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

[McRanger92]

We got beat by Florida's bottom 6?

All their goals were scored by Reinhart, Verhaege and Bennett.

Their top 6 definitely beat ours.

I agree the EASIEST way to try to patch holes and re-up is to try to move out Trouba and fix the D.

But Mika will still be an actual problem. It's a problem they'd be wise to TRY to fix. If they can't, they can't. They can definitely do something about defense. But 1C should be a problem they TRY to fix.

Bennett was playing on the 3rd line for a good portion of the series with Lundell and Luotsarainen, who smashed us down low in every home game. Rodrigues was centering Tkachuk and Verhaege a good amount.

You were right on Lundell. If Kakko couldve been that for us we may have won the series in all likelihood. Not to single him out because a lot of guys couldve been better but our #2 overall pick got healthy scratched instead. We need an upgrade to our depth.

 

[mas0764]

Mika is PROBABLY not going anywhere because we signed him to that stupid frickin' NMC for forever.

But if the team wants to win, the two biggest things it needs to upgrade are

1C and 1D in that order.

If it can't do 1C, then yeah, fix the D and try to get more scoring forward depth, because Florida has scoring wings for days in Bennett, Verhaege, Tkachuk, Reinhart, Tarasenko. But they still have a way better 1C in Barkov.

 

[DanielBrassard]

Edmonton's goalie can't stop a beach ball.

Ekholm has been a very good addition for them. He been a solid partner for Bouchard ever since he arrived in Edmonton at the 2023 trade deadline. Ekholm is a big guy. Bouchard has probably been Edmonton's best player in the playoffs. In every series. Bouchard. 27 points. Fox hasn't scored a playoff goal since 2022. He needs to step it up too. He isn't the biggest guy. Bouchard is 6-2 200.

The other guys on Edmonton just keep it simple. Flip the puck in the air and wrap it around the boards or glass. Pittsburgh win two Cups doing that.

Rangers need their version of Ekholm to play with Fox. He has formed arguably the best pairing in the league with Bouchard. Big, good skater, extremely sound defensively but has offensive capabilities as well.

 

[McRanger92]

Trade Trouba and fill the void in the room with Stamkos. We are a much better team in multiple facets if Drury can pull that off. 8+ million is much better allocated to our top 6 than 3rd pair D.

Rangers need their version of Ekholm to play with Fox. He has formed arguably the best pairing in the league with Bouchard. Big, good skater, extremely sound defensively but has offensive capabilities as well.

Ekholm is a rich man's Mikkola. Big nasty Swede. We shouldve held on to Mikkola tbh. He was clearly annoyed he never got an offer from us.

 

[effen]

I don't even know that its that they don't recognize it, it's that they don't have the space to create a supporting cast like that (really a driving cast because lets face it, Zibanejad and especially Panarin are supporting cast players once the playoffs start) because those 2 (and Trouba) make too much f***ing money.

A lot of attention has been put on moving Trouba (and if they can, they should) but I feel like they need to move on from one of Zibanejad/Panarin too. I'd move Panarin for a roster player that we need+ and dedicate what ever savings they gave to Guentzel if it were up to me. Replacing 120 points in the regular season is an impossible endeavor but I know that guy will show up in the spring. Presidents trophy winner? Nah but they wouldn't have won it again if they ran it back with the same group. Better chance to do damage and win the whole thing? 10000%

Drury's drafting history points to him totally getting it while trying to do the best he can with a win now owner in the big club.

I completely agree that 2 of the 4 of Trouba/Zib/Kreider/Panarin need to go. Change the culture, trade some stats for some space taking ability, and reallocate money. You don't need to replace 120 points in the RS. This was not a bubble team. You need to add people who will take and command space in the high rent district.

Rest is window dressing and very cool stories if a championship is your goal.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

"Young stud C" has been the placeholder for awhile. Dont ask for specifics though lol.

The only guy reasonably available who comes even close to fitting that mold is Zegras and if you're replacing Mika with Zegras, you might as well pack it in because we aint winning shit.

