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

[Shadowtron]

Disagree.

What we're seeing is the byproduct of terrible scouting and bad luck.

Terrible amateur scouting:
- Andersson
- Kravtsov

Terrible professional scouting:
- Blais
- Hajek
- Howden
- Namestnikov

Terrible luck:
- Kakko

Agreed. Bad drafting and/or bad luck at the draft can and will set your team back for a decade. Couple that with misfire after misfire at the trade board and this team is going another 54 years without a cup.

 

[PuckLuck3043]

Crouse has been a full time NHLer for a bit.

But you're completely overlooking their long term success with professional scouting.

That Tkachuk trade was amazing as well as others. Their professional scouts seem to have a good grasp of when to acquire players, and when to move on from them.

Bennett, Reinhart, Tkachuk.

Home run trades.

When was the last time our pro scouts hit a homerun?

Strome for Spooner (who they acquired for Rick Nash... which was a fail)?

And it took them 30 years to win their 1st Stanley cup. Meanwhile the Rangers have been to 5 ECF's in 12 years including 1 SCF and apparently they have had no success according to some.

 

[PuckLuck3043]

Disagree.

What we're seeing is the byproduct of terrible scouting and bad luck.

Terrible amateur scouting:
- Andersson
- Kravtsov

Terrible professional scouting:
- Blais
- Hajek
- Howden
- Namestnikov

Terrible luck:
- Kakko

What we're seeing? What does this even mean? They are coming off a 114 point season and a ECF appearance. A season in which they missed Kakko for 2 months, Fox for a month( and then played on 1 leg in the playoffs), Chytil for 70 games. They played the corpses of Bonino, Wheeler, and Pitlick for over half a season, had Goodrow get half his jaw knocked out and scored only 4 goals. This years team will actually be better and deeper than last years. I don't understand this "woe is me" narrative.

 

[LOFIN]

And it took them 30 years to win their 1st Stanley cup. Meanwhile the Rangers have been to 5 ECF's in 12 years including 1 SCF and apparently they have had no success according to some.

Both the Rangers and the Panthers have 1 cup in the last 30 years, and that's really all that matters.

 

[PuckLuck3043]

Both the Rangers and the Panthers have 1 cup in the last 30 years, and that's really all that matters.

In your opinion.

 

[Wtp99]

In your opinion.

I understand your point. I enjoy seeing and hoping for the holy grail, but the panthers 1 cup in 30 years and my beloved Rangers 1 cup in 84 years so I am in both camps here

 

[PuckLuck3043]

How are the Rangers taking the next step? These players are locked into these contracts. The Rangers are trying to work around them. How does a team work around their two highest forwards shying away from the dirty areas in the playoffs? It's not reality. The Rangers are in a tough spot with the roster. The media is talking about the trading deadline in March. The trading deadline???? The Rangers were supposed to have been all in at the last trade deadline. The Rangers were supposed to have been all in this summer. Did anything happen? No. Drury has run out of assets. Trading picks for rentals in not sustainable. He doesn't have much to trade. Kakko is a distressed asset. Drury has no cap room to make any changes. He has to save cap space for next summer. The trade deadline in March 2025. Save us. Which broken down and overpriced rentals are the Rangers acquiring? Bullshit. Nonsense. Build the team in the summer. Tweak at the deadline.

Drury has not run out of assets. He hasn't traded a single prospect except for Morgan Barron since he has been GM, so he has assets to trade if/when needed whether it be for picks or players. He just hasn't pulled the trigger yet. The cap situation isn't as bad long term as you make it seem. Trouba is gone next off season at the very latest. Panarin has 2 years left. The cap is going up, maybe even significantly. The only contract that is a long term concern is probably Mika. The Rangers are just 1 of 32 teams with some difficult decisions to make when it comes to the cap. The next one is Shesterkin.

 

[PuckLuck3043]

I understand your point. I enjoy seeing and hoping for the holy grail, but the panthers 1 cup in 30 years and my beloved Rangers 1 cup in 84 years so I am in both camps here

I disagree with the win the cup or you suck narrative. It's reached idiotic levels on this board. It's hard to win the cup and to even have a legit shot at it. I would rather have a shot at winning and being in the final 4 than a bottom feeder making off season plans in January.

 

[TGWL]

Drury has not run out of assets. He hasn't traded a single prospect except for Morgan Barron since he has been GM, so he has assets to trade if/when needed whether it be for picks or players. He just hasn't pulled the trigger yet. The cap situation isn't as bad long term as you make it seem. Trouba is gone next off season at the very latest. Panarin has 2 years left. The cap is going up, maybe even significantly. The only contract that is a long term concern is probably Mika. The Rangers are just 1 of 32 teams with some difficult decisions to make when it comes to the cap. The next one is Shesterkin.

