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

[KirkAlbuquerque]

Would you guys do Laf for Podkolzin?

Nah.

 

[duhmetreE]

Would you guys do Laf for Podkolzin?

only guys I trade Laffy for are in a package for Zegras or Pettersson next offseason.

That also means Trouba is gone and maybe Panarin.

 

[UnSandvich]

Laf-Zib-Kakko
Panarin-Chytil-Wheeler
Kreider-Trocheck-Cuylle
Vesey-Goodrow/Bonino (Minimize TOI wherever possible)

Lindgren-Fox
Miller-Trouba
Gustafson-Schneider
(I actually would prefer to see Gustafson with Trouba, but I don't trust Miller to be able to move the puck well enough with an anchor like Schneider)

Would you guys do Laf for Podkolzin?

How many 1sts is Vancouver adding

 

[HockeyBasedNYC]

I'm not sure how the player who had 25% more 5v5 pts than any other player on the team last year doesn't fit at 5v5.

From Gaborik, to Nash, to Panarin this board always has a thing about hating the teams best forward.

My point is he just doesnt look comfortable next to any of the centers.

Maybe they need a long look with him and Chytil, if he hopefully stays healthy.

I liked Gaborik and Nash. Panarin frustrates the hell out of me because hes so talented and continues to make the same bad decisions. Yes, he produces a ton for the Rangers offensively and without him there is a huge whole, but if you want to win the big games you need your top players playing with the correct habits.

Either he just doesnt care or he is incapable of playing the right way when managing the puck. You can forgive the turnovers once in a while if you are trying to be creative, if you are down late in games and need to take risks. He blatantly makes the same mistakes consistently. Thats whats increasingly frustrating to me.

 

[CLW]

Lafreniere needs to get some confidence going, this is a pivotal year for him and the Rangers as a team. Imo you force feed him minutes and see what he's got. If he can't handle it by Christmas we are in big trouble with him and as a team. Continuing to do the same thing with him isn't working. Pile the mins to him, he'll either sink or swim, put him with the vets and make them drag him along. This team as constructed isn't going anywhere without him, Kakko and Chytil being big contributers and allowing us to have 3 lines that can score.

I like this plan. Laf needs to have a reality check and pick himself up, playing him with Panarin, Zib and Fox to get him going shouldn't hurt for that initial ignition. What sucks is if he needs to babied to get going, but what else is there to do? It's basically push the red button and pray time.

 

[IDvsEGO]

Would you guys do Laf for Podkolzin?

Do you just have some weird fetish for Russian hockey players who can’t crack an nhl lineup?

 

[I Eat Crow]

Would you guys do Laf for Podkolzin?

This is probably the kind of return that Lafreniere gets at this point. I'd be more open to acquiring a player that's a bit more of a guarantee to contribute on the 3rd line for years to come on a prospect with a lower ceiling than a prospect with more boom or bust potential.

 

[redwhiteandblue]

Like I sad in the GDT yesterday, it’s really maddening that we have a complete new coaching staff but our PP is literally the EXACT SAME as the last couple years. Literally everything from the same exact players and positions, to overpassing, to strictly looking for Mika’s one timer, and to the first unit not getting off the ice.

Give me a break.

I was absolutely befuddled by this myself last night.

 

[Oscar Lindberg]

Very excited for Drury to trade Lafreniere (who’s a contributor) for the penny’s on the dollar to have the money to sign ol’ one hip Patrick Kane

 

[bhamill]

I'm not sure how the player who had 25% more 5v5 pts than any other player on the team last year doesn't fit at 5v5.

From Gaborik, to Nash, to Panarin this board always has a thing about hating the teams best forward.

I think if he showed up for the playoffs he’d get less grief. Just a guess.

 

[EdJovanovski]

Very excited for Drury to trade Lafreniere (who’s a contributor) for the penny’s on the dollar to have the money to sign ol’ one hip Patrick Kane

 

[bhamill]

There were some rumors that NJ might do that back then.

Yeah. I remember. But I had ZERO expectation that there was even a chance. “Lose for Hughes” was the tank slogan that year.

 

[NickyFotiu]

And when we get to playoffs teams collapse and shut it down. A pp can't be this predictable, tell me you can't see them setting up for a one timer 10 seconds before it happens and then think, if everyone here can see it whats an nhl coach going to do on the pk vs it. They need to keep the other team guessing.

I'm all for changing things up. Nobody wants predictability even though the Caps have run the same PP thru Ovi for a decade. With that said, your statement about being shut down in the playoffs is very debatable. In 2021-22 playoffs they had the second best PP rating at over 32%. In the 2022-23 playoffs the PP was largely the reason we won the first 2 games vs NJ. CK had around 4PP goals himself I think going by memory. Now if you want to say they were shut down after those first 2 games that is largely true but the team was shut down for the most part in 4 of the next 5 games on and off the PP.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Why people want to drastically change what has been one of the best PP's in the league for the last few seasons is beyond me.

