Speculation: Roster Building Thread - Part XIII (Nanaki edition)

[NYR Viper]

I just want to see how much better we could be with 2 defensive upgrades. Upgrade Lindgren and Trouba.

Still can't believe we weren't in on Chychrun. A bottom6 player and a 3rd rounder..... We gave up a 2nd and a 5th for Reilly freaking Smith....

What the Capitals did.... Signing Roy and trading for Chychrun.... is what we should have been looking to do.

I still think Roy was Drury’s main target if he had been able to trade Trouba

 

[bernmeister]

Cuylle always had offense to his game though. Adam never has really had much offense to his game, at any level.

So, we should pigeon-hole the guy and not give him any opportunity for advancement?

 

[LokiDog]

I did this in the morning, just being dumb but I ended up being more proud of it than I should be (sue me, I'm immature and now it's stuck in my head) and wanted it to live on in the roster building thread. Inspired by The Kids Are Ok PGT, to the tune of The Kids Aren't Alright by The Offspring.

When they were young, our future was so bright
Woah-oh
All of HFboards was so alive
Woah-oh
And every kid on the whole damn team
Woah-oh
Was gonna make it big and not be beat

Now the Rangers’ boards are so forlorn
Woah-oh
The kids are grown up, but they play so boring
Woah-oh
How can one hockey team ruin so many guys?

Chances blown
One on three
Longing for, better D
It’s so sad, sad to see
Fragile minds
Gutless team

Kakko had a chance, well, he really did
Woah-oh
Instead he’s too slow and his shot is mid
Woah-oh
Mika don’t eat meat and he hates his job
Woah-oh
Just wants to DJ and smoke a lot of pot
And Foxy looks like he never tries
Woah-oh
Lindy straight up broke down and died
Woah-oh
What the hell is going on?
Country club mentality

Chances blown
One on three
Longing for, better D
It’s so sad, sad to see
Fragile minds
Gutless team

 

[n8]

So, we should pigeon-hole the guy and not give him any opportunity for advancement?

As long as he's earning it. I think the coach has been giving him more ice time. The numbers show it too:
October ATOI 8:52 vs November ATOI at 9:41.
Oct Maxima at 10:48 min vs Nov Maxima at 12:28 min.

Can Adam be a top 6 player? Definetly 3rd line

Dangerous shove. Don't condone that. Skate the body into the boards. Don't shove a guy into a position they can't protect themselves.

 

[Do you want ants]

I just want to see how much better we could be with 2 defensive upgrades. Upgrade Lindgren and Trouba.

Still can't believe we weren't in on Chychrun. A bottom6 player and a 3rd rounder..... We gave up a 2nd and a 5th for Reilly freaking Smith....

What the Capitals did.... Signing Roy and trading for Chychrun.... is what we should have been looking to do.

I’ll see if I can find it but I think it was an Athletic article saying he didn’t want to be traded to us.

 

[effen]

I just want to see how much better we could be with 2 defensive upgrades. Upgrade Lindgren and Trouba.

Still can't believe we weren't in on Chychrun. A bottom6 player and a 3rd rounder..... We gave up a 2nd and a 5th for Reilly freaking Smith....

What the Capitals did.... Signing Roy and trading for Chychrun.... is what we should have been looking to do.

I'm pretty sure Staios had Jensen earmarked for whatever reason because yes, you could get "more" for Chychrun.

For what it's worth, he wasn't wrong, Jensen's been really good while Chychrun got hurt yet again.

I still think Roy was Drury’s main target if he had been able to trade Trouba

It was Roy or Walker.

 

[RangerBoy]

How would have trading Trouba and then signing either Roy or Walker made the Rangers a better team? Trouba is not very good. Roy is 29 and the Capitals gave him six years at $5.75M. Brooks wrote the Rangers were willing to retain $2M. This is rearranging the chairs on the Titanic. Walker is 30 and he received a 5 year contract. In two years, the Rangers would be looking to shed Roy or Walker. it's the same vicious cycle.