We don't have a lot of prospects worth a ton. So if you're looking for 2nd -4th round picks depending on who you trade, sure. The other issue is after half the top 6 goes, gets traded, or stays on the team being useless, we don't have a lot of star power within our organization/ current roster. The 2025 UFA list isn't that great unless you're landing a bish fish and willing to spend to the moon for the top 3. The 2026 UFA lis is going to be much the same. Spend a ton for the top 3 30 year olds or get some top 6 question marks/middle 6 players. Some of these prospects can recoup some deadline picks for us while we try and go for it, but that's about it, unless we're trading a bigger prospect name we have. It's tough because you want to add while you still have players putting up 75+ points. We don't have a ton of assets left to subtract those players and fill them with better playoff performers, while still maintaining high production during the season.

If you're subtracting Panarin, you need at least a point per game player.

 

[PuckLuck3043]

We don't have a lot of prospects worth a ton. So if you're looking for 2nd -4th round picks depending on who you trade, sure. The other issue is after half the top 6 goes, gets traded, or stays on the team being useless, we don't have a lot of star power within our organization/ current roster. The 2025 UFA list isn't that great unless you're landing a bish fish and willing to spend to the moon for the top 3. The 2026 UFA lis is going to be much the same. Spend a ton for the top 3 30 year olds or get some top 6 question marks/middle 6 players. Some of these prospects can recoup some deadline picks for us while we try and go for it, but that's about it, unless we're trading a bigger prospect name we have. It's tough because you want to add while you still have players putting up 75+ points. We don't have a ton of assets left to subtract those players and fill them with better playoff performers, while still maintaining high production during the season.

If you're subtracting Panarin, you need at least a point per game player.

This prospect pool is better than most people think. Some will make the team and some will be used to replenish those 2nd, 3rd, 4th rounders that people are crying Drury has traded. 4 of the top 6 guys are likely here for 3+ years IMO. Mika, Kreider, Trocheck, Laf all not going anywhere. Panarin may be gone in 2 years. Then they have 11.6 million more to work with and Perreault ready for the big club. I'm really not worried about this team remaining very competitive moving forward.

 

[TGWL]

This prospect pool is better than most people think. Some will make the team and some will be used to replenish those 2nd, 3rd, 4th rounders that people are crying Drury has traded. 4 of the top 6 guys are likely here for 3+ years IMO. Mika, Kreider, Trocheck, Laf all not going anywhere. Panarin may be gone in 2 years. Then they have 11.6 million more to work with and Perreault ready for the big club. I'm really not worried about this team remaining very competitive moving forward.

We're already talking about Zibanejad looking meh. After 2 years, what do you think we'll be saying? Kreider is going to be turning 36 for that season when Panarin is gone. Sure some prospects will make the team, but very few are looking to be legit top 6 players. Maybe you hope Kakko turns into a light version of Mikko Rantanen and Trocheck maintains his play going into the 3rd season from now, but a lot of these players are getting old and a lot of our prospects don't scream replacement for them. As the cap increases so do the contracts. That money is going to have to be used for a big fish signing because right now we don't have a replacement.

 

[PuckLuck3043]

We're already talking about Zibanejad looking meh. After 2 years, what do you think we'll be saying? Kreider is going to be turning 36 for that season when Panarin is gone. Sure some prospects will make the team, but very few are looking to be legit top 6 players. Maybe you hope Kakko turns into a light version of Mikko Rantanen and Trocheck maintains his play going into the 3rd season from now, but a lot of these players are getting old and a lot of our prospects don't scream replacement for them. As the cap increases so do the contracts. That money is going to have to be used for a big fish signing because right now we don't have a replacement.

Mika is a concern. You and I don't know exactly how it is going to play out. It's impossible to know. I believe that Perreault and at least 1 of Berard or Othmann will be in the top 6 eventually. If Panarin is gone in 2 years thats 11 million that will still go a long way towards helping the team regardless of what the cap is at the time. Maybe Kakko turns his game around like you said. A healthy Chytil helps tremendously. Maybe some of Sykora, Edstrom, Rempe, Cuylle, BMB, Laba give them a deep bottom 6. Mancini, Fortescue, Emery added to Fox, Miller, Schneider, Jones in a few year. Lots of possibilities. Again, not concerned at all.

 

[Shesterkybomb]

I'm of the opinion that we should be signing free agents and that we shouldn't be trading picks or prospects but that's just me. I guess you can move on from guys you don't have use for but in order to build a long term cup contender you need picks and prospects to keep replenishing the roster with cheap players. How great would it be if Othmann and Berard were our "deadline" deals and we just plopped them into the roster instead of chucking picks and prospects into the trash. I realize we're in a bit of a bind with our D, but that's mostly due to Trouba not leaving, had he left we'd likely have gotten a dman in free agency.

