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

[irishlaxburger2]

Average skater

He’s a perfect fit

 

[rangers1314]

Its still wild to me that the draft is at Sphere.

Not sure if anyone has been there yet, I saw dead and co there first weekend. It’s incredible….but I have no doubt the NHL will find a way to make it dull

 

[jay from jersey]

he's a scorer, with a pro shot, and has an edge, but it doesn't look like he drives play or defends. we need play driving.

I like Othmann. Didn’t really want him in his draft year, but at least he’s shown the ability to get better and score, so far on every level….
He’s got a big time nhl shot already. That’s a think this team lacks. Besides laf, I’d like another wing who can pick the corners and god forbid actually hit an open cage.
I expect him to have a big year in Hartford this season.. he got better as the season progressed. He was also not depending on only the PP to score. After another offseason of hard work, I expect him to improve even more.
I also like that he plays with edge.
Hopefully he works on his skating and adds some muscle his offseason

 

[Kaapo Cabana]

Friedman says the Jets are worried that Rutger McGroarty, who is going back to Michigan for his junior year, will finish college and bail on them. They are apparently talking about trading his rights.

Kakko for McGroarty?

I want to do this because this guys name sounds like an AI generated tough guy hockey player name

 

[gravey9]

I want to do this because this guys name sounds like an AI generated tough guy hockey player name

Here's the thing -- McGroarty has some definite potential. But Kakko is in the NHL now and has proven to be a top 9 regular. I'm not saying it's perfect. But he's solidified that.

McGroarty has potential to be a bottom 6 forward. Maybe more? But potentially, he's going to take time to become an NHL regular. We're in our cup window. I would suggest making a more expanded trade if you're moving Kakko to the Jets. Or I would trade another player that is more about potential. Not a regular. Not right now. The only way that makes sense is if we're taking some of the salary meant for Kakko and investing it in Kakko's definite replacement. But I think it's a tough call to make given our current roster depth and window with this core. I likely only move Kakko in a deal for RM if it's actually about making cap space for other moves. That said, I dunno what RM's ELC is going to be. if it's over 1m, we're only saving about a 1 or 1.2m, 2.4 if RM goes to the A. A move for this kid is about the bigger plan if it's Kakko or another NHL player going out.

 

[Kaapo Cabana]

Here's the thing -- McGroarty has some definite potential. But Kakko is in the NHL now and has proven to be a top 9 regular. I'm not saying it's perfect. But he's solidified that.

McGroarty has potential to be a bottom 6 forward. Maybe more? But potentially, he's going to take time to become an NHL regular. We're in our cup window. I would suggest making a more expanded trade if you're moving Kakko to the Jets. Or I would trade another player that is more about potential. Not a regular. Not right now. The only way that makes sense is if we're taking some of the salary meant for Kakko and investing it in Kakko's definite replacement. But I think it's a tough call to make given our current roster depth and window with this core. I likely only move Kakko in a deal for RM if it's actually about making cap space for other moves. That said, I dunno what RM's ELC is going to be. if it's over 1m, we're only saving about a 1 or 1.2m, 2.4 if RM goes to the A. A move for this kid is about the bigger plan if it's Kakko or another NHL player going out.

I have 0 opinion on this player except for his cool name.

 

[Boris Zubov]

He can add a half step through strength. His game sense will get better in terms of anticipation.

The problem is his offensive skillset is a guy who camps the front of the net and his mental isn't built for that. Only person who can fix that is him.

Everything that young hockey players get better at as they grow, get stronger and gain confidence. I’m not giving guarantees, it’s just common sense, how often does an NHLer peak at 21? Nobody seems to want to answer that question, because it’s obvious that he should get better as he continues to develop and mature. Why do we want to believe that Kakko is that special case that improved every year over the previous until this disaster, serious injury interrupted, D+5, where he backslid to his D+2 offensive numbers (while still playing great D and being a big plus on possession)… why would anyone assume that his “final form” is what he looked like in his 22yo season while recovering from a serious knee injury? I mean people are asking me to justify the overwhelmingly normal way young players develop rather than giving any rational justification to assume that this f***ed up season is all he’s capable of (even though he already did way better last year.)

