Roster Building Thread: Part VII (2023-24)

[HonestGabe]

Let's ask the question though, if Kreider were to muck it up more, who on his line is coming to join in on the fun? Zibanejad?

Trocheck and Wheeler

 

[TGWL]

I don't think Kreider needs to completely change how he plays to be someone he's not but it's not a huge ask to facewash Hughes or whoever randomly every so often in front of the net.

That said, there's pluses and minuses to how he plays - he gets no abuse after the whistle ever, and I do mean ever for a reason. And that's pretty unique for net front play.

You want him to facewash Hughes because you're tired of him lighting us up already and he's the best player on a rival team. How about they just take the puck away instead? Kreider using a tactic to toss him off his hame when the problem is they can't defend him. There's plenty of players who can do that.

 

[leetch99]

A little shot here/there and push back can go a long way to open up space for you. You can do this subteltly without getting penalties. Make opponents have a little bit of fear of you; a little bit of respect.

....and I'm sure it can be done without sacrificing any of his offense .

 

[leetch99]

It's tough to know empirically how much agitation matters after you control for ability.

In particular because there is an entertainment factor to your team having agitators. People enjoy watching chicanery and gamesmanship when their guys do it and loathe when someone on the other side does. Because it elicits a gut emotional reaction it's always going to be difficult to disentangle what it actually accomplishes versus the public's perception of it.

Frankly, penalties drawn/versus taken is probably a much more reliable metric of 'agitation' and it also includes a bunch of other latent factors in it.

A few scuffles gets the blood pumping and into the game on a lot more shifts .

 

[RangersFan1994]

I wonder what tryouts will the Rangers have at training camp...

 

[effen]

You want him to facewash Hughes because you're tired of him lighting us up already and he's the best player on a rival team. How about they just take the puck away instead? Kreider using a tactic to toss him off his hame when the problem is they can't defend him. There's plenty of players who can do that.

There's a lot to unpack here but I'll leave it at "because he's on the ice with Hughes a lot".

 

[n8]

I had a bad dream. I missed the first 10 games of the season (like that would ever happen). Then the 11th game of the season was against the Blues, and when I opened the MSG app, it was just a gibberish of nested and unmarked Windows File Explorer folders but miraculously I found the game, which was already taking place.

This has what this long off-season has come to.

Sammy Blais has a hat trick in the first period.

 

[Clark Kellogg]

THIS IS WHAT I SEE IN MY CRYSTAL BALL:

Alexis Lafrenère signs a 2 year bridge deal at $2,5 M per year

Brett Ritchie is invited to #NYR camp on a PTO. He likely makes the squad as the #13 and get a 1 year league minimum deal.

Zach Jones is traded to Arizona for 2 draft picks - the 2024 7th round pick (BOSTON’s pick) + the 2025 2nd round pick (NYR’s pick)

Ben Harper and Karl Henriksson are traded to Colorado for Kurtis McDermid

Patrick Kane signs a one year prorated deal at around a ~$1,5M annual hit in December (pending the results of his recovery) forcing one of Pitlick or Ritchie to be sent down to HWP on waivers.

Brennan Othmann, Will Cuylle, Adam Edström, Anton Blidh, Matthew Robertsson and Ty Emberson all start the year off in Hartford - but all of them will see NHL ice during the 2023-2024 regular season.

 

[Clark Kellogg]

THIS IS WHAT I SEE IN MY CRYSTAL BALL:

Alexis Lafrenère signs a 2 year bridge deal at $2,5 M per year

Brett Ritchie is invited to #NYR camp on a PTO. He likely makes the squad as the #13 and get a 1 year league minimum deal.

Zach Jones is traded to Arizona for 2 draft picks - the 2024 7th round pick (BOSTON’s pick) + the 2025 2nd round pick (NYR’s pick)

Ben Harper and Karl Henriksson are traded to Colorado for Kurtis McDermid

Patrick Kane signs a one year prorated deal at around a ~$1,5M annual hit in December (pending the results of his recovery) forcing one of Pitlick or Ritchie to be sent down to HWP on waivers.