 

[PuckLuck3043]

I'm of the opinion that we should be signing free agents and that we shouldn't be trading picks or prospects but that's just me. I guess you can move on from guys you don't have use for but in order to build a long term cup contender you need picks and prospects to keep replenishing the roster with cheap players. How great would it be if Othmann and Berard were our "deadline" deals and we just plopped them into the roster instead of chucking picks and prospects into the trash. I realize we're in a bit of a bind with our D, but that's mostly due to Trouba not leaving, had he left we'd likely have gotten a dman in free agency.

I'm all for signing a FA if it makes sense but they often come with high price tags. Both Panarin and Trocheck were bangers though and I don't care what the haters say about Panarin. There is no 1 way to build a contender. FA signings, drafting, and trades are all ways to get it done.

 

[Luger]

Ever since I’ve been posting here for 15 years posters have obsessed over the “correct model” to win a championship like it’s a strongest hot glue spaghetti bridge competition.

Don’t pay for a goalie
Draft top 3 at least twice
Home grown 1C

It isn’t that reductive. It never has been. The better a team you have the better the odds of winning a Stanley cup. There’s no formula.

Everyone likes to give their best ex post facto rationalization for why we don’t win a given cup any given postseason. It’s unfalsifiable and pretentious.

In a cap era, I really think you need to draft 3 All Stars who are on their ELC or the bridge to win the Cup. Trying to win with UFAs leading the way doesn't work because there's not enough cap space to go around. It's not a magic formula for specific positions, but there's a need for lower paid top-shelf players.

You don't necessarily need a bunch of top-3 picks, but the the more picks and the higher they are, the better the odds of hitting the lottery. You can always get Lundqvist in the 7th round of the same draft where DiPietro is 1OA, but the day of the draft, I'll take my odds with a 1OA over a 7th round draft pick.

 

[RangersFan1994]

I'm of the opinion that we should be signing free agents and that we shouldn't be trading picks or prospects but that's just me. I guess you can move on from guys you don't have use for but in order to build a long term cup contender you need picks and prospects to keep replenishing the roster with cheap players. How great would it be if Othmann and Berard were our "deadline" deals and we just plopped them into the roster instead of chucking picks and prospects into the trash. I realize we're in a bit of a bind with our D, but that's mostly due to Trouba not leaving, had he left we'd likely have gotten a dman in free agency.

I hope Othmann and Berard make it. I think they should have been the trade deadline call up for depth this past season. It’s not like these rentals have really helped much. Another issue is depth on defense. Rangers don’t have much defense in Hartford that is young, that is a big issue. Do the Rangers need to keep relying on Harpur and Mackey AHL players when injuries happen. They don’t have another Schneider type meaning type as in young and close to NHL ready in Hartford, Let’s hope Mancini can be that diamond in the rough that they need in the future. He seems to progress nicely so far, based on his little AHL experience towards the end of last season and the playoffs. Maybe he surprises and gets a few games this season. Rangers should have signed some UDFA or defensive prospects that other teams did not sign to ELC for more depth instead of guys to AHL contracts on d for depth for Hartford. Organization defensive depth is a huge issue but Rangers seem to ignore that for some reason. Drafting a dman who is in college or juniors is nice for the future but as of now, not much defensive prospects that are playing pro hockey. Rangers could trade a forward pro prospect for a defensive pro prospect.

 

[eco's bones]

The one really big contract of younger players right now is Fox. Igor and Lafreniere whatever they get will start next year and Miller will do really well. And that's a thing because even if all of Panarin, Kreider, Mika, Trouba etc. age/term out and have no identifiable replacements within the organization who can step into their spots when those happenings occur the Rangers will spend to the cap and if they have the space they will fill at least some of those spots through free agency. It also works out that usually some players within your own development system are going to step into positions that might have been thought of as above their ceiling before. That was the case when the group of Staal, Girardi, Callahan and Dubinsky came to the fore and only Staal at the time would have been thought of as possibility to do that. We can question then whether say Dubinsky and Callahan were really glorified 3rd liners but some of their teams did make noise in the playoffs even if they fell short. If Mika were to go right now it would leave a hole but I don't think that would necessarily cause collapse and the same definitely could be said for Trouba. At this point the money saved from his contract could be much better spent.

 

[Vitto79]

If Lindgren gets what Moser got at 3.8 then Schneider 2.5 then pretty much no cap space left

Are they going to PTO a vet D?

