Speculation: Roster Building Thread Part VII: Return of Beaver Brad

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Vesey-Hayes-Grabner is a disaster waiting to happen unless you shelter them heavily.

Edit: If we manage to get a defensive C somehow then i could definitely see it work, don't see how we can shelter 3rd if DD is our 4C though, no way AV is giving DD defensive usage.

But say we do get a solid defensive 4C, then i'd love this:
CK-Zbad-Buch
Nash-JTM-Zuke
Grabner-Hayes-Vesey
X-<insert defensive C>-Fast

Where both top lines can handle the tougher matchups, 4th gets the heavy DZ starts and 3rd gets sheltered...
Can swap Buch and Zuke if we want the 1st to be a true matchup line, but i prefer it the way i wrote it.

That still looks a little weak, which is why I wouldn't mind if Andersson opened up on the team. I'd move Nash and Grabner down a line, have JTM, Zucc and Andersson on one line. Start with Miller at center. If the experiment doesn't go well, shift the kid to center.

 

[Mac n Gs]

Kreider MIKA Zucc
Nash Miller Buch
Vesey Hayes Grabner
Puempel Desharnais Nieves

Fast comes back puempel comes out is my guess. Nieves won't hurt u solid defender.

I think we're fine up front maybe add a winger at the deadline to get deeper but there is plenty there.

I can see Vesey and Buch flip-flopping between the 2nd ans 3rd line. I liked how Buch and Grabner looked together last night

 

[Avery16]

if Farnham is just there to skate around and take cheap shots at opponents, I'm not interested. I know that some teams utilize that tactic but i don't want the Rangers to do that. I'd prefer to avoid the sideshow, even if it's actually effective sometimes and legal technically.

Cups have been won this way. Just ask Esa

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

Cups have been won this way. Just ask Esa

Tikkanen was also a good hockey player.

 

[Irishguy42]

Cups have been won this way. Just ask Esa

Cups are no longer won this way. The NHL is not really played that way anymore either. Tikkanen was also good at hockey and not just some random plug like Farnham is.

Thank you for playing. Goodbye.

 

[Kovalev27]

I can see Vesey and Buch flip-flopping between the 2nd ans 3rd line. I liked how Buch and Grabner looked together last night

That's how I had it earlier in the week. Only changed it because it appears AV has the two Boston kids together thru camp but yes I can see that and would like it as well.

 

[eco's bones]

I hate Farnham, he's a waste of space. He's not a "pest", he's a moron. He's Zac Rinaldo pretty much, he can skate and sometimes looks like a decent 4th liner, but he's got a screw loose and is super dangerous out there.

You could even see it last night, he got praised for his "tennis attempt", i see it more as attempted murder, he took a two handed baseball bat swing towards the goalie.

A hockey stick is not exactly a baseball bat and goalies have tons of protection. It wasn't a dangerous play and if a puck is bouncing loose around a goalie I would expect any player to try his damnedest to do whatever possible to knock it past him.

But anyway to Farnham--he's not nearly as skilled as Avery. He is a good skater and he does get under skins. Other teams have guys like that--for instance the Canadiens have two--Shaw and Gallagher--both players who have a lot more skill than Farnham (he's more a less skilled Derek Dorsett) but they still run goalies and specialize in creating scrums around the opponents goal. Marchand would be another. Players like that are around. The Rangers off and on have had the reputation of being soft. It's not a good thing. Look at the Caps--Ovechkin, Orpik and Wilson all cheap shot artists. Look at the Pens--some of the **** that Crosby and Malkin pull and they've brought in Ryan Reaves for whatever reason. It's not a nice game and if you don't once in a while fight back you're going to get bullied.

 

[egelband]

Cups have been won this way. Just ask Esa

My point was that a guy like Farnham goes out each shift looking to hit a player with his head down.
(Disclaimer: Admittedly I'm making a jump here, I don't know Farnham's game well. I'm just basing this on what I'm reading and the few shifts I saw him take in ydays game).
Tikkanen went out looking to score. (Not that those two are even comparable).

 

[Mac n Gs]

Farnham wasn't bad last night. If he can play at that level, without hurting the team, then I wouldn't mind letting him be in thr AHL or a 13th forward. Let's see how he looks with more than a single game sample size

 

[eco's bones]

My point was that a guy like Farnham goes out each shift looking to hit a player with his head down.
(Disclaimer: Admittedly I'm making a jump here, I don't know Farnham's game well. I'm just basing this on what I'm reading and the few shifts I saw him take in ydays game).
Tikkanen went out looking to score. (Not that those two are even comparable).