Both of you evaded the question. Specifically, what is KK better at today then he was 2-3 seasons ago? I've never claimed this is is "final form" or that he peaked already. Sure it's common sense to assume he will improve with age, but the year to year gains he showed were very modest. Personally, he looks like the exact same player he was after Gallant's first year here. He doesn't look any stronger or play with any more confidence, nor has his skating improved even slightly.

If we're being honest, he regressed a bunch this year & it had nothing to do with his knee. He was playing some of the worst hockey of his career before he got hurt, so the injury excuse is bogus. He had either 3 or 4 points total after 20+ games when he went down.

I'm not writing him off entirely & I'd love to eat crow, but more & more his ceiling looks like a mid 40 point, 3rd line grinder who hopefully can be an effective PKer. Which is why so many of us have no issue including him in hockey trades that improve the team. I'm not interested in trading him for a 3rd rounder in 2026 simply to remove him from the lineup...I'd much rather keep him here for the season & hope the light finally turns on.

 

[effen]

I read your post as getting better, not being better. Whoops.

I think he's made no real strides in a couple years and I want him gone because he has no joy to his game and he seems depressing to play with.

 

[94leetch]

Its still wild to me that the draft is at Sphere.

Not sure if anyone has been there yet, I saw dead and co there first weekend. It’s incredible….but I have no doubt the NHL will find a way to make it dull

Duller than Dead and Co ?

 

[bernmeister]

Calm down. I realize I destroyed your whole argument but that's ok.

It's not the first time and won't be the last.

you destroyed NOTHING
you were intellectually pummeled into submission
based on your continued inability to directly counter valid points made

you simply don't know when to give up and stay down
This is not "The Last Word" and you are not Lawrence O'Donnell

quit while you are way behind
unless you actually have something on point to contribute, which so far, obviously, is beyond you

 

[bernmeister]

No, we don't know that. We don't know that at all.

Yes we do.
Lav tried it his way and, bottom line, it did not work = fail.

IF we did it my way and gave Rempe mo mins, it is plausible to view that:
- since Rs desp needed physical presence vs FL
- and Rempe would give that
- then, while it is unclear if that would be enuf [based on several variables incl. dep on how many mo mins Rempe played],
- it IS clear that would be part of the solution, not part of the problem

you too can insist on being contrarian, but the above logic checks out

so if you want to say 'no'
back it up
otherwise, yield to the logic of the situation

 

[RangerBoy]

I’d argue @RangerBoy isnt wrong though. Having a physical, defensive defenseman who is barely 6’ isn’t ideal and when it comes to playoff time when more physical play is allowed, the bigger and stronger guys thrive

Some people don't like the big D argument but Cup winning teams have those big D. Florida doesn't have a big D. Those guys seem a little worn down. Montour has struggled. Maurice replaced Montour on the PP with OEL. All of these teams will be lining up for Montour next week. Forsling hasn't played like Larry Robinson from 1979 against Edmonton. Forsling looked like a Norris Trophy winner against the Rangers. Did the Rangers hit him once in the series? Ekblad and Mikkola are bigger bodies. Kulikov likes to play a physical style but he is not very good at it. OEL has given them some good play coming off the buyout.

Edmonton has quicker forwards than the Rangers. Foegele and Holloway have been good for Edmonton. Those are bigger bodies. Edmonton has been able to play in Florida's zone. The Rangers never played in Florida's zone. Kane is injured. He can't play. There was a talk of replacing Holloway for Kane in game 6. Why? Holloway has given them what they needed. Size. Energy.

Edmonton has those big and tall D. There was a sequence in game 6 where Florida's 3rd line attempted to forecheck and gain some momentum. Ceci and Kulak were able to handle them. Got the puck out of the zone. Next shift. Broberg has size and he can skate the puck out of trouble playing with Nurse.

Vegas had those big D and Florida had trouble with them. Edmonton is a weird team. They need to lose a few games in a playoff series before they figure it out. Edmonton is giving the Panthers trouble. The Panthers looked like the 1980's Oilers against the Rangers. Barkov had the puck the entire game. His line created a million chances.

