Roster Building Thread: Part VII (2023-24)

[GoAwayPanarin]

Why did he stop taking Metamucil last year? Or at least not take as much?

It's funny, I was watching American Ninja Warrior last night and thought who on the Rangers could even finish the course let alone beat some lanky 16-year-old who could traverse it in a little over a minute. I thought Kreider would be the only one. And then I pictured Laf just flat-out struggling to get by the first obstacle of jumping side to side on the landing squares because of his bad foot work.

Not even Kreider would be able to do it.

ANW is fun AF but it requires a very specific type of training. It's like the one thing that Cross fit is good for aside from Cross fit itself.

 

[Levitate]

Would you agree that it would be great off-ice training to complement on-ice skills development?


It's sad when a turtle displays more curiosity about a gym than Laf:

I think the training developed specifically for the movements and requirements of pro hockey are more important than "hey american ninja looks cool our hockey team shoudl do that because lol they suck so bad and probably can't do a pushup!"

 

[Levitate]

Also re: the chemistry talk in the past page or so, I still hold that one of Gallants big faults here is that he just hoped for/relied on "natural" chemistry between players and was at a loss when things just didn't click together immediately. He didn't develop any chemistry between his players; just flip lines if they weren't working out quickly enough.

 

[will1066]

If we're being honest, no, I don't think this would be great off-ice training. Can it improve balance and utilize core strength your body isn't use to using? Absolutely. But training like this in the offseason is not going to be easy on the body and chances are you're taking away from more important off-ice training for an NHL player, because you're not going to gain anything from doing this twice a week for an hour, except strains, ligament tears, and other injuries that will probably carry into the season.

You're asking somebody to train 3 + hours a day, several times a week for months. That time is better served doing other off-ice training/weights/skating for a player like Laf, and most players in general. (Now Laf not doing that is another story..)

Not even Kreider would be able to do it.

ANW is fun AF but it requires a very specific type of training. It's like the one thing that Cross fit is good for aside from Cross fit itself.

I think the training developed specifically for the movements and requirements of pro hockey are more important than "hey american ninja looks cool our hockey team shoudl do that because lol they suck so bad and probably can't do a pushup!"

 

[LaffyTaffyNYR]

Panarin-Trocheck-Laf had one of the best rates of creating offense of any line that played together for this team last year.

They also gave up as much as they created.

For a team that struggles to do anything 5v5, maybe thats the way to go.

Prob should give them more than a few games seeing if they could figure out the defense part of it, because it was a line that created multiple chances a game.

 

[Savant]

I like those other two lines.

I hate absolutely every possible combination with Lafreniere in it. I wonder what the common denominator could be there.

cLeArLy it’s Gallant

 

[HockeyBasedNYC]

If we're being honest, no, I don't think this would be great off-ice training. Can it improve balance and utilize core strength your body isn't use to using? Absolutely. But training like this in the offseason is not going to be easy on the body and chances are you're taking away from more important off-ice training for an NHL player, because you're not going to gain anything from doing this twice a week for an hour, except strains, ligament tears, and other injuries that will probably carry into the season.

You're asking somebody to train 3 + hours a day, several times a week for months. That time is better served doing other off-ice training/weights/skating for a player like Laf, and most players in general. (Now Laf not doing that is another story..)

Yeah, most off-ice/off season hockey programs consist of hockey specific movements targeting explosiveness.

The pros/adults get crazy with adding heavier deadlifts and sled sprints, but for younger prospects its probably better perfecting body weight exercises and conditioning before getting up to that level.

A lot of what you see on Ninja Warrior is grip strength and building your latissimus dorsi region, with some balance thrown in. Most of it is literally recreating parts of the specific course and practicing the challenge over and over

I completed the The Program from Nike which was a 12 week dryland/offseason plan put together by Gary Roberts. Mainly for younger kids trying to reach the pro level. It was rigorous but really made a difference. It mixed together a lot of plyometrics, strength training, med ball and core work and in the later weeks implemented sprints and a focus on foot speed. It is really well thought out. Some of the exercises and warmups I still use before my games. The wall sits

Laf should be half way through this by now

Weeks 1-4 Speed & Power
Week 5 Active Recovery
Week 6-9 Explosiveness
Week 10 Active Recovery
Weeks 11-12 Training Camp

http://www.hockeyeasternontario.ca/docs/NIKE_offseason_program.pdf

At his age/level he should be in the gym with Kreider doing the advanced stuff, working with a skating coach and building conditioning (running/steps)

 

[effen]

Laf's problem is he wants to play like Panarin when he has half the footspeed and 5% of the agility and he just gets easily swallowed up by any competent defending.

If he never stops moving his feet he's an easy 25 goal guy.

