Roster Building Thread - Part XI (Off-season edition)

[GoAwayPanarin]

I agree and would trade him and let him be someone else's problem. But i will believe it when I see it.

I think it's more likely than it is that they trade Trouba.

I'll be pleasantly surprised if they move both.

 

[PuckLuck3043]

The last time we were good, we added grit by injecting our own young players into the top 9 - Kreider, Hagelin, Fast.

It's time to roll with Berard and Edstrom and see what they can do. For God sake, get a cheaper 4C. Blake Lizotte is a free agent. He's a very good penalty killer and he's from LA so he loves to grind. He has a bit of skill.

Kreider-Trocheck-Lafreniere
Panarin-Zibanejad-Berard
Edstrom-Chytil-Perron
Cuylle-Lizotte-Rempe

Theodore-Fox
Miller-Roy
Jones-Schneider

We were good this year unless 114 point regular season and 10 playoff wins doesn't constitute good.

 

[Machinehead]

To be fair, it was really only this year Lindgren wasn't an NHL player.

Trouba was still in Winnipeg by the time he became ineffective.

 

[Machinehead]

We were good this year unless 114 point regular season and 10 playoff wins doesn't constitute good.

I mean like, when we could actually beat some of the teams that make it to the third round.

 

[Ruggs225]

Next years team

Kreider-zib-roslovic
Pan-tro-laf
Cuylle-chytil-kakko
Vesey-goodrow-rempe/edstrom

Lindgren-fox
Miller-schneider
Jones-trouba
Robertson

Shesty
Quick

Drury has no balls.

 

[Siddi]

Yup. It’s either or but not both. In these circumstances I accept Zibanejad line contribution in just neutralizing Barkov line at ES.

Barkov literally doubled his shot totals AND started producing points as soon as he was matched against Trocheck instead of Mika. Trocheck had a good year offensively but dude is garbage when defending.

 

[Machinehead]

Barkov literally doubled his shot totals AND started producing points as soon as he was matched against Trocheck instead of Mika. Trocheck had a good year offensively but dude is garbage when defending.

All of this is verifiably a whopper.

When Barkov and Trocheck shared the ice, the Panthers attempted 57.6 shots per 60 minutes.

When Barkov and Zibanejad shared the ice, the Panthers attempted 72.0 shots per 60 minutes.

The Panther scored exactly ONCE when Barkov and Trocheck shared the ice (so did the Rangers) and the Rangers actually outshot the Panthers!

 

[McRanger92]

Then get used to end of season disappointment. Unlike most, I wasn't that angry when we lost, because I never had faith in this core to win it all. I saw this team as a 1st round exit coming into the season & they greatly exceeded my expectations. They sucked me in a bit after the Carolina series, but immediately reverted back to the team that was eliminated from the past 2 postseasons vs Florida. This is who they are & if Drury is going to be sentimental instead of moving out pieces that he can actually move for upgrades, we're going to be an entertaining regular season team that simply can't get over the hump. Happens all the time in sports...

I’m sorry you feel that way after they lost to the presumptive Stanley cup champs. I’m not going to stop watching games so I’m not going to get caught up in the “this core is rotten” narrative. Only one team wins every year and it wasn’t that long ago that Tampa or Vegas had a core who couldn’t win after some late exits.

 

[PuckLuck3043]

I mean like, when we could actually beat some of the teams that make it to the third round.

Well, that's different. They have some work to do but everything they need to do is very doable. Next year's team will not be the same. I think it will be better. Think about it. We won the president's trophy with Chytil hurt, Bonino playing 40 games, Wheeler sucking, Goodrow scoring 4 goals, Lindgren and Trouba having bad seasons, Mika scoring 70 points, Kakko scoring 20. They should be a lot better next year.

 

[Siddi]

All of this is verifiably a whopper.

When Barkov and Trocheck shared the ice, the Panthers attempted 57.6 shots per 60 minutes.

When Barkov and Zibanejad shared the ice, the Panthers attempted 72.0 shots per 60 minutes.

The Panther scored exactly ONCE when Barkov and Trocheck shared the ice (so did the Rangers) and the Rangers actually outshot the Panthers!

I looked at the game logs where Barkov had 4 shots on goal combined in game 1 & 2 and zero points before Florida changed the matchups. Granted I didnt look at the advance stats and while you are right I still think that Mika is the better player defensively.

 

[Fitzy]

Barkov was the best outfield player in the series by a mile.

We would have loved Trocheck and Mika from 2007-2015, but that doesn't cover the fact that neigther are top 10 centers in the league.

Even though this team has an elite PP, it's increasingly clear that in order to win a cup we are going to have to build a roster centered around depth, 3 scoring lines, and 4 lines that are difficult to match up against.

So for me, it's less about replacing Mika, replacing Panarin. It's more about

1) Using Trouba's cap to bring in an extra scoring forward with speed. Arvidsson is who I want and I'll die on that hill.

2) Developing Berard, Cuylle, Othmann, Perrault to eventually be contributors up and down the forward lines. The timing may be a bit off on some of them, but we will see.

3) Monitoring Chytil to make sure he's good to go as a play driving 3C next season, and teach him how to penalty kill. With his range and skating he could be very good at it.

4) Playing Zac Jones, and looking for a good 6D.

 

[Machinehead]

I looked at the game logs where Barkov had 4 shots on goal combined in game 1 & 2 and zero points before Florida changed the matchups. Granted I didnt look at the advance stats and while you are right I still think that Mika is the better player defensively.