 

[zlev]

How would have trading Trouba and then signing either Roy or Walker made the Rangers a better team? Trouba is not very good. Roy is 29 and the Capitals gave him six years at $5.75M. Brooks wrote the Rangers were willing to retain $2M. This is rearranging the chairs on the Titanic. Walker is 30 and he received a 5 year contract. In two years, the Rangers would be looking to shed Roy or Walker. it's the same vicious cycle.

because Roy is much better than Trouba and Walker is even better with an even lower cap hit. next question?

 

[mxyxptlk]

I’ll see if I can find it but I think it was an Athletic article saying he didn’t want to be traded to us.

I remember seeing that at the time.

 

[UAGoalieGuy]

Anyone have some from a valid source about the issue between Pettersson and Miller? Pettersson has definitely played better with Miller not with the team. 10pts in the last 6 games.

 

[I Eat Crow]

The Q rumors are very interesting to me. Smells like another leak to me to tell Laviolette that he's on thin ice.

I just don't get it. Whoever would take Laviolette's place would be, what, the 5th coach in 7 years for this core of players?

Hint: the problem isn't the coach. Toe Blake nor Scotty Bowman would win a Cup with this core of players.

Heavy furniture is going to be moved this summer. That said, if the idea is to clean house in the front office again and to usher in a new era and give the keys to Lafreniere, Fox, Perreault, Kakko, Schneider, Jones, etc, then go all out.

Bench Zibanejad and play him on the 4th line until he agreed to a trade to Vancouver. Guy has nerve complaining about his ice time when he's been playing like ass since January.

Sell Kreider to the highest bidder that he'll accept a trade to.

If next year is a transition year, retain 50% on Trouba and maximize the return you get for him too.

I'd even approach Panarin and ask if he would waive his no move clause too. He's been a top 5 forward in the league for the past two years. The Rangers could get two 1sts and a blue chip prospect from a team for two playoff runs. Call up Dallas. Ask if they would deal Stankoven or Wyatt Johnston. That level of prospect plus two 1st's.

Miller? Bye. More athleticism than hockey smarts between the ears. Trade him for a guy like Byfield that also needs a change of scenery that still holds promise.

Igor too. $12 million goalie my ass. He should get a 1st and a prospect from a team like Colorado with Cup aspirations that has question marks in goal. Quick and Spicy Pork can platoon the rest of the way and let Garand get the reps in the AHL as he's the next starter in waiting.

A couple of well executed trades and good free agent signings like this and you can retool and be back in the playoffs in two years with a young, revitalized core that isn't reliant on goaltending holding on while the team in front of them gets their face caved in.

For shits and giggles, because I have time this afternoon, a detailed hypothetical scenario:

To NYR: JT Miller
To VAN: Mika Zibanejad

One for one. Headache for headache.

To NYR: Devon Levi, Jordan Greenway and Mattias Samuelsson
To BUF: Jacob Trouba (50% retained), Brennan Othmann

Buffalo balances out their defensive corps and adds a veteran presence and leadership to a young team with playoff aspirations. Trouba has value in hockey circles despite getting dragged on this forum. He's going to be the player that gets more back in a trade than most think. The Rangers add Levi who is blocked in Buffalo and he gets the chance to be the starter here.

Othmann doesn't seem like he has a future here, and is essentially flipped for the player that can play now in Greenway.

To NYR: John Beecher, Mason Lohrei, 2025 1st (top 10 protected, becomes a 2026 1st if deferred this year)
To BOS: Chris Kreider, Ryan Lindgren

Boston is going to take one more kick at the can in the Marchand era. Losing Lohrei hurts for them but get Lindgren back to give them some backfilled depth. The Rangers get two young pieces and a 1st rounder back to launch their retool, even if the return is a bit meager at first.

To NYR: Wyatt Johnson, Evgeny Dadanov (cap) 2025 DAL 1st, 2027 DAL 1st
To DAL: Artemi Panarin (25% retained)

The time is now for this Dallas team. They make a huge move to acquire a piece to push them over the top. They sacrifice a huge piece of their future in Johnston, but that's the price to pay for two playoff runs with Panarin to go for a Cup.

