Speculation: Roster Building Thread: Part LXVIII

[Shesterkybomb]

Dear lord, who said any of those guys would be sitting for Brian Boyle? How hard is this to comprehend? Boyle isnt taking any one of those player’s places. Not one. He is taking the vacancy on the 4th line with proven experience. Enough with the nonsense of passing off kids like Chytil and Howden as “vets” as if they have proven a damn thing in this league yet. And stop trying to double down on that same note of experience for those kids by claiming an extremely short playoff run is enough to say alright these kids have matured and they are indeed “experienced”. Mind blowing that we are acting like those kids are at the same stage as Panarin, Kreider, Zib, etc. Adding to that young group in the bottom 6 could be even more beneficial than any short lived playoff run.

Stop puting words in my mouth, i got enough in there already. I get it...you wanna get older, i wanna get younger.

 

[Thirty One]

Stop puting words in my mouth, i got enough in there already. I get it...you wanna get older, i wanna get younger.

I would also like to the Rangers to get older.

 

[jay from jersey]

I worry about Fox having a sophomore slump, but it's a weird year and he didn't play a full NHL season last year, or this one. Maybe that works in his favor, which could be great for us in a shortened season.

And how some people think that a freshly 25 year old Tony D can't get better at defense is totally beyond me.

Trouba too

 

[jay from jersey]

All the more reason to mix in One vet into the bottom 6 who you will get at a bargain.

We were the youngest team in the league on average before getting rid of hank, Staal, and fast leaving

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

Why the heck is Laf too high?

because this guys actually hates the Rangers

 

[jay from jersey]

But they already likely have spots. Starting spots. So no they arent being completely blocked. And really none of those 3 have done anything to warrant being on the top 3 lines. Gauthier was buried in Charlotte last year. You give him full time minutes on the 4th line and show the org they can eventually move on from Strome and/or Buchnevich. Or the veteran they bring in on the short term deal, they trade at the deadline or let walk after the season and Gauthier can slide up to 3RW.

We all know how David Quinn coaches. Is it possible Lafreniere starts in the top 6? Sure its possible, buts its much more likely he starts on the 3rd line just like Kakko did.

So right now you are looking at a bottom 6 of:

Lafreniere-Chytil-XXXX
Lemmy-Howden-Gauthier

Maybe Gauthier does get his look on the 3rd line depending on who they can bring in. I think Granlund/Boyle/Haula are the best guys to look at because they can play both center and wing. So if Chytil continues to be mediocre at the center position they can move him to wing and put the vet at center. If Gauthier shows he deserves more ice time, you slide the vet to the 4th line. If Howden continues to be just absolutely awful at the Center position, you slide him to wing or scratch him, and you put the Vet at 4C or promote Barron. You need that vet piece in there imo, to have flexibility and a presence. You put another kid on that 3rd line and roll out a bottom 6 of all kids and that just screams a nightmare of shifts getting pinned in their own end.

We have plenty of kids getting opportunity in the NHL. More than many other teams. And more that are talented with higher ceilings than other teams. You are going to be able to find someone at a discount who’s output will outweigh the money you spent and provide so much value.

I also think one of the main reasons they let fast go is because they want to take a long extended look at Gauthier in a top 9 role to see what they have with him. I thought he was one of our better players against Carolina. Made some nice passes, protected the puck well down low and along the boards and was above average on the forecheck. I know they were high on Keane and they have been after Gauthier for a while it seems so I really think they wanted to see how he plays with more talented players. I do think fast would have prohibited that, at least a little. I think Gauthier could surprise this year. I think if he’s not ready thru the first 3rd of the season or so you will see a move for a vet bottom 6 guy that is capable of playing third line minutes

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

Rangers released a video today with the players saying what they miss about NYC, and it looks like Trouba cut off all his hair. Literally the only good thing about him smh. Time to buy him out.

 

[Shesterkybomb]

We were the youngest team in the league on average before getting rid of hank, Staal, and fast leaving

Thats what happens when you are just passing year 2 of the rebuild....everything is going as plannned.

 

[Vitto79]

Sutter a likely buyout w Virtanen signing

Stills good faceoff /pk C for 700k?

 

[Richard Banger]

....Laf is way too high, Kakko is laughably too high, Jack Hughes being that high makes me not take this list seriously and that it was made by a Rangers fan that pumped him up just to not seem biased.

Don’t think you fully comprehend how good Laf is.... he will be the second best player of his generation. Right behind McDavid.

 

[bl02]

Sutter a likely buyout w Virtanen signing

Stills good faceoff /pk C for 700k?

I guess would be ok with it if Strome is gone albeit gonna be an offensive downgrade for sure. Otherwise I am afraid he would bump someone like Chytil which he shouldn't. Need Chytil to get a full year at center with good wingers (which he should have) and see what we have with him.

 

[mas0764]

I still take a number of guys like Q. Hughes, Makar, Heiskanen, McAvoy, PLD, Svechnikov, both Tkachuks ahead of him RIGHT NOW.

If these are just his projections then it's practically a useless list. And even then based on that he still easily falls out of the top 5.

It is just his projections.

But while that might be useless, I really don't know how Lafreniere "easily" falls out of the top 5.

This is a guy compared to Matthews (the #1 player on the list), and MacKinnon. What under 23 players are pushing him out of the top 5? The Tkachuks? Makar? McAvoy? Come on. That's just being deliberately pessimistic.

 

[brians1128]

I’d caution that veterans don’t take ice time away from young players. Veterans set the standard for young players. Right now, I’m worried that this team Is too young and does not have enough veteran leadership. Losing Staal, Lundqvist and Fast is a lot of experience out the door. Once the situation with Strome is settled, I expect they will move to bring in at least one more veteran player.