I hope Othmann and Berard make it. I think they should have been the trade deadline call up for depth this past season. It’s not like these rentals have really helped much. Another issue is depth on defense. Rangers don’t have much defense in Hartford that is young, that is a big issue. Do the Rangers need to keep relying on Harpur and Mackey AHL players when injuries happen. They don’t have another Schneider type meaning type as in young and close to NHL ready in Hartford, Let’s hope Mancini can be that diamond in the rough that they need in the future. He seems to progress nicely so far, based on his little AHL experience towards the end of last season and the playoffs. Maybe he surprises and gets a few games this season. Rangers should have signed some UDFA or defensive prospects that other teams did not sign to ELC for more depth instead of guys to AHL contracts on d for depth for Hartford. Organization defensive depth is a huge issue but Rangers seem to ignore that for some reason. Drafting a dman who is in college or juniors is nice for the future but as of now, not much defensive prospects that are playing pro hockey. Rangers could trade a forward pro prospect for a defensive pro prospect.

I do foresee one of Othmaan and Berard making it . Rempe and Edstrom will battle it out with them

Adding another rookie like Cuylee isn’t a bad idea

Ageed on D Atleast sign a cheap Reuwedahl back

 

[RangerBoy]

McGroarty sounds like a problem





Mesar sounds like a problem too. The 2025 pick is a 1st round pick from the Monahan trade in 2022.



The Rangers aren't only team which has issues with their young players. They have no patience. They don't like the AHL. They want a full-time NHL job from day one.

 

[McRanger92]

McGroarty sounds like a problem





Mesar sounds like a problem too. The 2025 pick is a 1st round pick from the Monahan trade in 2022.



The Rangers aren't only team which has issues with their young players. They have no patience. They don't like the AHL. They want a full-time NHL job from day one.

Mesar another Bobrov masterclass it appears

 

[kovazub94]

I'm all for signing a FA if it makes sense but they often come with high price tags. Both Panarin and Trocheck were bangers though and I don't care what the haters say about Panarin. There is no 1 way to build a contender. FA signings, drafting, and trades are all ways to get it done.

And just wanted to add that doom and gloom wasted picks concern is just par for the course when a team enters and stays in the contenders window of a team’s cycle. Take a look at any contender and you’ll see the same pick dealing approach. The only one I can think about as truly wasteful was Kane trade but it’s pretty reasonable to assume that it was imposed on Drury by Dolan. And also it’s impossible to find a FO anywhere that would be “shooting” with 100% accuracy on all trades and dealings. In that regard Drury looks pretty comparable to the old Gorton / Davidson regime, for example.

 

[Profet]

What we're seeing? What does this even mean? They are coming off a 114 point season and a ECF appearance. A season in which they missed Kakko for 2 months, Fox for a month( and then played on 1 leg in the playoffs), Chytil for 70 games. They played the corpses of Bonino, Wheeler, and Pitlick for over half a season, had Goodrow get half his jaw knocked out and scored only 4 goals. This years team will actually be better and deeper than last years. I don't understand this "woe is me" narrative.

Great... I'd like to see a cup win. Every other team improved. Rangers are running it back with a worse team.

That's what it means.

You say they will be "better and deeper" but that's some hopes and prayers stuff right there.

They have less depth, and the already aging core is another year older.

Not really sure how you can really argue that they are deeper.

They basically swapped Roslovic for Smith and Gus for Jones.

The defense outside of Fox is somewhere between hohum and bad. They did nothing to address this.
Their center depth is relying Chytil to stay healthy. Something that he isn't known for.

I'm all for optimism. But let's keep it grounded in reality.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

McGroarty sounds like a problem





Mesar sounds like a problem too. The 2025 pick is a 1st round pick from the Monahan trade in 2022.



The Rangers aren't only team which has issues with their young players. They have no patience. They don't like the AHL. They want a full-time NHL job from day one.

I feel like that's such BS reporting. The kid demanding PP time before he signs with someone? That just sounds like such bull. Winnipeg media just trying to trash the kid because he doesn't want to play there.

 

[Bacon Artemi Bravo]

McGroarty sounds like a problem





Mesar sounds like a problem too. The 2025 pick is a 1st round pick from the Monahan trade in 2022.



The Rangers aren't only team which has issues with their young players. They have no patience. They don't like the AHL. They want a full-time NHL job from day one.

Hard pass. There are some flaws you simply can’t help a kid overcome. Being an entitled dick is one of them.

 

[Profet]

Hard pass. There are some flaws you simply can’t help a kid overcome. Being an entitled dick is one of them.

Sure... but there are some flaws that you can help a kid overcome... like being stuck in Canadian Siberia.