To NYR: Quinton Byfield
To LA: K'Andre Miller

Hockey trade. One for one. Two young guys that had good years in the past couple of seasons currently struggling and both regressing this year where a change of scenery can benefit both guys.

And lastly:

To NYR: 2026 COL 1st , Mikhail Gulyayev
To COL: Igor Shesterkin

Goalies sadly don't carry much trade value, especially those that are UFA's at the end of the year. This is a rental for Colorado, but a rental for a top 5 goalie in the league, and also gives them priority negotiating rights. LTIR Nichuschkin and Colorado has their cap space.

The Rangers overhaul their left side of defense and add depth, especially up the middle to insulate the young wingers that are the crown jewels of the new era.

Your 2025-2026 opening night roster

Miller-Trochek-Lafreniere
Perreault-Johnston-Kakko
Cuylle-Byfield-Berard
Greenway-Carrick-Rempe/Beecher/Edstrom

Lohrei-Fox
Jones-Schneider
Samuelsson-Mancini

Levi
UFA backup

Garand starts in Hartford
Gulyayev waiting in the wings on defense with Emery and Fortescue on the horizon to earn spots
Up top, Sykora and Laba that look like legitimate NHL prospects
Boston 2025 1st
Dallas 2027 1st
Colorado 2026 1st
Dallas 2027 1st

All of this moving forward to retool. You overhaul the defense and give the farm a bit of depth. Draft high end forwards with the extra picks and keep building depth in the middle rounds. This overhauled team is young, but send the message that this team belongs to Fox, Lafreniere, Schneider, Kakko, and Perreault. Not to mention an absolute pain in the ass to play against.

 

[Machinehead]

How would have trading Trouba and then signing either Roy or Walker made the Rangers a better team? Trouba is not very good. Roy is 29 and the Capitals gave him six years at $5.75M. Brooks wrote the Rangers were willing to retain $2M. This is rearranging the chairs on the Titanic. Walker is 30 and he received a 5 year contract. In two years, the Rangers would be looking to shed Roy or Walker. it's the same vicious cycle.

I always love the narrative that our cornucopia of shitty defensemen over the years has been due to "declining," rather than these being players who were never good, that had alarm bells sounded about them immediately.

 

[eco's bones]

because Roy is much better than Trouba and Walker is even better with an even lower cap hit. next question?

But three years from now either or both of Roy/Walker might not be as good as Trouba is now and with posters here then calling for them to be moved.......and that's a thing that happens with veteran players. Some as they get older do decline. This is at least some of the point that RB is making about 'same vicious cycle'. Life can be particularly hard on defensemen and sometimes particularly physical defenseman. Wear and tear.

 

[UAGoalieGuy]

For shits and giggles, because I have time this afternoon, a detailed hypothetical scenario:

To NYR: JT Miller
To VAN: Mika Zibanejad

One for one. Headache for headache.

To NYR: Devon Levi, Jordan Greenway and Mattias Samuelsson
To BUF: Jacob Trouba (50% retained), Brennan Othmann

Buffalo balances out their defensive corps and adds a veteran presence and leadership to a young team with playoff aspirations. Trouba has value in hockey circles despite getting dragged on this forum. He's going to be the player that gets more back in a trade than most think. The Rangers add Levi who is blocked in Buffalo and he gets the chance to be the starter here.

Othmann doesn't seem like he has a future here, and is essentially flipped for the player that can play now in Greenway.

To NYR: John Beecher, Mason Lohrei, 2025 1st (top 10 protected, becomes a 2026 1st if deferred this year)
To BOS: Chris Kreider, Ryan Lindgren

Boston is going to take one more kick at the can in the Marchand era. Losing Lohrei hurts for them but get Lindgren back to give them some backfilled depth. The Rangers get two young pieces and a 1st rounder back to launch their retool, even if the return is a bit meager at first.

