contract he got from Edmonton despite never surpassing 20 goals or 40 points was really dumb.

 

[egelband]

Khodorenko is an intriguing prospect. I remember talking to Joey Bones about him regularly in his draft year and it really sucked that he suffered that brutal injury that cost him a draft spot. At one point, he was projected to be a 1st round pick so to see him go undrafted altogether was a shock.

I was excited when we signed him and know it's still a question of him adjusting to the pro game, but I think he and Barron are quite similar when it comes to their chances of carving out a nice NHL career.

Has he fully recovered from his injury?

 

[egelband]

So Bennett and Virtanen both taking off as Rangers? I like it.

Another fan favorite paradigm. The Reclamation Project. Right up there with The Gritty Fourth Liner.

(Full disclosure: these are two of my favorites, as well).

 

[Mikos87]

I feel w need to give Lemieux , Howden , Gauthier and Hajek this year to proove themselves ... lets see what they got cause the year after the teams going to have much higher expectations. Contracts off the books

Yes exactly. The Rangers really like the 2016 draft, and all of these guys are in various stages of their fitness

Howden- Needing more muscle- Think Jamal Murray's work with Biosteel. Aim for 7-12 pounds of muscle. Eat-up bulk up the legs, chest and glamour muscles, and do yoga. Really liked his playoffs. Some more muscle, better in the dots, and consistent 4th line center shifts protecting a 1 goal lead should be his goal. You hope he's training now. Season's going to start soon.

Lemueix- Trim down a bit, think he's needs some more cardiovascular conditioning. Don't trust him out there at 60+ seconds in the D Zone. Maybe some more leg strength, and explosiveness.

Gaut- All mental. Maybe some on ice boxing lessons with Uncle Denis. Learn the ins and outs of good positioning. If he's going to be physical out there, and be an alpha dawg, then he's gotta learn to protect himself. Uncle Denis' a great guy to learn from. Gaut's gotta learn to use his size and be able to create some advantages using smart spacing decisions. I think if he learns to do the Neely, the chip over the shoulder, and use his size and speed to own the puck and space before a hard drive or a shot, he's going to be dangerous.

Hajek- All mental, and some slight conditioning, mostly endurance. I think for him to be a big minute guy, he's gotta show he's got his wits about himself when he's tired. He's gotta stop purposefully absorbing hits. There are better ways to wake himself up. Fil can slap him around bare palmed with some menthol aftershave if Libor needs that. To me this is the player whose the biggest wildcard for the Rangers. It's an open job if he can take it. Think he's got to work on being assertive like how we was in his last year in Juniors. Hajek was an alpha dawg, just like Gaut he's gotta learn to be an alpha at the NHL level.

 

[LiveLongandProspal]

Another fan favorite paradigm. The Reclamation Project. Right up there with The Gritty Fourth Liner.

(Full disclosure: these are two of my favorites, as well).

Hey, it worked for Pouliot...for a year

 

[Mikos87]

You know the more I think about it, the more I believe that a guy like Gaut can benefit from Alexis Lafreniere's swagger and physicality. I can really see that being a positive impact on Gaut.

 

[RGY]

Brassard scored more with significantly less talent around him and was way, way better defensively than Strome; in addition to all the good points already made

Yea not sure how this has been brought into the discussion. Brassard was better than Strome on both sides of the puck and did not play with a Hart Trophy candidate. And showed up when it counted.

 

[Ghost of jas]

I liked Brassard and defended his early production when people weren't recognizing how well he performed in the first year and a half after we got him...

...and like you, was also one of the few who was ecstatic with the trade when we moved him for Zibanejad (plus a 2nd!) in the years to follow.

@MahomesIsGod knows where I have stood on the Brass for Mika matter.

 

[Minmonster]

To me Brassard paid dividends on both ends of his nyr transactions. He was part of a really decent trade that Dorset and Moore and I remember being pleasantly surprised with his play because he was somewhat considered a bust at the time. Then of course he brought MZ which was a complete steal. What's not to love about that guy. I'd sign him just to see whether there is more magic in that bottle.

 

[NYR Viper]

I’ve said this for a year or two but what a young team really needs is a viable, veteran 4th line. Guys who know their roles and can handle and support in those tough minutes. Guys who show up every night and will push back when needed.

Gorton has done a phenomenal job at accruing young talent but there comes a time when they need to make some decisions and start getting some support guys. Dominic Moore held this type of role for more than a few years. Brian Boyle. The key also being that you can’t overpay first these guys either.

 

[egelband]

I have a few people who are coming to visit me in PA to get away from NY and their cities.

Time will be spent together. Wine will be plentiful. Discussions will take place. I'm actually meeting one of them early in about 2 hours.

I say this with caveat that I will not be grilling them for hours with questions, and anything pre-draft is a subject to some level of confidentiality. And even then, I only get partial puzzle pieces prior to the draft.

Wine... So, please take notes...

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

I’ve said this for a year or two but what a young team really needs is a viable, veteran 4th line. Guys who know their roles and can handle and support in those tough minutes. Guys who show up every night and will push back when needed.

Gorton has done a phenomenal job at accruing young talent but there comes a time when they need to make some decisions and start getting some support guys. Dominic Moore held this type of role for more than a few years. Brian Boyle. The key also being that you can’t overpay first these guys either.

Yeah, I definitely wouldn't mind a couple of veterans to put in the bottom 6, if just to be able to help communicate what some of the younger guys that are playing further down the line up what need to do to be effective and consistent NHLers

 

[GeorgeKaplan]