Florida didn't change the matchups, they let him just dunk on Mika Zibanejad LMAO

Barkov saw more of Zibanejad in every road game.

Paul Maurice looked at that matchup and said "I'll have two, one with cheese."

That should tell you something about Zibanejad's defense.

 

[Siddi]

he definitely knows he needs to be better next year offensively and i do think he'll come back looking like he has a point to prove. defensively though he is remarkably overlooked by fans and around the league

Bolded part is very true. Fans see a dip in his production and forget everything else he does on the ice.

His mindset right now is defence first. Stop using him as a shutdown center and see his production sky rocket.

 

[Clark Kellogg]

Curious about both Berard and Jake Leschyshyn.

Both had nice runs for Hartford in the playoffs. But if they could have helped the Rangers you would think they would have been in New York ahead of the likes of Rempe and some of the trade deadline acquisitions.

Any chance they make the team out of training camp?

Was impressed with Jake Leschyshyn down the stretch as well. I believe he had returned off an injury.
Did everything that was asked of him including going to the dirty area and being there on a consistent basis.
Played a 200 foot game. Just hope that he can finally take that AAAA game to the NHL.
He’s 25. Make or break time in his life for a forward.

 

[McRanger92]

Florida didn't change the matchups, they let him just dunk on Mika Zibanejad LMAO

Barkov saw more of Zibanejad in every road game.

Paul Maurice looked at that matchup and said "I'll have two, one with cheese."

That should tell you something about Zibanejad's defense.

Jack Roslovic on Mika's wing could not have helped matters here. In contrast, Im sure Trocheck was helped by being flanked by our 2 best offensive players.

 

[Machinehead]

Jack Roslovic on Mika's wing could not have helped matters here. In contrast, Im sure Trocheck was helped by being flanked by our 2 best offensive players.

You're not wrong, although Lafreniere, God bless him, is slightly better defensively than I am.

 

[Siddi]

This. The group we have deserves another kick at the can. Last year was f***ing stupid with Kane forcing his way here and messing up the mojo on the PP and in the room, plus he was pre-hip surgery Kane and was playing maybe at 75%.

I'd be looking to add to this group with the number one requirement being anyone with a pulse that can produce or at the very least retrieve pucks for Mika and Kreider. It probably should be a big body, physical down low type of player to do some grunt work on that line. Kreiders legs are cooked which is completely understandable with all the playoff miles he has on him. Mika has effectively no excuse other than being a bit of a bitch but I think we see a bounce back year from him. He's not been playing anywhere near what he's capable of.

A lot of people forget how absolutely bonkers he was before COVID hit and even in the 22' run. He was easily a top 10 forward in the NHL when he popped off. That guy still exists but he needs to get back in the gym and work on his speed, he's very obviously taken a step back in that regard

How refreshing with a post dishing out critic while being level headed and fair.

Great post!

 

[Machinehead]

Either way, I think we can all agree that the point is we shouldn't be using Zibanejad in a matchup capacity.

 

[McRanger92]

You're not wrong, although Lafreniere, God bless him, is slightly better defensively than I am.

The best defense is good offense.

 

[Machinehead]

The best defense is good offense.

True and I'm glad Laf knows that now.

I think the biggest change with him is that he stopped playing scared to make a mistake.

I couldn't care less about his shitty defensive metrics.

I mostly don't care about "defense." Forechecking and making the puck go away when you get it back in the D-zone is how you prevent the other team from accumulating possession.

Will they get isolated chances if you're aggressive? Sure, that's why you have a goaltender.

 

[Siddi]

I wouldn't mind Zadorov but he really doesn't move the puck that well. We already have that in spades on the left side.

Zadorov

Zadorov can send the bombs tho. Something we are lacking from our D.

 

[Machinehead]

Zadorov can send the bombs tho. Something we are lacking from our D.

I wouldn't mind, like, a Kevin Klein type who can get shots on net 5v5 but I worry about Zadorov getting to the offensive zone to begin with.

Could it work with Fox moving the puck for him? Sure.

But I want to embrace what Fox is truly strong at and let somebody else shuttle the puck for him.

We're trying to use him like Cale Makar but he's Nick Lidstrom.

 

[McRanger92]

Brooksie predicting a major move this summer, because he doesn't think they will run it back. I do think Drury understands this. I wonder about Alex Tuch. That rumor came out of nowhere around the deadline but Friedman talked about Drury asking on him. I wonder if thats a player they revisit. Big body, very productive and plays a position of desperate need. I dont really ever know what Buffalo's plan is but Tuch doesnt really fit their timeline, and will be 30 when he needs a new contract. Would cost a ton, but the Rangers have chips to move.

 

[DanielBrassard]

The best defense is good offense.

The best defense is having the puck more. Problem is Zibanejad is not particularly good at driving offense, so that really doesn’t apply to him when he’s an opportunistic scorer and not a possession driver.

 

[McRanger92]

The best defense is having the puck more. Problem is Zibanejad is not particularly good at driving offense, so that really doesn’t apply to him when he’s an opportunistic scorer and not a possession driver.

I think if you put him between play drivers like Panarin and Lafreniere who dont want to get back on D as much, you'll see all 3 be effective. If Mika wants to commit to defense, let him. He will score 80 points on accident playing with those 2