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

[Roo Returns]

Realistically, what do you hope for to change?

Well, you hope Reilly Smith delivers more of an impact than Wennberg and Roslovic did, which is pretty doable to start.

You hope Chytil rebounds and is back to his skilled productive self, that would be a pretty decent sized boon.

You hope Fox stays healthy through the playoffs - like, he was still great, but he clearly was not his full self (I believe the final reports were strained MCL but the guy was in a mechanical knee brace for months before and through the postseason).

Finally, you'd hope that K'andre rebounds as well and is the more productive defenseman that we know he can be. It felt like his progression regressed last year. He has the most realistic chance of growing to make a noticeable impact difference.

Laf should continue to grow into a very good to great player. Schneider you'd like to just stay solid. Kakko I've given up on and don't care, just play defense I guess. You'd like to see more offensive production out of Cuylle, as it seemed like he became a hit machine and defense first guy that kind of lost his place as the playoffs went on (but how much is expected out of him really), and you hope Rempe can develop his skating and awareness well enough to be relied on closer to 9-10 minutes a game so that we aren't playing every 3rd period with 11 forwards.

Is that enough of a difference to get us over the hump that was this last ECF? Maybe? Odds are probably not? That's okay. We certainly have the ammo to have a significantly more impactful deadline as another note.

Longshot impact changes (impact as in actually makes a stark difference come playoffs, not just a "oh that's nice" but also I am not counting on or even wasting much hopefulness on any of these realistically happening) - Othmann or Berard comes in and is a useful productive offensive player, Trouba finds his legs away after injury recovery, Zib rolls the clock back a couple years, Kakko pulls his head out of his ass

LGR

I'd like to see Jones finally be a regular and both Edstrom and Rempe get serious looks/PK time.

I'd also like to see one kid work their way up whether it's an Othmann/Berard or someone else. I'm rooting hard for Mancini to show the 17 game sample size was only the beginning of what he's capable of.

Quick was great but they really need to find out what they have in Garand this year.

 

[TominNC]

Rempe PK time? You must be joking

 

[Roo Returns]

Rempe PK time? You must be joking

Rempe HIMSELF has talked about it in interviews since breakup day.

If his skating has improved, he can get a look in scrimmages and preseason, and they can evaluate how he's progressed.

As a bottom six player in the NHL being a PKer means more ice time.

This isn't some fantasy I just pulled out of nowhere.

 

[haohmaru]

Rempe HIMSELF has talked about it in interviews since breakup day.

If his skating has improved, he can get a look in scrimmages and preseason, and they can evaluate how he's progressed.

As a bottom six player in the NHL being a PKer means more ice time.

This isn't some fantasy I just pulled out of nowhere.

Rempe PK'ing for Laviolette this season is exactly that: fantasy

Reilly Smith is a PK'er. As is Carrick.

Who are you pulling off the PK to put Rempe in?

 

[Oscar Lindberg]

Rempe not even making the team outta camp and some of ya’ll got him getting more ice time and PK’ing

I’m dead lmao

 

[RangersFan1994]

Cuylle and Lafy should get PK time. I’d love to see Cuylle get PP2 time at some point. Lafy should get more PP 1 time. Schneider better replace Trouba on the PP 2.

 

[Raspewtin]

Cuylle and Lafy should get PK time. I’d love to see Cuylle get PP2 time at some point. Lafy should get more PP 1 time. Schneider better replace Trouba on the PP 2.

none of these things should happen.

 

[haohmaru]

If anyone should get a shot on the PK it's Kakko

 

[TominNC]

Rempe HIMSELF has talked about it in interviews since breakup day.

If his skating has improved, he can get a look in scrimmages and preseason, and they can evaluate how he's progressed.

As a bottom six player in the NHL being a PKer means more ice time.

This isn't some fantasy I just pulled out of nowhere.

Rempe needs a lot of improvement to even get a look

 

[IDvsEGO]

Rempe HIMSELF has talked about it in interviews since breakup day.

If his skating has improved, he can get a look in scrimmages and preseason, and they can evaluate how he's progressed.

As a bottom six player in the NHL being a PKer means more ice time.

This isn't some fantasy I just pulled out of nowhere.

His skating wasnt his only issue. If he wants to be anything more than the enforcer type he is so far he has to develop
1. improve stick handling
2. develop a legit shot
3. gain more control over his skating.

 

[SA16]

How can Rempe be on the PK unit when he is the one responsible for so many penalties in the first place?

 

[haohmaru]

How can Rempe be on the PK unit when he is the one responsible for so many penalties in the first place?

PK’ing from the penalty box. It’s something new the Rangers are trying this season.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

The sooner the team realizes that players of the Othmann type are the ones that win championships, scoring touch along with strength and physical play the quicker they will win, and I'm not talking about bottom line players, I mean the guys in your top 6 or 9. It's not surprising that a guy like Trochek was our most consistent forward this playoff, physical, chippy, skilled. It's not rocket science, teams that have that in their top 9 are the ones that win. You can shuffle in Reaves types or whatever in the fourth line for "toughness " but they are never on the ice when it counts. Zibanejad isn't that type, Kreider for all his physical gifts isn't that guy, Panarin is all world skill but too slight to take on the Barkovs of the world. Grit wins cups, it always has. Imo Othmann needs to be given some time this year, lots of it, he's the type of young player we need. He's as close to our next Jt.miller as we may get.

We had posters wanting him traded over the last year lmao.

 

[Clark Kellogg]

Rempe was on PK2 in Hartford.
Rempe’s reach is an advantage on a PK.
Never seen so much hate for a 21 year old who has played two years of professional hockey and managed to get in 17 RSG and 11 playoff games. Not bad for a 6th round pick.
Matt Rempe is a New York Ranger.
I would like to believe if you identify as a Rangers fan that you would be over the moon that a 21 year old, 6th round pick would have played in 28 NHL games.