 

[gravey9]

I actually think Kakko would be great with Panarin. Panarin-Strome-Kakko was one of the best lines we've had in the last decade, and Kakko was learning very quickly how to play away from the puck and put himself in positions to score. Then literally just as they really started clicking and Kakko started putting up numbers, Gallant broke them up and never put them together again.

I'm not anti-Gallant, but that decision was one of the most inexplicable things I've seen any coach do.

They absolutely did go through a stretch with strong chemistry. I agree. But unfortunately for some reason it was discontinued. I don't know where we heard that Panarin may have requested a diff winger, but I know that was a pretty strong rumor at the time.

If there's one thing I hope for and expect to get out from the new staff -- it's for them to tell the vets who they're playing with and not the other way around.

 

[Greg02]

Why did he stop taking Metamucil last year? Or at least not take as much?

It's funny, I was watching American Ninja Warrior last night and thought who on the Rangers could even finish the course let alone beat some lanky 16-year-old who could traverse it in a little over a minute. I thought Kreider would be the only one. And then I pictured Laf just flat-out struggling to get by the first obstacle of jumping side to side on the landing squares because of his bad foot work.

Let's start with completing Legends of the Hidden Temple

 

[pld459666]

So when do we think the training wheels should come off for FC? I mean is it 7 or 8 years. Geez the guy has been in the league for 5+ years and he is still learning.? For a first round pick he should already understand the game. Time to put up or shut up with this guy.

22/23 - 45 with less than 15 minutes ATOI per game

What exactly are you expecting??

 

[Rongomania]

Even if Laf scores 40ish points again this year (hoping for more obvi), I'm still not giving up on him.

'Cause he's f*cking 21 years old.

 

[Avery16]

What thrifty options is Brooks advocating for?

 

[UnSandvich]

Even if Laf scores 40ish points again this year (hoping for more obvi), I'm still not giving up on him.

'Cause he's f*cking 21 years old.

I'd be tremendously disappointed, considering that's basically what he put up this year. But I do agree

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

How many NHL games has Allaire played?

You'd think Gretzky's coaching tenure would have forever put to bed the notion that skill as a player does not necessarily translate to skill as a coach/scout/GM.

 

[RangerBoy]

What thrifty options is Brooks advocating for?

Zack Kassian is still out there. Austin Watson, flaws and all, is, too. So are the more skilled Anders Bjork and Colin White. Max Comtois is also available, though there are mixed reports about the 24-year-old who was not qualified by Anaheim at $2.55 million.

The team is set on the right side of the defense with Adam Fox, Jacob Trouba and Braden Schneider, but there is no organizational depth of which to speak behind that trio. Ty Emberson and Mac Holloway are the next two righties in line unless the team would move Zac Jones to his off side in case of an emergency.

So if Ethan Bear and/or Cal Foote is still without a contract early next month, it would not be the worst idea to attempt to sign either.

Why the Rangers should consider even more thrifty roster additions

Drury targeted veterans who understood the historically tight market and were willing to sign short-term, low-cost deals right out of the hop.

nypost.com

 

[Paulie Walnutz]

Why the Rangers should consider even more thrifty roster additions

Drury targeted veterans who understood the historically tight market and were willing to sign short-term, low-cost deals right out of the hop.

nypost.com

I’m all for guys who play with a pulse

 

[Machinehead]

I don't see any forwards out there that are making an impact outside of our already ample 4th line.

 

[will1066]

Let's start with completing Legends of the Hidden Temple

I had to look this up. Not gonna lie. Laf and Kakko would make a great (dysfunctional) contestant pair.

 

[Doriva]

I hope we have full time sports psychologists working with this group, we badly need an identity and mentality shift.

 

[TGWL]

Even if Laf scores 40ish points again this year (hoping for more obvi), I'm still not giving up on him.

'Cause he's f*cking 21 years old.

Well, if he puts up 40ish points again, maybe you should give up on him because he'll then be going into the following season at 23...

 

[GAGLine]

I don't see any forwards out there that are making an impact outside of our already ample 4th line.

There are players who provide quality depth though.

 

[Machinehead]

There are players who provide quality depth though.

We have plenty of that at forward.

Cuylle, Bonino, Pitlick, Goodrow, Belzile, Brodzinski, Othmann.

That's seven guys outside of the top-9 who can take an NHL shift, going for three spots.

 

[Fitzy]

Well, if he puts up 40ish points again, maybe you should give up on him because he'll then be going into the following season at 23...

I’m not happy with lafreniere and his development but there are worse things than a middle 6 winger who scores every other game at even strength and is cost controlled.

 

[Machinehead]

I’m not happy with lafreniere and his development but there are worse things than a middle 6 winger who scores every other game at even strength and is cost controlled.

Yes, but it goes beyond that for me. I also hate the way he plays and he's an S-shaped Tetris piece in terms of line combos.