I agree with you about Zegras 100000000000000000000000%.

 

[McRanger92]

Drury's drafting history points to him totally getting it while trying to do the best he can with a win now owner in the big club.

I completely agree that 2 of the 4 of Trouba/Zib/Kreider/Panarin need to go. Change the culture, trade some stats for some space taking ability, and reallocate money. You don't need to replace 120 points in the RS. This was not a bubble team. You need to add people who will take and command space in the high rent district.

Rest is window dressing and very cool stories if a championship is your goal.

Trouba and Panarin are going to be gone in 2 years anyway, Kreider in 3. I dont think 2 ECFs in 3 years is really cause to speed up the retool. Florida and Tampa have been the best eastern Conference teams over the last 5 years. Iron sharpens Iron. Stay the course and add. Dont get discouraged at this important stage. If there is a taker for Trouba, they do have to jump at it. At least there is no doubt they can improve on Trouba. I dont believe they can with the other guys.

 

[Guyute]

I'm not necessarily for or against Zegras, but he put up more points in his age 20 & 21 seasons than Kakko has in his 5 seasons. So we'd be adding quite a bit (which maybe you know, but just didn't mention). If Zegras goes straight up for someone in a change of scenery trade, it'd be for someone more accomplished than Kakko in my opinion, like Necas, Farabee, Batherson, etc..

I’m sorta into getting Zegras because:

1. Chytil is a major question mark going forward and we need another center
2. Kreider/Zibanejad line can’t be relied upon to score at 5v5. They don’t let other teams score either, so they’re basically a checking line already. Having another line that can create offense at 5v5 is a must.
3. Zegras scored above 2 pts/60 twice by age 22
3. Local boy might give us a hometown discount
4. Zegras’ contract ends the same time as Panarin and Trouba. We can move on from one or all if it doesn’t work out.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

We got beat by Florida's bottom 6?

All their goals were scored by Reinhart, Verhaege and Bennett.

Their top 6 definitely beat ours.

I agree the EASIEST way to try to patch holes and re-up is to try to move out Trouba and fix the D.

But Mika will still be an actual problem. It's a problem they'd be wise to TRY to fix. If they can't, they can't. They can definitely do something about defense. But 1C should be a problem they TRY to fix.

Here is the goal break down for them by line in this series comparatively to the Rangers (including ENGs.)

Line 1 - Florida (7) Rangers (1)

Line 2 - Rangers (7) Florida (5)

Line 3 - Rangers (1) Florida (1)

Line 4 - Rangers (3) Florida (0)

Defense - Florida (2) Rangers (0)

Line 1 got killed. Almost all of that was on the PP for Florida but still, they got waxed.

Lines 2-4 and even with the defense who provided 0 GF in this series, Rangers outscored the Panthers.

This can be broken down even further - Barclay Goodrow cannot outscore your "big" 3 combined.

 

[bobbop]

I screamed for Ekholm and got constantly shouted down.

 

[effen]

Trouba and Panarin are going to be gone in 2 years anyway, Kreider in 3. I dont think 2 ECFs in 3 years is really cause to speed up the retool. Florida and Tampa have been the best eastern Conference teams over the last 5 years. Iron sharpens Iron. Stay the course and add. Dont get discouraged at this important stage. If there is a taker for Trouba, they do have to jump at it. At least there is no doubt they can improve on Trouba. I dont believe they can with the other guys.

If your 3 best forwards and your best D inherently want to play a perimeter cycle game in the playoffs (and we have 5 years of evidence they do) and not get to the middle and stay there you're going to get bodied eventually.

You CAN make them a lot braver by surrounding them with guys who will take and own the tough areas. That's a LOT of turnover across the lineup and probably harder than just trading 2 guys and taking a paper "loss" on the deals.