OK it sucked at camp. Great. Get back to me at the end of the season when its a top 5 unit in the league.

 

[Oscar Lindberg]

Conveniently leaving out the part where he got a surgery that basically no hockey player comes back from but yeah

 

[EdJovanovski]

Denisenko on waivers, WE BETTER CLAIM

 

[duhmetreE]

Why people want to drastically change what has been one of the best PP's in the league for the last few seasons is beyond me.

OK it sucked at camp. Great. Get back to me at the end of the season when its a top 5 unit in the league.

I just think Zibs one timer is below average and we spent way too much energy trying to set it up.

He’s the only shooter too which further hinder things.

In an ideal world we’d also have a LHS on the right wall. Similar to TB setup. Both Stamkos and Kucherov one time and are effective. It opens the lanes up instead of force feeding one side

 

[Levitate]

The Caps PP continue to work with Ovechkin there because they actually try for other looks rather than completely force feed Ovechkin the shot. That's the major reason other teams can't quite just cover Ovechkin the way they cover Zibanejad. Also, Ovechkin's shot is much better than Zibanejad's so he doesn't always need like 5 cranks of the puck per PP to get one (or whatever)

You gotta break down the defenders box a bit more than the Rangers have done lately on their PP. Even though it was "good" last year it still had more inconsistency than I think we'd like to see.

Anyways...re: Cuylle to me looked like the typical "has a strong camp and everyone starts penciling him in as a regular for the rest of the season and then the real season gets going and he's a step behind once the first 10 game adrenaline wears off"
Could be wrong, and I still didn't see anything out of him that screamed more than future 3rd line depth player (which is fine). Just expecting people to be disappointed when he comes down a bit.

The rest of it...it's preseason man. Can't take away huge statements from it. The team obviously has some work to do but this isn't regular season stuff here yet

I just think Zibs one timer is below average and we spent way too much energy trying to set it up.

it 100% is not below average, lol.
especially this preseason he basically hasn't gotten a clean look and been able to shoot it without also trying to fit it between 2 guys trying to block it. That's the big "issue" is they need to set him up clean for it not force an awkward pass he has to shank through 2-3 blockers

 

[bhamill]

This is probably the kind of return that Lafreniere gets at this point. I'd be more open to acquiring a player that's a bit more of a guarantee to contribute on the 3rd line for years to come on a prospect with a lower ceiling than a prospect with more boom or bust potential.

Ummmm. Laf was already a solid borderline 3rd/2nd line player in his D+3. And his floor is probably solid 2nd liner, for years to come. Why would we trade him for someone guaranteed to contribute on the third line? This seems like trading him for pennies on the dollar just because he hasn’t lived up to his 1OA pedigree. That seems crazy to me.

 

[DanielBrassard]

I just think Zibs one timer is below average and we spent way too much energy trying to set it up.

He’s the only shooter too which further hinder things.

In an ideal world we’d also have a LHS on the right wall. Similar to TB setup. Both Stamkos and Kucherov one time and are effective. It opens the lanes up instead of force feeding one side

That's the issue if there's one on the PP, not having that left handed shot on the right wall who can shoot the puck, then teams wouldn't be able to cheat towards Zibanejad. Obviously the Rangers have made out ok regardless but that would be even better.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Denisenko on waivers, WE BETTER CLAIM

You hate on Laf more than anyone, but want to claim a guy 2 years older than him, who has done literally NOTHING in the few callups he's gotten in the NHL? Makes sense.

 

[duhmetreE]

it 100% is not below average, lol.
especially this preseason he basically hasn't gotten a clean look and been able to shoot it without also trying to fit it between 2 guys trying to block it. That's the big "issue" is they need to set him up clean for it not force an awkward pass he has to shank through 2-3 blockers

he can't locate it. his positioning is poor. His release is long. It shouldn't be the feature.

 

[Crease]

Some Friday optimism:

Kakko looks poised to break out.
The Guss signing looks like a home run.
Chytil is already in midseason form (injured).

 

[Levitate]

Re: Laf, if he can't show progress and find a comfort zone this year then I think they absolutely might trade him for what could be "pennies"
It's far more in the teams best interest for him to play better and contribute but if he can't do that this year then I'd be surprised to see him still on the team next year

he can't locate it. his positioning is poor. His release is long. It shouldn't be the feature.

He's one of the few guys in the league who can somewhat consistantly score on a slapshot like that.

It's not perfect, there are better players, but calling it below average is just dumb

 

[LOFIN]