Florida had four shots on goal nearly 1/2 way through game 6 and Maurice is complaining about the off-side call. It was off-side. They had four shots on every shift against the Rangers.

Brooks brought up Igor and Skinner today. Edmonton is able to protect the front of the net better than the Rangers. If the Rangers had Edmonton's size on D, the Rangers would have already won the Cup a few days ago. Vegas won with Hill. Their big D didn't require Hill to win games by himself.

 

[Boris Zubov]

Mika had his worst year as a Rangers and it’s not arguable. He’s never been a 5v5 stud even on his best day. I’m just personally not ready to bail on a top 6 center who scores at a PPG pace. He needs to lift his game like Trocheck when the games get tight but at this stage we’re better off with him than without.

Agree on Lindgren and Trouba.

I never mentioned bailing on him, because his contract & its NMC clause have made that impossible. Even though I'd love to move on, I'm under no illusion that he will be anywhere else but here for the long haul. which is why I said it's important that Drury supplement the team by moving out the dead weight players who can actually be moved.

The front office & the coaching staff need to come to the harsh reality that him & Kreider can no longer be a thing moving forward. This merry go round of trying to find them the perfect RW has run its course & it's holding the team back. The Fox/Lindgren situation also needs to be dealt with as well. Unless that happens, I can't see this group getting over the hump.

 

[bhamill]

Both of you evaded the question. Specifically, what is KK better at today then he was 2-3 seasons ago? I've never claimed this is is "final form" or that he peaked already. Sure it's common sense to assume he will improve with age, but the year to year gains he showed were very modest. Personally, he looks like the exact same player he was after Gallant's first year here. He doesn't look any stronger or play with any more confidence, nor has his skating improved even slightly.

If we're being honest, he regressed a bunch this year & it had nothing to do with his knee. He was playing some of the worst hockey of his career before he got hurt, so the injury excuse is bogus. He had either 3 or 4 points total after 20+ games when he went down.

I'm not writing him off entirely & I'd love to eat crow, but more & more his ceiling looks like a mid 40 point, 3rd line grinder who hopefully can be an effective PKer. Which is why so many of us have no issue including him in hockey trades that improve the team. I'm not interested in trading him for a 3rd rounder in 2026 simply to remove him from the lineup...I'd much rather keep him here for the season & hope the light finally turns on.

I didn’t evade the question. He should improve in just about EVERYTHING. Do I actually need to list everything? Man strength and maturation improves everything from skating power to how heavy your shot is. Mental maturity/confidence let’s you trust in your abilities and do everything faster without hesitation, helps you commit more to whatever course/action you are taking on the ice. It’s night and day between a guy playing uncertainly and a player with confidence in his abilities at this level. Lafreniere is a case study in this. None of his off season work/improvement was really evident in pre season. It wasn’t until he started gaining confidence that he looked like a different player. His “closing day” interview he came right out and said that confidence was the biggest difference between his play last year and this.

 

[tlk]

Kakko for McGroarty?

Othmann

 

[noncents]

Duller than Dead and Co ?

that was a meatball down the center of the plate

 

[Boris Zubov]

I didn’t evade the question. He should improve in just about EVERYTHING. Do I actually need to list everything? Man strength and maturation improves everything from skating power to how heavy your shot is. Mental maturity/confidence let’s you trust in your abilities and do everything faster without hesitation, helps you commit more to whatever course/action you are taking on the ice. It’s night and day between a guy playing uncertainly and a player with confidence in his abilities at this level. Lafreniere is a case study in this. None of his off season work/improvement was really evident in pre season. It wasn’t until he started gaining confidence that he looked like a different player. His “closing day” interview he came right out and said that confidence was the biggest difference between his play last year and this.

Of course he should improve everything, but he hasn't improved anything...which is exactly my point. He looks worse than he did 2 seasons ago...& the injury had nothing to do with it.

Coming out of preseason last year, expectations around here, including mine, were beginning to pick up steam because he looked like a star in the preseason games. Absolutely none of it stuck once the games began to count. He was given a top line role that he couldn't hold on to, for multiple reasons. Not all of the blame was his, because nobody can fix the BFFs, but KKs play was just as bad as theirs.

