Roster Building Thread - Part VIII (2023-24 season)

[JimmyG89]

Ok, I looked. In our last 15 drafts (Kreider seems like a reasonable cutoff point) our top pick has been a winger either 9 or 10 of those drafts. I honestly have no idea what Adam Tambellini was outside of a forward. I'm not counting JT Miller as a center because he never played center here. That also includes the last six in a row.

With that being said, here are the centers:

Lias Andersson
Maybe Adam Tambellini

That's it. Maybe we should draft centers.

Matter of fact, here are all of the guys I'm pretty sure I remember being centers:

Karl Henriksson
Andersson
Filip Chytil
Morgan Barron (?)
Keegan Iverson
Tambellini (I guess)
Boo Nieves
Michael St. Croix
Andrew Yogan

That's 15 years. What a dire list. Maybe we should draft centers.

Outside of Chytil, the Rangers have not drafted a successful center since Stepan. The guys that have done things here have been as follows:

Richards (UFA)
Brassard (Trade)
Hayes (UFA)
Zibanejad (Trade)
Strome (Trade)
Trocheck (UFA)

And we're still waiting on Chytil to make a jump from a 2/3 center to established as a #2.

And when we had the lottery picks to get one of the better ones out there, they whiffed on Andersson and went with wingers since then.

Their ticket to getting a center is through Kakko at this rate. I hate to say it, but you've got way too many wingers and you need the help down the middle.

 

[hardnosed]

Yeah he’s an obvious trade-now. Hes probably way overrated around the league and teams would simp the hell out of his grit

Our depth on defense is non existent. So any talk of trading any of our 6 has to be for another defenseman. Almost impossible to find that kind of match especially mid season.

 

[fm]

Our depth on defense is non existent. So any talk of trading any of our 6 has to be for another defenseman. Almost impossible to find that kind of match especially mid season.

Would be great to see a Robertson come up for a cup of coffee. So we know what we have. IMO we're one prospect-making-the-jump, and maybe one league-min vet away from being 'scary deep' like a lot of the league wide pundits think we are.

 

[Machinehead]

Outside of Chytil, the Rangers have not drafted a successful center since Stepan. The guys that have done things here have been as follows:

Richards (UFA)
Brassard (Trade)
Hayes (UFA)
Zibanejad (Trade)
Strome (Trade)
Trocheck (UFA)

And we're still waiting on Chytil to make a jump from a 2/3 center to established as a #2.

And when we had the lottery picks to get one of the better ones out there, they whiffed on Andersson and went with wingers since then.

Their ticket to getting a center is through Kakko at this rate. I hate to say it, but you've got way too many wingers and you need the help down the middle.

I don't know if we need a center right now assuming Chytil comes back but it would be nice to have one down the pike.

Zibanejad and Trocheck are in their 30's. The time to start drafting their replacements has already arrived, and would give us guys besides Bonino to maybe throw in in a pinch.

 

[Clark Kellogg]

 

[hardnosed]

Would be great to see a Robertson come up for a cup of coffee. So we know what we have. IMO we're one prospect-making-the-jump, and maybe one league-min vet away from being 'scary deep' like a lot of the league wide pundits think we are.

Definitely want Robertson in this weekend if Miller is still out. Don't see how Jones fits this team. But supposedly Robertson hasn't been playing well in Hartford. Would be thrilled if he looks decent.

 

[TominNC]

How can they bring up a guy who hasn't been playing well in Hartford? The whole point is to force your way to NY with your play. This is the NHL season, not a place for random auditions. Now everyone's tired of Jones who was the guy fans pined for it's time to open the next toy.

 

[kovazub94]

Call me crazy but I'd sign Trouba tomorrow at age 27 for 7 years @ $7m per season. $7m this off-season isn't the same as $8m when Trouba signed.

So you’d sign him now for a cheaper contract on higher cap and with the benefit of hindsight? Lol

 

[hardnosed]

How can they bring up a guy who hasn't been playing well in Hartford? The whole point is to force your way to NY with your play. This is the NHL season, not a place for random auditions. Now everyone's tired of Jones who was the guy fans pined for it's time to open the next toy.

Desperation I guess. Everyone has seen enough of Jones.

 

[NYR Viper]

So you’d sign him now for a cheaper contract on higher cap and with the benefit of hindsight? Lol

You missed the point of the entire conversation. We were speaking of Hanifan and someone compared his next contract and his effect on a game to Trouba's. I said that if given the opportunity, I would sign a 27 year old Trouba this off-season to a 7 year deal worth $7m per season as that was what I had projected for him. The conversation wasn't about Trouba.