Farnham was credited with 4 shots on goal in 9:10 of ice time. He wasn't trying to score?

 

[Edge]

Cups are no longer won this way. The NHL is not really played that way anymore either. Tikkanen was also good at hockey and not just some random plug like Farnham is.

Thank you for playing. Goodbye.

People forget how good of a player Tik was back in the day. He could've had an even longer career had he taken care of himself.

 

[Avery16]

Farnham might be more Hollweg or Carcillo than Esa or Avery but lets not pretend that the NHL has evolved away from drawing penalties. Its a basic hockey skill and a serious part of the game, there just aren't many who are really effective at it.

It was great that Glass hit as much as he did, but he didn't have the gas or legs to keep up with Fast. If Farnham isn't a drag and he hits as much, then he's an effective add.

 

[Avery16]

My point was that a guy like Farnham goes out each shift looking to hit a player with his head down.
(Disclaimer: Admittedly I'm making a jump here, I don't know Farnham's game well. I'm just basing this on what I'm reading and the few shifts I saw him take in ydays game).
Tikkanen went out looking to score. (Not that those two are even comparable).

If he's a serial head-shotter, that's a different story and I'd agree with you. But that's not what I saw last night, and that's not what I've read about Farnham.

 

[Brooklyn Rangers Fan]

I'm sorry, I think many folks just want a ****-stirrer to have a ****-stirrer, and are making excuses for a guy like Farnham because there's no better option to fit that profile on the current squad.

If he can actually play the game like an Avery (whom I hated) or a Tikkanen (whom I loved), sure that's an effective player to have in your bottom 6. But Farnham is a 28-y.o. fringe guy who's only managed to get into 71 NHL games over parts of 3 seasons. Did he get four shots on goal yesterday? Sure, because it was a ridiculously scrambly game where a guy like him playing his ass off to win a job threw himself at the crease to whack at the pucks that his centers and D were able to get on net. I saw very little in the way of actual hockey skills, outside of decent wheels and a willingness to hit, that would translate to success in a real NHL game.

 

[Avery16]

I think Carcillo and Dorsett had a good effect with their roles on their teams also

 

[Kaapo Cabana]

I think Carcillo and Dorsett had a good effect with their roles on their teams also

Carcillo? Yes definitely

Dorsett? Not so sure I agree

Can Farnham be an effective pest without being a detriment? Maybe. But what is the opportunity cost there? can we put a player there who actually has a positive impact instead of "won't hurt the team"

Just because Glass was the worst player on the planet doesn't mean we should settle for players only slightly better than him.

 

[TheTakedown]

Carcillo? Yes definitely

Dorsett? Not so sure I agree

Dorsett was so good that a team traded a 3rd rounder for him. He was an upper-echelon 4th liner. He assumed a 3rd line role in Vancouver. He declined after that. Would have liked to keep him but not at the price vancouver paid him

 

[Kaapo Cabana]

Dorsett was so good that a team traded a 3rd rounder for him. He was an upper-echelon 4th liner. He assumed a 3rd line role in Vancouver. He declined after that. Would have liked to keep him but not at the price vancouver paid him

Meh I remember him taking some really dumb penalties and putting us behind the 8 ball a few too many times for my liking.

 

[Gardner McKay]

Meh I remember him taking some really dumb penalties and putting us behind the 8 ball a few too many times for my liking.

Most agitators do that every now and again. It is the price you pay for having that person on the team and you hope that more often than not, the net gain for penalties drawn vs. taken is in your favor.

 

[TheTakedown]

Most agitators do that every now and again. It is the price you pay for having that person on the team and you hope that more often than not, the net gain for penalties drawn vs. taken is in your favor.

This is true.

Just like Offensive Defensemen lead the league in turnovers--because they tend to make more passes

 

[RGY]

Dorsett sucked. Carcillo was much more effective.

 

[Kaapo Cabana]

Most agitators do that every now and again. It is the price you pay for having that person on the team and you hope that more often than not, the net gain for penalties drawn vs. taken is in your favor.

I understand that.

The amount of times he did it was past my threshold of acceptability for what he brought.

 

[Gardner McKay]

I understand that.

The amount of times he did it was past my threshold of acceptability for what he brought.

I don't remember it being that bad with Dorsett.

 

[nyr2k2]

I'd like to see a few more games out of Farnham before I'd be willing to consider giving him an ELC. Maybe even wait until after the exhibition season to see who hits waivers. If they did sign him I wouldn't be pissed, though. He seems like an OK fit as a spare.

 

[Avery16]

Jersey should be an interesting game, for sure