 

[TominNC]

Rempe was on PK2 in Hartford.
Rempe’s reach is an advantage on a PK.
Never seen so much hate for a 21 year old who has played two years of professional hockey and managed to get in 17 RSG and 11 playoff games. Not bad for a 6th round pick.
Matt Rempe is a New York Ranger.
I would like to believe if you identify as a Rangers fan that you would be over the moon that a 21 year old, 6th round pick would have played in 28 NHL games.

I would rather a better player. We know why he was there. The all important “tuffness”. Making believe he can play regular NHL minutes doesn’t help the team.

 

[GAGLine]

I would rather a better player. We know why he was there. The all important “tuffness”. Making believe he can play regular NHL minutes doesn’t help the team.

The question is whether or not he can develop into a player that is not only tough but is an asset outside of fighting/intimidation. I'm not saying he's ever going to be a significant scoring threat, but as a 4th liner, we don't need him to be. Can he defend? Can he forecheck and wear down the opposing defense? I think we've seen enough of him to say that those are things within his reach.

If he doesn't work out, so be it, but it's worth it to make the effort.

 

[RempireStateBuilding]

Rempe needs a lot of improvement to even get a look

He might need to work on becoming a regular in the lineup, but he's already gotten about 2 dozen "looks" with the team. In the playoffs, no less.

 

[TominNC]

The question is whether or not he can develop into a player that is not only tough but is an asset outside of fighting/intimidation. I'm not saying he's ever going to be a significant scoring threat, but as a 4th liner, we don't need him to be. Can he defend? Can he forecheck and wear down the opposing defense? I think we've seen enough of him to say that those are things within his reach.

If he doesn't work out, so be it, but it's worth it to make the effort.

All that is true. But making the jump to "I want to see him get PK time" is where I began questioning the other poster.

He might need to work on becoming a regular in the lineup, but he's already gotten about 2 dozen "looks" with the team. In the playoffs, no less.

5 minutes a shot. Several of them to have a staged fight and go away for the rest of the game.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

If anyone should get a shot on the PK it's Kakko

He was on the PK 2 years ago and played very well. Peter never used him on it though.

 

[Clark Kellogg]

I would rather a better player. We know why he was there. The all important “tuffness”. Making believe he can play regular NHL minutes doesn’t help the team.

I can’t answer if he was only brought up because of tuffness. I don’t know the answer. Only Drury and Laviolette can answer that but I would like you to consider that he was being touted by Jeff Beukeboom as a legitimate candidate before the season started.
I can tell you that former players Messier, Gretzky, Ruff, Boyle, etc… all have started that he should be in the lineup.
I can also tell you from what I have seen in watching every professional game he has ever played that he is more than just an enforcer.
In Hartford he was Centering the 4th line with fill in players because of roster issues and still put up some numbers with those limited minutes.
I can also state he has above average hockey sense. In Hartford he would always go to were the puck was going, not to where it was and as far as puck management goes he would always be on the defensive side of the puck, 9 to 12 feet back when two players were battling for the puck in the offensive zone and Rempe was always at the angle from that battle to protect the puck from breaking out and leading to an odd man rush against.
I can tell you that in Hartford he played on PK2.
As we have all witnessed he never shies away from the front of the net.
He was a storyline this past season and that was to his detriment. Everyone wanted to give him advice, some with his best interest in mind and sadly some so they could claim they had a piece in his development.
Let’s see how the organization handles this.
I want as you, and hopefully all true Ranger fans to have our prospects succeed.

 

[GAGLine]

He was on the PK 2 years ago and played very well. Peter never used him on it though.

In 2022-23, Kakko had just under 36 minutes on the PK over 82 games, for an average of 26 seconds per game.

In his limited PK time, he gave up 4 goals, which was more or less on par with what other players did. I'd say his contributions on the PK were negligible.

I've been an advocate for putting him on the PK to get him more involved, but he absolutely hasn't been used in that role in any meaningful capacity.

 

[Roo Returns]

Rempe needs a lot of improvement to even get a look

Preseason.

His skating wasnt his only issue. If he wants to be anything more than the enforcer type he is so far he has to develop
1. improve stick handling
2. develop a legit shot
3. gain more control over his skating.

He's going to have his chance in about five weeks to show what he's worked on. Apparently he did not go back to Calgary and just let the social media fame go to his head. I was very worried about that. He's in Connecticut now working with Kreider and that camp.

 

[Roo Returns]

Rempe PK'ing for Laviolette this season is exactly that: fantasy

Reilly Smith is a PK'er. As is Carrick.

Who are you pulling off the PK to put Rempe in?

Him and Edstrom are both getting slowly worked in and taking time away from Trochek, Vesey, Zibanejad, and Kreider is an ideal situation. A defensive zone faceoff is a different story, but on active PKs in the neutral or offensive zone, as the third until or while the clock is active, they absolutely can start to be worked in.

It'll help keep the main guys fresh especially later in the season.

 

[Roo Returns]

Rempe not even making the team outta camp and some of ya’ll got him getting more ice time and PK’ing

I’m dead lmao

You think he's not making the team out of camp?

 

[Profet]

If anyone should get a shot on the PK it's Kakko

Cheaper to just put a traffic cone at the top of the circle.

He was on the PK 2 years ago and played very well. Peter never used him on it though.

He frequently got caught chasing. Honestly, he's pretty good at applying pressure when he gets close enough to do so, but he is seldom fast enough to close the gap. Then he gets caught chasing.