Brennan Othmann, Will Cuylle, Adam Edström, Anton Blidh, Matthew Robertsson and Ty Emberson all start the year off in Hartford - but all of them will see NHL ice during the 2023-2024 regular season.

Isn’t Brett Ritchie the d-bag that punched Igor in the head during an Rangers/Bruins game or was that also Nick?
Either way:
F that guy.

 

[RangersFan1994]

Isn’t Brett Ritchie the d-bag that punched Igor in the head during an Rangers/Bruins game or was that also Nick?
Either way:
F that guy.

Rather have someone like Heinen or someone more useful than Ritchie. Ritchie sucks

 

[BBKers]

But.butt..buttt...Grandpa Dark Slither luvs his big ole Canadian boyz muckin it up after the whistle. We will see what happens

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Hmm, weird pick for him. Long Island kid that I'd figure would sign locally.

They can still sign him, since he's on an AHL deal only.

 

[Vitto79]

Some PTOs being announced

Do the rangers bother or stick with Belzile, Brodz, Nash, Lesch as callups

Cuylee , Othmaan eventually options

On D Harpur the main call up
Domingue as the vet in G

Does Motte cave and take a cheap deal after Laf signs ?

 

[bernmeister]

Some PTOs being announced

Do the rangers bother or stick with Belzile, Brodz, Nash, Lesch as callups

Cuylee , Othmaan eventually options

On D Harpur the main call up
Domingue as the vet in G

Does Motte cave and take a cheap deal after Laf signs ?

1. Brodz has shown enuf, slow but continued improvement, has earned to be a call up.
The others were wasted acquisitions. Ditch

2. Domingue, nothing vs, we can move on, trade for a pick first time injury creates demand for a stopgap. Others need mins.

Harpur ok, but still want us to sell high on Lindy for Ana 2nd and Helleson, and push our LDs.

Generally, give youth every chance to push out mo expensive vets

 

[NYR Viper]

I'm expecting a couple of PTO's for vet forwards and I would expect them to be guys who play with an edge. Guys who would make some sense:
Adam Erne
Brett Ritchie
Nick Ritchie
Austin Watson
Zack Kassian
Wayne Simmonds

On defense I could see Nathan Beaulieu being invited

I'm not saying I would be in love with it but a guy like Simmonds who you could waive and just not demote to go down to Hartford wouldn't be a bad option. Same goes for either Ritchie.

 

[SA16]

No point in giving out any PTOs to this group of largely terrible players who will do nothing but take up ice time in training camp and preseason from guys who may actually make the team. They already signed the guys they wanted. If they preferred those guys they could have given them deals sooner.

 

[Machinehead]

I could see us inviting a RD if one is out there.

We already have more forward options than we know what to do with.

 

[surlysailor]

I'm expecting a couple of PTO's for vet forwards and I would expect them to be guys who play with an edge. Guys who would make some sense:
Adam Erne
Brett Ritchie
Nick Ritchie
Austin Watson
Zack Kassian
Wayne Simmonds

On defense I could see Nathan Beaulieu being invited

I'm not saying I would be in love with it but a guy like Simmonds who you could waive and just not demote to go down to Hartford wouldn't be a bad option. Same goes for either Ritchie.

I think Beaulieu has accepted a PTO from Car. I would also add Max Comtois to that list.

 

[RangersFan1994]

I'm expecting a couple of PTO's for vet forwards and I would expect them to be guys who play with an edge. Guys who would make some sense:
Adam Erne
Brett Ritchie
Nick Ritchie
Austin Watson
Zack Kassian
Wayne Simmonds

On defense I could see Nathan Beaulieu being invited

I'm not saying I would be in love with it but a guy like Simmonds who you could waive and just not demote to go down to Hartford wouldn't be a bad option. Same goes for either Ritchie.

Simmonds I can see with his connection to Laviolette as well as Watson. Two best options

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Kessel is the only name I really would like to see on a PTO and its bc he's Phil and he's hilarious and he deserves a chance to hit some milestones.

Maybe Ethan Bear.

 

[frozenrubber]

I don't think Kreider needs to completely change how he plays to be someone he's not but it's not a huge ask to facewash Hughes or whoever randomly every so often in front of the net.