I tend to agree with you but given the large amount of young kids we have, the last 2 drafts, and really just shifting into a potential playoff team (which I don’t know for sure we are given the East) I’d like to see first how the kids do in increased roles first, before bringing in the vet leadership. Gauthier needs/should to be seen In a 3rd line role, that doesn’t even include Kravstov, I don’t think we even see any our young lefty d’s Until after the trade deadline. We become much more financially flexible after next season that I think this year is a show me year for the kids. I think the trades that many expected this off season doesn’t happen till next offseason. The only team that has the pieces we would want and are Forced to make moves this off-season is Tampa, so I’d be watching there but I don’t think they want to trade who we would want so it’s a wait and see. Eventually we are gonna need to move quantity for quality but I think we will need to up their value and first see what we have in who given the increased ice time and roles.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

Sutter a likely buyout w Virtanen signing

Stills good faceoff /pk C for 700k?

I’m down

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

I guess would be ok with it if Strome is gone albeit gonna be an offensive downgrade for sure. Otherwise I am afraid he would bump someone like Chytil which he shouldn't. Need Chytil to get a full year at center with good wingers (which he should have) and see what we have with him.

Bro he’s not gonna be a Strome replacement . More like a McKegg replacement.

 

[RangersFan1994]

Sutter a likely buyout w Virtanen signing

Stills good faceoff /pk C for 700k?

id take a chance but gets hurt too much

 

[RGY]

Stop puting words in my mouth, i got enough in there already. I get it...you wanna get older, i wanna get younger.

Putting words in your mouth? Youre the one staking your claim we have “plenty of experience” and youre taking it a step further trying to point to the X amount of games Chytil and Howden have played as “experience”, which really its not when those guys are still figuring out the NHL.

But hey I dont think you could be any more dramatic that I just want us to get older, and all you wana do is get younger — get younger? We were right up there as the youngest team in the league last season and that was with Fast, Staal, and Hank on the roster. We have the youngest team in the league and youre crying foul that someone wants to add ONE competent, proven NHL veteran to the bottom 6 of all kids, and on a short term low cost deal no less.

 

[FireGerardGallant]

I still take a number of guys like Q. Hughes, Makar, Heiskanen, McAvoy, PLD, Svechnikov, both Tkachuks ahead of him RIGHT NOW.

If these are just his projections then it's practically a useless list. And even then based on that he still easily falls out of the top 5.

Lmao if its projections Laf is 100% in the top 5

 

[RGY]

I also think one of the main reasons they let fast go is because they want to take a long extended look at Gauthier in a top 9 role to see what they have with him. I thought he was one of our better players against Carolina. Made some nice passes, protected the puck well down low and along the boards and was above average on the forecheck. I know they were high on Keane and they have been after Gauthier for a while it seems so I really think they wanted to see how he plays with more talented players. I do think fast would have prohibited that, at least a little. I think Gauthier could surprise this year. I think if he’s not ready thru the first 3rd of the season or so you will see a move for a vet bottom 6 guy that is capable of playing third line minutes

And listen I am ok with an approach that has Gauthier on 3RW, and you sign a guy like Boyle/Brassard/Colin Wilson/Haula for your 4th line. Really all of those guys are insurance to Gauthier, Howden, and even Chytil not taking steps forward in the positions you have them in. I dont think Howden is gona be a center in this league and Chytil is just as much up for debate. They likely are better suited on the wing. Why not have the flexibility with NHL quality players.

 

[QJL]

And listen I am ok with an approach that has Gauthier on 3RW, and you sign a guy like Boyle/Brassard/Colin Wilson/Haula for your 4th line. Really all of those guys are insurance to Gauthier, Howden, and even Chytil not taking steps forward in the positions you have them in. I dont think Howden is gona be a center in this league and Chytil is just as much up for debate. They likely are better suited on the wing. Why not have the flexibility with NHL quality players.

I am absolutely not okay with any approach that has Gauthier penciled in as a third line RW. The guy is 23 and has zero goals in 17 career games when that’s supposed to be his best attribute. Sure, the speed and size are attractive, but he’s yet to show he can hang with those minutes in the NHL. He should start the season with 4th line minutes or as a 13th forward.

 

[NYR Viper]

I am absolutely not okay with any approach that has Gauthier penciled in as a third line RW. The guy is 23 and has zero goals in 17 career games when that’s supposed to be his best attribute. Sure, the speed and size are attractive, but he’s yet to show he can hang with those minutes in the NHL. He should start the season with 4th line minutes or as a 13th forward.

At some point the kid needs a real opportunity. I don't see why that shouldn't come now. Having a veteran 4th line RW though would be worthwhile. I've been advocating the idea that the 3rd line may be a younger line while the 4th line should be a line that can take some heavier match-ups and PK. A guy like Boyle or Wilson would be a nice addition there.

 

[bl02]

Bro he’s not gonna be a Strome replacement . More like a McKegg replacement.

I realize that but I if Strome somehow got a huge arbitration deal that the Rangers walk away from I would not be shocked if Sutter got the chance. They love Howden as a 3c/4c obviously. So Sutter would slot in as a 3c? but could see Quinn giving him a shot at 2c.
If Sutter was useful on faceoffs/PK maybe the 4th line with Howden moving to wing wouldn't be such a horrible idea.

 

[Fitzy]

Sutter a likely buyout w Virtanen signing

Stills good faceoff /pk C for 700k?

Hell to the yes I'm all over that.

 

[Savant]

Rangers released a video today with the players saying what they miss about NYC, and it looks like Trouba cut off all his hair. Literally the only good thing about him smh. Time to buy him out.

Nah man. He is doing the De Grom move. Means serious business now.

 

[n8]

I would also like to the Rangers to get older.

with each passing second, they are!