 

[DanielBrassard]

Trouba and Panarin are going to be gone in 2 years anyway, Kreider in 3. I dont think 2 ECFs in 3 years is really cause to speed up the retool. Florida and Tampa have been the best eastern Conference teams over the last 5 years. Iron sharpens Iron. Stay the course and add. Dont get discouraged at this important stage. If there is a taker for Trouba, they do have to jump at it. At least there is no doubt they can improve on Trouba. I dont believe they can with the other guys.

The rangers might have made the conference finals but they were never really in those conference finals. This team has a long way to go if they want to become Stanley cup champions. Staying the course sounds nice and all but not only have these core pieces proven they don’t have what it takes against the best teams but they are also moving past their prime years. They don’t have much of a choice but to add considering what the contract situations are like but unless they make a surprise move and augment the top of the lineup significantly I doubt the outcome will change.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Yeah I mean the Rangers obviously need to rework the defense big time. Get Chychrun in here. I just think dwelling on Zibanejad and Panarin is a waste of breath. They arent going anywhere.

Unless Drury goes nuclear in his imminent press conference lol

I think the biggest problem with our defense (outside of the various players and/or reasons mentioned here) is their idiotic insistence on stick checking (or as Valliquette calls it "hope checking". It's bad enough that the forwards rarely, if ever, "finish their checks"; watching our dmen consistently back into the zone then use their sticks like a fire poker is maddening....especially when the opposing player skates around them, many times drawing an unnecessary penalty. The last time I recall them actually standing up at the blue line was when Schoenfeld filled in as defensive coach.

 

[mas0764]

The rangers might have made the conference finals but they were never really in those conference finals. This team has a long way to go if they want to become Stanley cup champions. Staying the course sounds nice and all but not only have these core pieces proven they don’t have what it takes against the best teams but they are also moving past their prime years. They don’t have much of a choice but to add considering what the contract situations are like but unless they make a surprise move and augment the top of the lineup significantly I doubt the outcome will change.

Yeah, staying the course, to me, sounds like "Just run it back and hope someone else takes out the teams you can't beat, maybe one year you'll get lucky and draw Tampa on their last legs in the conference finals, or Boston and Swayman is injured, or something, and you'll be able to advance like you did against Montreal."

It's like, well, we know we are never gonna be the real best team in the conference, but let's hope we get lucky.

No, let's go get over the hump. That means you need a 1C who dominates 5v5 like Barkov, Eichel, someone at the very top. Get to work.

 

[effen]

I think the biggest problem with our defense (outside of the various players and/or reasons mentioned here) is their idiotic insistence on stick checking (or as Valliquette calls it "hope checking". It's bad enough that the forwards rarely, if ever, "finish their checks"; watching our dmen consistently back into the zone then use their sticks like a fire poker is maddening....especially when the opposing player skates around them, many times drawing an unnecessary penalty. The last time I recall them actually standing up at the blue line was when Schoenfeld filled in as defensive coach.

This is also a giant screaming problem as Florida is fairly slow and just wants to get it deep anyway and the Rangers would slowly back in and let them carry the puck to the tops of the circles.

That's a tactical issue and entirely the coaching staffs fault.

As an organization they never seem to ask themselves "Wow this thing is really hard for us to deal with. What if we did THAT to other teams!" Very reactive, not very proactive tactically.

 

[McRanger92]

The rangers might have made the conference finals but they were never really in those conference finals. This team has a long way to go if they want to become Stanley cup champions. Staying the course sounds nice and all but not only have these core pieces proven they don’t have what it takes against the best teams but they are also moving past their prime years. They don’t have much of a choice but to add considering what the contract situations are like but unless they make a surprise move and augment the top of the lineup significantly I doubt the outcome will change.

I mean, there is one team in the East better than us. Ill take those odds. We also beat the Cup favorite this playoffs. I didnt think the Canes deserved it but people whose business it is did. Can we surround our core with a full NHL roster before we say they can't hack it? We need a Montour, Bennett and a Verhaege. 3 guys the Panthers picked off the scrap heap. It's time for Drury to get creative. Im old enough to remember Barkov was some big softy when Florida was getting swept and going clubbing between games.