I don't want to keep going back & forth, it's clear we simply see things differently & that's fine. As I said earlier, I'll be the first to eat crow if he becomes a legit top 6 RW. I don't see it happening, but as I've tried to make clear, I'm not in the camp to move him simply for the sake of moving on. A hockey trade where he's part of a package for a top 6 winger or a top pair d man or a deal for this kid McGroaty are the types of trades we should be exploring. I'm just not sure it's realistic given his current value around the league.

 

[UAGoalieGuy]

Hypothetically, if thr Rangers were able to trade for McGroaty without giving up Othmann and McGroaty is able to transition to center, that could be one hell of a line in the future.

Perreault-McGroaty-Othmann

All pipedreams at this point

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Stuart Skinner complicating Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin dilemma with Stanley Cup Final run

Do the Rangers need to pay $12 million a year to ensure that Igor Shesterkin remains in New York for the next 5-8 years?

nypost.com

Hate this argument so much, an average goalie won so why would we pay Igor so much money? That's great. Look at the firepower in front of the teams that won had (and lets just pretend Oilers win tomorrow). Yea guess you don't need to have a 10M goalie when you have 2 of the 3 best offensive players in the league playing for you, and possibly the 2nd best offensive player of all time.

And how about the stats of how many teams lose each year because their goaltending let them down?

 

[Boris Zubov]

Stuart Skinner complicating Rangers’ Igor Shesterkin dilemma with Stanley Cup Final run

Do the Rangers need to pay $12 million a year to ensure that Igor Shesterkin remains in New York for the next 5-8 years?

nypost.com

Hate this argument so much, an average goalie won so why would we pay Igor so much money? That's great. Look at the firepower in front of the teams that won had (and lets just pretend Oilers win tomorrow). Yea guess you don't need to have a 10M goalie when you have 2 of the 3 best offensive players in the league playing for you, and possibly the 2nd best offensive player of all time.

And how about the stats of how many teams lose each year because their goaltending let them down?

But it's not just this year. If the Oilers win, 4 of the last 5 Cup winning goalies are...

Jordan Binnington
Darcy Kuemper
Aidan Hill
Stuart Skinner

We all saw first hand how Hank's contract was a bit of an anchor. Hopefully they can find a middle ground with Igor that doesn't hamstring the team.

 

[turcotte8]

Interesting tidbit, since the Vezina trophy starting being an award that was voted on in 1981-82, only 4 times has the Vezina winning goalie won the Cup.

That's 4 in 43 seasons.

Don't need the best goalie just a pretty good one, can't over pay in a the cap era.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Interesting tidbit, since the Vezina trophy starting being an award that was voted on in 1981-82, only 4 times has the Vezina winning goalie won the Cup.

That's 4 in 43 seasons.

Don't need the best goalie just a pretty good one, can't over pay in a the cap era.

What does winning the Vezina that season have anything to do with it? How many teams won with a top goalie would be a better stat. Brodeurs, Roys, Haseks, Fluery etc

 

[GENESISPuck94]

Igor, like Henke before him, is a crutch. The team leans on its crutch.

There's talk about making hard decisions. A hard decision would be removing the crutch, use the money to improve the skaters, and force the skaters to be the best players.

 

[McRanger92]

I never mentioned bailing on him, because his contract & its NMC clause have made that impossible. Even though I'd love to move on, I'm under no illusion that he will be anywhere else but here for the long haul. which is why I said it's important that Drury supplement the team by moving out the dead weight players who can actually be moved.

The front office & the coaching staff need to come to the harsh reality that him & Kreider can no longer be a thing moving forward. This merry go round of trying to find them the perfect RW has run its course & it's holding the team back. The Fox/Lindgren situation also needs to be dealt with as well. Unless that happens, I can't see this group getting over the hump.

Agreed I’d like to see them split 5v5. They can still do good work together on special teams, especially the PK. Rangers need to find another top 6er, not to solve Mika/Kreider, but to finally have a complete top 6

 

[rangers1314]

Duller than Dead and Co ?

This is a hater free zone