Roster Building Thread - Part XII

[bhamill]

Sometimes you really do just go cold while generating the same looks as always. Other times you have Mika Zibanejad just repeatedly handing the other team the puck

True. But either way, if you score at 8%... you're likely gone.
I guess we will see what happens. I don't care what way we win, as long as we win.

 

[IDvsEGO]

I'm really interested to see this structure and puck movement.

It’s the exact same umbrella but Laf on the right circle. As a lefty it’s the best spot for him. It’ll make point passes a bit more difficult, but Trocheck will get more one timers.

 

[McRanger92]

A 40 point season from the 3rd line? You realize that’s a very good year if he’s kept to under 15 minutes a game.
If he’s on that pace I’d push him to the first line and give him 17 minutes and see what happens.
Laf got 57 points on the panarin line with 17 minutes per game.

I dont really care about the amount of points anyone ends up with. Be better 5v5 as a team. The Rangers are too soft as individuals to win 1 on 1 battles consistently enough to be a good 5v5 team. This is clear with their inconsistent forecheck and willingness to give up their blue line.

 

[kovazub94]

They went 10 for 25 right before that.

The powerplay is the only reason we didn't beat Washington in 7 and then lose to Carolina in 5.

You can't just ignore the part where they clicked. Powerplays run hot and cold. People said that exact thing would happen before it happened, because it always happens.

All told, it was 12 for 50. That's 24% which would rank them top 6 in the NHL.

Did you expect them to go over 30% the whole playoffs? We're trying to avoid a natural conclusion. Hell, in 2022, they did go over 30% the whole playoffs with the same personnel. They still got eliminated in the same game.

"The Rangers way". It is a thing but then it requires all parts of special teams and goaltending to be perfect - and they nearly were. Injuries on D and pre-season-like shape of Chytil undermined them which is no worse than whatever undermined other 14 teams that also got to playoffs (or other 6 contenders that made into the 2nd round + Leafs and Golden Knights)

 

[kovazub94]

I’m iffy on smith. I think he’s a player who could slide up and down the lineup without much concern.
I might want to see Laf pushed up, and then smith down with Panarin.

Prior to his stint with Pens he's been very good in multiple places. Not unlike Zibanejad - a bit of a slip was further exaggerated by some bad puck luck. We shall see.

 

[Shesterkybomb]

People are too tied up into David Quinns right handed pp. If the pp sours all you need to do is put Laf in the bumper and instead of forcing a one timer by Mika he can also tap a pass to Laf for a bumper shot, it's pretty simple really. You can also go low to Kreider and he now has two options for shooters.

 

[kovazub94]

It’s the exact same umbrella but Laf on the right circle. As a lefty it’s the best spot for him. It’ll make point passes a bit more difficult, but Trocheck will get more one timers.

What I meant was in the typical set up there's a lot of skating and puck movement between Fox, Panarin and (a bit less) Zibanejad. With Laf in and Panarin out - I'm guessing maybe this movement switches around the left circle and maybe add a bit of Trocheck - Lafreniere's right circle spot becomes exclusively a shooting place.

 

[McRanger92]

People are too tied up into David Quinns right handed pp. If the pp sours all you need to do is put Laf in the bumper and instead of forcing a one timer by Mika he can also tap a pass to Laf for a bumper shot, it's pretty simple really. You can also go low to Kreider and he now has two options for shooters.

The 4 righties set up is only still in existence because its what Panarin wants. We forced his buddy Strome into the bumper years ago and now it can't be changed because reasons. Not like we had the highest draft picks in team history on the roster who couldve used that experience.

 

[Leonardo87]

There’s a silver lining to these injuries. It obviously leaves spots available for the younger players. So it’s an opportunity for them to shine.

Losing Panarin for a period of time, is going to hurt them , more so on the PP, imo.

 

[kovazub94]

... all you need to do is put Laf in the bumper and instead of forcing a one timer by Mika he can also tap a pass to Laf for a bumper shot, it's pretty simple really.

It's not going to work - Zibanejad will have a defender between himself and Lafreniere in the bumper if he wants to sell a decoy shot from the left circle. For Zibanejad to pass to Lafreniere he'd need to be much closer to goal line - something where Panarin or Fox would skate on the right side to set up Trocheck in the bumper.

P.S. This set up has nothing to do with Quinn or Galant for this matter. We have the third coach who's doing the same thing. We have top notch personnel that works the existing structure to as much as possible to perfection.

 

[McRanger92]

There’s a silver lining to these injuries. It obviously leaves spots available for the younger players. So it’s an opportunity for them to shine.

Losing Panarin for a period of time, is going to hurt them , more so on the PP, imo.

The Rangers will be better 5v5 if Panarin is out because it will force them to change the lines.

 

[Leonardo87]

The Rangers will be better 5v5 if Panarin is out because it will force them to change the lines.

That’s why I said more so on the PP. so agree.

 

[McRanger92]

That’s why I said more so on the PP. so agree.

Worse PP removes it as a crutch. We're still going to the playoffs with our feet up if the PP goes from top 5 to 10 or so. Seems like Panarin will probably be fine though.

 

[Shesterkybomb]

It's not going to work - Zibanejad will have a defender between himself and Lafreniere in the bumper if he wants to sell a decoy shot from the left circle. For Zibanejad to pass to Lafreniere he'd need to be much closer to goal line - something where Panarin or Fox would skate on the right side to set up Trocheck in the bumper.