 

[NickyFotiu]

A wise man once said, 'I'd rather trade guys 1 season too soon than 1 season too late'.

I think the Rangers have 3-4 guys they should keep that saying in mind.

 

[IDvsEGO]

A wise man once said, 'I'd rather trade guys 1 season too soon than 1 season too late'.

I think the Rangers have 3-4 guys they should keep that saying in mind.

Yes let’s absolutely tank the season we’re sitting first in the metro. I too would like to never win a Stanley cup and somehow become the metro version of the coyotes.

 

[NYR Viper]

Yes let’s absolutely tank the season we’re sitting first in the metro. I too would like to never win a Stanley cup and somehow become the metro version of the coyotes.

I think there is a happy medium here though. If Drury has an opportunity to improve the team both now and long term it should be explored. That doesn't mean just trading guys away for picks, but filling a hole long-term would behoove the organization. I keep looking at the top-4 on defense and saying, that's a glaring hole both now and long term

 

[SA16]

Outside of Chytil, the Rangers have not drafted a successful center since Stepan. The guys that have done things here have been as follows:

Richards (UFA)
Brassard (Trade)
Hayes (UFA)
Zibanejad (Trade)
Strome (Trade)
Trocheck (UFA)

And we're still waiting on Chytil to make a jump from a 2/3 center to established as a #2.

And when we had the lottery picks to get one of the better ones out there, they whiffed on Andersson and went with wingers since then.

Their ticket to getting a center is through Kakko at this rate. I hate to say it, but you've got way too many wingers and you need the help down the middle.

They already have 3 centers signed for the next 3 seasons. They need RWs, not centers.

 

[Fitzy]

Vince says Miller is back.

Very good news

 

[JimmyG89]

They already have 3 centers signed for the next 3 seasons. They need RWs, not centers.

And yet when one of them gets hurt, Nick Bonino has to step into a 3rd line role. I'd fear what would happen if we lost another one of those three guys.

And Chytil can play wing, so getting a center is not the worst thing for the roster.

 

[hardnosed]

Vince says Miller is back.

Very good news

Definitely good news

 

[Crease]

What’s the latest on Chytil?

 

[Fitzy]

What’s the latest on Chytil?

Think he's still just skating on his own. Been a long time, too.

 

[Avery16]

And yet when one of them gets hurt, Nick Bonino has to step into a 3rd line role. I'd fear what would happen if we lost another one of those three guys.

And Chytil can play wing, so getting a center is not the worst thing for the roster.

I thought Goodrow was getting all that money because he can play up and down the roster as needed

 

[SA16]

And yet when one of them gets hurt, Nick Bonino has to step into a 3rd line role. I'd fear what would happen if we lost another one of those three guys.

And Chytil can play wing, so getting a center is not the worst thing for the roster.

I think every team in the league has that problem if 2 of their top 3 centers get hurt.

 

[kovazub94]

You missed the point of the entire conversation. We were speaking of Hanifan and someone compared his next contract and his effect on a game to Trouba's. I said that if given the opportunity, I would sign a 27 year old Trouba this off-season to a 7 year deal worth $7m per season as that was what I had projected for him. The conversation wasn't about Trouba.

I followed but you made it about Trouba (and it was after someone noted that among other things leadership and intangibles of Trouba makes him different from Hanifin). You could've just said that Hanifin getting $7x7 is acceptable which is fine.

I'm confused as to why. He's a top-4 d-man who puts up 30-35 points a year and plays a very physical style (Trouba). Hanifan is a smooth skating, rangy d-man who is easily a top-4 guy, maybe top-pairing. $7m in cap dollars is not that much money for a prime position on the team.

Sorry, this is what I "expected".

 

[bl02]

Vince says Miller is back.

Very good news

FInally a little bit of good news. Very happy he's back. Many shit on him but losing him and Chytil kills this teams ability to skate fast with the puck a ton. IMO he would be missed a ton of if we lost him for much longer.

 

[NickyFotiu]

Yes let’s absolutely tank the season we’re sitting first in the metro. I too would like to never win a Stanley cup and somehow become the metro version of the coyotes.

Hmmmm I'm probably the most anti tank person you will ever find on this board so I found that reply unusual. My wanting to improve the team to better our chances this season is not a request to tank in any way shape or form. I have never wanted to tank in any sport. That is the opposite of my nature.

By the way the person that made that quote was a very respected executive and is in the Hall Of Fame. Another person who repeated that quote was George Steinbrenner. George was never known as somebody that wanted to tank seasons.

 

[Lindberg Cheese]

Let’s go for it. dangle Kakko and Lindgren, add accordingly, to get Lindholm and Hanifin.