To NYR: Wyatt Johnson, Evgeny Dadanov (cap) 2025 DAL 1st, 2027 DAL 1st
To DAL: Artemi Panarin (25% retained)

The time is now for this Dallas team. They make a huge move to acquire a piece to push them over the top. They sacrifice a huge piece of their future in Johnston, but that's the price to pay for two playoff runs with Panarin to go for a Cup.

To NYR: Quinton Byfield
To LA: K'Andre Miller

Hockey trade. One for one. Two young guys that had good years in the past couple of seasons currently struggling and both regressing this year where a change of scenery can benefit both guys.

And lastly:

To NYR: 2026 COL 1st , Mikhail Gulyayev
To COL: Igor Shesterkin

Goalies sadly don't carry much trade value, especially those that are UFA's at the end of the year. This is a rental for Colorado, but a rental for a top 5 goalie in the league, and also gives them priority negotiating rights. LTIR Nichuschkin and Colorado has their cap space.

The Rangers overhaul their left side of defense and add depth, especially up the middle to insulate the young wingers that are the crown jewels of the new era.

Your 2025-2026 opening night roster

Miller-Trochek-Lafreniere
Perreault-Johnston-Kakko
Cuylle-Byfield-Berard
Greenway-Carrick-Rempe/Beecher/Edstrom

Lohrei-Fox
Jones-Schneider
Samuelsson-Mancini

Levi
UFA backup

Garand starts in Hartford
Gulyayev waiting in the wings on defense with Emery and Fortescue on the horizon to earn spots
Up top, Sykora and Laba that look like legitimate NHL prospects
Boston 2025 1st
Dallas 2027 1st
Colorado 2026 1st
Dallas 2027 1st

All of this moving forward to retool. You overhaul the defense and give the farm a bit of depth. Draft high end forwards with the extra picks and keep building depth in the middle rounds. This overhauled team is young, but send the message that this team belongs to Fox, Lafreniere, Schneider, Kakko, and Perreault. Not to mention an absolute pain in the ass to play against.

I don't think your far off of the Shesh trade. I proposed something similar with Geo (pending UFA/cap clearing) coming back and the Rangers retain 50%. Rangers also get Ritchie in return. Frees up more cap space for deadline moves for the Avs. With how poor their goalies have been playing i really think there is a deal to be made there.

So Shesh (50% retained) for Gulyayev, Ritchie, Geo and 2026 #1

 

[eco's bones]

So, we should pigeon-hole the guy and not give him any opportunity for advancement?

I think you're going to have to get use to the idea that Sykora pretty much comes from the same school as the Jan Erixon's and Jesper Fast's. He's never been a big producer. He is an energy type of player--who harasses and hits and rarely takes penalties but also doesn't puts up a lot of points. He's going to be a bottom 6 type player and we need those kinds too. To build a great team you need all kinds of elements and not everyone is going to put up a lot of points.

 

[zlev]

But three years from now either or both of Roy/Walker might not be as good as Trouba is now and with posters here then calling for them to be moved.......and that's a thing that happens with veteran players. Some as they get older do decline. This is at least some of the point that RB is making about 'same vicious cycle'. Life can be particularly hard on defensemen and sometimes particularly physical defenseman. Wear and tear.

three years from now this team is going to be on the downswing anyway. both of those contracts would be extremely moveable. having them for this season and next would've been worth it.

 

[eco's bones]

I don't think your far off of the Shesh trade. I proposed something similar with Geo (pending UFA/cap clearing) coming back and the Rangers retain 50%. Rangers also get Ritchie in return. Frees up more cap space for deadline moves for the Avs. With how poor their goalies have been playing i really think there is a deal to be made there.

So Shesh (50% retained) for Gulyayev, Ritchie, Geo and 2026 #1

I don't look at JT as a headache anymore. He turned a corner and he is one of the top forwards in the league right now and IMO by some margin a better player than Mika is.

I look at all the deals here as pretty obvious wins for the Rangers except for the last one with Colorado.

 

[zlev]

i'm really mad now, knowing how possible this was and how much better it would be right now:

Miller-Fox
Schneider-Walker
Jones-Roy

those don't even have to be the pairs, you could put anyone with anyone and it'd still be good.
goddamnit. Drury should be fired.