P.S. This set up has nothing to do with Quinn or Galant for this matter. We have the third coach who's doing the same thing. We have top notch personnel that works the existing structure to as much as possible to perfection.

It does have to do with Quinn, it's him that set it up, coach comes in and doesn't change it because the numbers are good until they aren't. If the defender moves between laf and zib then he wires it or walks in with it. The threat of a bumper shot will open lanes that weren't there before.

 

[TominNC]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1841864198835311072

lavi is on this board and reading my posts -confirmed

What did you expect with Panarin out?

i mean adding
Chytil , Jones, edstrom to our lineup is immediately a major upgrade from our regular season opener from last year.
There’s the shrinking hope that Kakko takes a Laf sized jump as well.

Don't let facts get in the way

 

[kovazub94]

It does have to do with Quinn, it's him that set it up, coach comes in and doesn't change it because the numbers are good until they aren't. If the defender moves between laf and zib then he wires it or walks in with it. The threat of a bumper shot will open lanes that weren't there before.

So it has worked for 4 years so let's wait and see until it doesn't.

You're trying to attach Quinn's name here as a negative but it is not working.

 

[eco's bones]

The power play has at least as much to do with how these 5 players have worked things out over the past several years as any coaching they've had. They're all all attuned to each others habits.

Anytime a power play can get to 20% it's doing pretty well---when it gets into the 25% range it's doing fantastic. I don't know why people have a problem with the first unit. Well I get one of the reasons they want Lafreniere's numbers to go up. When you have a 1st overall pick and see what some other 1st overall picks have done it's a letdown if they don't too. But Lafreniere is doing fine and the Rangers in a relatively short period of time have put together a contending team. Team goals should always override individual player goals and if something is working you don't f*** with it. The Caps if they want can throw away a year or two getting Ovie the NHL goals record if they want but if I were a Caps fan and chasing after that was a distraction to everything else I would not be happy. So I'm not for forcing Lafreniere onto the first unit as long as that unit is clicking. If he gets second unit time then he and the guys on that unit got to figure it out.

 

[TominNC]

The 4 righties set up is only still in existence because its what Panarin wants. We forced his buddy Strome into the bumper years ago and now it can't be changed because reasons. Not like we had the highest draft picks in team history on the roster who couldve used that experience.

Panarin forced us to have a top 5 PP. He's such a bad man. Do you even hear yourself?

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

The team has proven it can’t get it done when it matters , so let’s change absolutely nothing and hope for the best. With the core all a year older.


Better hope Panarin puts up another god like season and we win every single 1 goal game and overtime again.

 

[zlev]

Worse PP removes it as a crutch. We're still going to the playoffs with our feet up if the PP goes from top 5 to 10 or so. Seems like Panarin will probably be fine though.

removes it as a crutch? so you think the team doesn't try at 5v5 because they know they have a good PP? that's ridiculous. the team is bad at 5v5 because it's bad at 5v5. Panarin is the furthest thing from the problem. the personnel on defense is the problem, as some of us have been saying for years. the front office actually did want to change it up but our captain refused to be traded. there was nothing they could really do after that.

 

[RangerBoy]

I know I’m in the minority, but I’d move Panarin off this team in a heartbeat and replace him with Othmann. Panarin tends to disappear in the playoffs when the game tightens up. With no time and space, it’s like the ice swallows him up—you’d practically need to call the cops to track him down.

 

[Shesterkybomb]

So it has worked for 4 years so let's wait and see until it doesn't.

You're trying to attach Quinn's name here as a negative but it is not working.

Not at all, I dont have any negative issues with Quinn, not trying to make it about him at all it's just what it is, he went with mostly righties and it hasn't changed since, it doesn't mean adding a lefty won't work, it's the same as the kreider and zib thing, those two have played together no matter who the coach is, doesn't mean it's right or wouldn't work any other way. Last playoffs we needed a new look, teams scouted our pp and were ready for what we were about to do, keeping on doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result is the definition of insanity. Why not throw a different look at them?

 

[The Crypto Guy]

I know I’m in the minority, but I’d move Panarin off this team in a heartbeat and replace him with Othmann. Panarin tends to disappear in the playoffs when the game tightens up. With no time and space, it’s like the ice swallows him up—you’d practically need to call the cops to track him down.

Sounds like most of the top 6 in the playoffs.

 

[McRanger92]

The team has proven it can’t get it done when it matters , so let’s change absolutely nothing and hope for the best. With the core all a year older.


Better hope Panarin puts up another god like season and we win every single 1 goal game and overtime again.

Sick pups on this board defending the status quo. Took me a bit to come around but how much more evidence do people need that current gameplan is crap?

 

[nsvoyageurs]

I know I’m in the minority, but I’d move Panarin off this team in a heartbeat and replace him with Othmann. Panarin tends to disappear in the playoffs when the game tightens up. With no time and space, it’s like the ice swallows him up—you’d practically need to call the cops to track him down.

I'd move Panarin too, but there is NO way that happens, especially with his NMC. He's too comfortable and the team lets him be. He's more of a complementary player on a contending rather than a no. 1 go to guy on a team trying to win now. You need grit and feistiness in the playoffs, and that's just not who he is. Has the skill, but when the going gets rough/tough in the playoffs, he's ineffective/useless.

You wouldn't get a 120 point player back, but you'd be better able to put a roster together that is more compatible to winning in the playoffs, a Stanley Cup. I'm not just there is that type of deal available right now that Panarin would be willing to sign off on.