I think the biggest problem with our defense (outside of the various players and/or reasons mentioned here) is their idiotic insistence on stick checking (or as Valliquette calls it "hope checking". It's bad enough that the forwards rarely, if ever, "finish their checks"; watching our dmen consistently back into the zone then use their sticks like a fire poker is maddening....especially when the opposing player skates around them, many times drawing an unnecessary penalty. The last time I recall them actually standing up at the blue line was when Schoenfeld filled in as defensive coach.

They absolutely do not move their feet enough. Whether its compromised footspeed (Trouba and Fox) or low hockey IQ (flashing red Kandre Miller here).

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Yeah, staying the course, to me, sounds like "Just run it back and hope someone else takes out the teams you can't beat, maybe one year you'll get lucky and draw Tampa on their last legs in the conference finals, or Boston and Swayman is injured, or something, and you'll be able to advance like you did against Montreal."

It's like, well, we know we are never gonna be the real best team in the conference, but let's hope we get lucky.

No, let's go get over the hump. That means you need a 1C who dominates 5v5 like Barkov, Eichel, someone at the very top. Get to work.

You can have this guy and it won't matter if Ryan Lindgren is playing next to Adam Fox.

Fixing that should be priority #1,2,3 all the way down to 6900000.

 

[Cmox]

This insinuates a lot

https://x.com/i/web/status/1799140275475894634

 

[effen]

A shadow bonus of dealing some dancers for some plumbers is the plumbers obstruction is a lot more easily applied. When a dancer holds someones stick, its with space in the open. When a plumber does it, its just good battle level.

This insinuates a lot

https://x.com/i/web/status/1799140275475894634

That's what I wanted to see. Now knowing the mix is wrong and being able to do much about it are two different things, but I'm not gonna fault someone who tries to do things but can't. Excited.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

I mean, there is one team in the East better than us. Ill take those odds. We also beat the Cup favorite this playoffs. I didnt think the Canes deserved it but people whose business it is did. Can we surround our core with a full NHL roster before we say they can't hack it? We need a Montour, Bennett and a Verhaege. 3 guys the Panthers picked off the scrap heap. It's time for Drury to get creative. Im old enough to remember Barkov was some big softy when Florida was getting swept and going clubbing between games.



They absolutely do not move their feet enough. Whether its compromised footspeed (Trouba and Fox) or low hockey IQ (flashing red Kandre Miller here).

Watching Miller constant try a stick check drives me nuts -- especially when you know he can use his physicality effectively.

 

[effen]

Watching Miller constant try a stick check drives me nuts -- especially when you know he can use his physicality effectively.

All he's gotta do is skate his chest into their chest! Hitting not necessary! Just exist and you'll "swallow them up". Hal Gill made a 20 year career out of this one singular skill while lacking pretty much every other skill.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

This is also a giant screaming problem as Florida is fairly slow and just wants to get it deep anyway and the Rangers would slowly back in and let them carry the puck to the tops of the circles.

That's a tactical issue and entirely the coaching staffs fault.

As an organization they never seem to ask themselves "Wow this thing is really hard for us to deal with. What if we did THAT to other teams!" Very reactive, not very proactive tactically.

Definitely an organizational philosophical issue.....they've been doing it for way too many years!!!! How many times have we seen players on other teams consistently finish their checks and/or play the man and not the puck -- only to get here and totally change their style of play (most times to their detriment).

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

This insinuates a lot

https://x.com/i/web/status/1799140275475894634

Thats a nice way of saying "no."

 

[JimmyG89]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1799142309356868033

 

[effen]

Definitely an organizational philosophical issue.....they've been doing it for way too many years!!!! How many times have we seen players on other teams consistently finish their checks and/or play the man and not the puck -- only to get here and totally change their style of play (most times to their detriment).

It's not without its reasons - it keeps things 'orderly', minimizes complete breakdowns, with other things lets the goalie clearly see the puck and CAN make defending easier. Generally it's done with a slow group as a mitigation technique.

Other teams have slow D and scheme it up though. That's an NYR failing.