That said, there's pluses and minuses to how he plays - he gets no abuse after the whistle ever, and I do mean ever for a reason. And that's pretty unique for net front play.

This is a very good point that he has figured something out.

Tomas Holmstrom, John LeClair, and Adam Graves had their backs reduced to mush after their playing careers in front of the net.

 

[McRanger92]

Interesting that we are discussing Kreider's physicality (or lack thereof). CK is an indispensable part of the team, but I'm in agreement with those who are frustrated by his lack of "intensity" (I guess that's the word I'm looking for) on a consistent basis. The Devils series for example, Kreider WAS bullying NJ, Graves in particular, during the 1st 2 games in that series. Bullying him in front of the net, screaming in his face after goals, etc. As has been pointed out by others, it seems that due to the officiating, lack of adjustments or whatever, the team stopped playing that way and it definitely cost them as the series progressed.

I love Kreider, but for the team to take the next step I think he (and Trouba, Trocheck, Goodrow) need to lead from the front. It will trickle down to the rest of the lineup. I'm not saying he needs to fight anybody and I'd prefer he didn't at all. But the "turn the other cheek" stuff that's been the culture with the Rangers since the AV years needs to change. I anticipate this will be a point of emphasis for Laviolette and his staff.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Interesting that we are discussing Kreider's physicality (or lack thereof). CK is an indispensable part of the team, but I'm in agreement with those who are frustrated by his lack of "intensity" (I guess that's the word I'm looking for) on a consistent basis. The Devils series for example, Kreider WAS bullying NJ, Graves in particular, during the 1st 2 games in that series. Bullying him in front of the net, screaming in his face after goals, etc. As has been pointed out by others, it seems that due to the officiating, lack of adjustments or whatever, the team stopped playing that way and it definitely cost them as the series progressed.

I love Kreider, but for the team to take the next step I think he (and Trouba, Trocheck, Goodrow) need to lead from the front. It will trickle down to the rest of the lineup. I'm not saying he needs to fight anybody and I'd prefer he didn't at all. But the "turn the other cheek" stuff that's been the culture with the Rangers since the AV years needs to change. I anticipate this will be a point of emphasis for Laviolette and his staff.

It did for a hot second.

The first 2 Quinn teams were plenty chippy. They weren't very good but those groups were not really "easy" to play against.

I thought they had the right idea with the deadline adds of 2022 where the team themselves werent great but they added the right kind of guys where as last year they just star chased. I think this offseason kind of shifted back the other way but its in bodies that are older and in the case of Bonino, I'm not sure what is really left there.

On Kreider, as you said the criticism of his intensity is valid, he does become prone to going through pretty long stretches where his game is super floaty but the overall package has been more good than bad (way more good than bad the last 2 years.)

Expecting him to carry the load somewhere that he never has is unfair though. Might as well blame Panarin and Mika for not being that guy either. It's basically blaming a square for not being a triangle. If you want a triangle, you're going to have to acquire a triangle.

 

[McRanger92]

It did for a hot second.

The first 2 Quinn teams were plenty chippy. They weren't very good but those groups were not really "easy" to play against.

I thought they had the right idea with the deadline adds of 2022 where the team themselves werent great but they added the right kind of guys where as last year they just star chased. I think this offseason kind of shifted back the other way but its in bodies that are older and in the case of Bonino, I'm not sure what is really left there.

On Kreider, as you said the criticism of his intensity is valid, he does become prone to going through pretty long stretches where his game is super floaty but the overall package has been more good than bad (way more good than bad the last 2 years.)

Expecting him to carry the load somewhere that he never has is unfair though. Might as well blame Panarin and Mika for not being that guy either. It's basically blaming a square for not being a triangle. If you want a triangle, you're going to have to acquire a triangle.

Kreider had that style in his game at one point. But he got suspended a few times early in his career for "dirty" hits that were just a case of him being stronger than the other guy. Plus the blood clotting issue and he hasn't played that way in a while. He does need to let other team's know he' there a little more, especially in a long playoff series.

 

[haohmaru]

Highly recommend giving the Lance Lysowski interview a listen on the Blueshirts Breakaway podcast a listen - great in depth look at the new coaching staff.