 

[eco's bones]

three years from now this team is going to be on the downswing anyway. both of those contracts would be extremely moveable. having them for this season and next would've been worth it.

Maybe. It will depend somewhat on more prospect and young player development and the kind of interventions Drury or a successor to Drury make between now and then.

 

[80shockeywasbuns]

I always love the narrative that our cornucopia of shitty defensemen over the years has been due to "declining," rather than these being players who were never good, that had alarm bells sounded about them immediately.

Someone earlier was saying there’s NO way Drury could’ve predicted Lindgren falling off a cliff this year. All I can do is laugh about Lindgrens xGF away from Fox in the playoffs. Wasn’t it like 10% or something and people on here were joking about it? All Drury would’ve had to do to predict that was be some bum reading HFBoards.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

For shits and giggles, because I have time this afternoon, a detailed hypothetical scenario:

To NYR: JT Miller
To VAN: Mika Zibanejad

One for one. Headache for headache.

To NYR: Devon Levi, Jordan Greenway and Mattias Samuelsson
To BUF: Jacob Trouba (50% retained), Brennan Othmann

Buffalo balances out their defensive corps and adds a veteran presence and leadership to a young team with playoff aspirations. Trouba has value in hockey circles despite getting dragged on this forum. He's going to be the player that gets more back in a trade than most think. The Rangers add Levi who is blocked in Buffalo and he gets the chance to be the starter here.

Othmann doesn't seem like he has a future here, and is essentially flipped for the player that can play now in Greenway.

To NYR: John Beecher, Mason Lohrei, 2025 1st (top 10 protected, becomes a 2026 1st if deferred this year)
To BOS: Chris Kreider, Ryan Lindgren

Boston is going to take one more kick at the can in the Marchand era. Losing Lohrei hurts for them but get Lindgren back to give them some backfilled depth. The Rangers get two young pieces and a 1st rounder back to launch their retool, even if the return is a bit meager at first.

To NYR: Wyatt Johnson, Evgeny Dadanov (cap) 2025 DAL 1st, 2027 DAL 1st
To DAL: Artemi Panarin (25% retained)

The time is now for this Dallas team. They make a huge move to acquire a piece to push them over the top. They sacrifice a huge piece of their future in Johnston, but that's the price to pay for two playoff runs with Panarin to go for a Cup.

To NYR: Quinton Byfield
To LA: K'Andre Miller

Hockey trade. One for one. Two young guys that had good years in the past couple of seasons currently struggling and both regressing this year where a change of scenery can benefit both guys.

And lastly:

To NYR: 2026 COL 1st , Mikhail Gulyayev
To COL: Igor Shesterkin

Goalies sadly don't carry much trade value, especially those that are UFA's at the end of the year. This is a rental for Colorado, but a rental for a top 5 goalie in the league, and also gives them priority negotiating rights. LTIR Nichuschkin and Colorado has their cap space.

The Rangers overhaul their left side of defense and add depth, especially up the middle to insulate the young wingers that are the crown jewels of the new era.

Your 2025-2026 opening night roster

Miller-Trochek-Lafreniere
Perreault-Johnston-Kakko
Cuylle-Byfield-Berard
Greenway-Carrick-Rempe/Beecher/Edstrom

Lohrei-Fox
Jones-Schneider
Samuelsson-Mancini

Levi
UFA backup

Garand starts in Hartford
Gulyayev waiting in the wings on defense with Emery and Fortescue on the horizon to earn spots
Up top, Sykora and Laba that look like legitimate NHL prospects
Boston 2025 1st
Dallas 2027 1st
Colorado 2026 1st
Dallas 2027 1st

All of this moving forward to retool. You overhaul the defense and give the farm a bit of depth. Draft high end forwards with the extra picks and keep building depth in the middle rounds. This overhauled team is young, but send the message that this team belongs to Fox, Lafreniere, Schneider, Kakko, and Perreault. Not to mention an absolute pain in the ass to play against.

Holy Bern!