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

[haohmaru]

I see you cherry picked my answer to try to represent it out of context.
I will not allow that to go unchallenged.

I didn't "cherry pick" anything. YOU made the proposal that involved 10 moving pieces, mostly NHL starters, involving two clubs - one of which is considered among the favorites to win the cup.

I called it unrealistic and proved it because there hasn't been such a deal since the advent of the salary cap. Not even close. The only "mega deal" that I can think of that's in the ball park is the Panthers / Flames deal that involved half that number of players - The Panthers sent Huberdeau, defenseman MacKenzie Weegar, prospect Cole Schwindt, and a conditional first-round pick in the 2025 NHL draft to the Flames for Tkachuk.

I took your bullshit proposal, called you out on it, proved that it's never happened and will likely never happen and you're resorting to your normal word salad instead of owning up to the fact that you're more likely to get struck by lightning than a deal like that ever taking place.

I quoted your proposal directly from YOU without alteration. There was nothing out of context.

"
1. Rs - Ds
KAM, Othmann, Lindgren, Vesey, Robertson
for
Zegras, Vatrano, Vaakanainen, Dumoulin, Helleson"

BUT,

You didn't even stop there. The next paragraphs you're trading Panarin, Jones, Shesterkin, and trying to get rid of Trouba.

It's completely unrealistic and pure fantasy. Everyone here knows it but you.

But, keep on writing 500+ word trade proposals to your hearts content. It's fun to read but it's as likely to happen as snow falling here in Florida. In August.

 

[MrAlmost]

I'm intrigued whether this is really possible at this pointt in time.
Does asking the 'hard' questions get you answers and a good column/blog/podcast/whatever, or does it just get you access to the team reduced/removed.
None of these 'reporters' have the clout that sports jornos used to have when they had a major paper backing them.

except that journalists who do that shit don't get the same level of access.
Players don't sit down for interviews,
Brooks is hated by the players. They dont talk to him. Thats why Mollie has a job. Because he can't do his, and somehow the post still pays him.

I hear ya fellas. But Brooks is an asshole. There is a difference between asking hard questions, wondering why things were done, etc. and being a shit stirrer like Brooks. You don't have to make things up, but you have to ask hard questions. The other sports do this. Even some other teams in the NHL have reporters that do it. Vince will start, and then roll over too easy. He has the respect to do it. He is a nice guy by all accounts.

 

[lakeshirts37]

When is it acceptable to start criticizing Fox?

Am I crazy or has he lost a step? His first season I couldnt believe my eyes most nights. I was giddy. It was beautiful to watch. The vision, shiftiness, passing, etc were unlike anything I had seen on the blueline at MSG for decades. He was great 22-23, but since then I dont feel like I’m wow’d as much

 

[lakeshirts37]

Yeah, and what about when those same teams from the no-state tax states sucked donkey balls while California teams, Chicago and PIT were dominating?

Not expecting an answer from you on that one BTW. You know what allows teams to add players for good value deals? Winning. A lot of people said Edmonton had a pretty good offseason, re-signing Arvidson for an example on a good value deal and getting Jeff Skinner. They have pretty high taxes up there in Canada (though not as bad in Alberta as in Ontario or Quebec). Do you know why they were able to do this? Because those players saw the potential in winning.


Auston Matthews is the best earning NHL player, because he gets most of his money tax-free (because he resides in Arizona), but also gets all the ad-revenue from being the face of the biggest NHL franchise.

Yeah thats not how it works at all

 

[LOFIN]

Yeah thats not how it works at all

Yeah my bad, don't take it literally. He's getting the majority of his contract paid in with Arizona taxes, not Ontario taxes. That's what I meant.

 

[RangersFan1994]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1855001460582330473

Real questions like why not no accountability towards the vets or anyone making serious money? If Lindgren is still hurt and having trouble, is Mancini that bad of an option?

 

[Lion Hound]

Which contender has their weakest links in the top 6 and top 4?

Weak links or worst players?

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Weak links or worst players?

Both? Ours are in crucial spots.

 

[Savant]

Tampa won because they drafted amazing. Not because they had huge free agent deals.
Point in the 3rd,
Kucherov in the 2nd.
Trading Drouin for Sergachev

I’m not going to go over the entire roster constructions for obviously reasons but it’s kind of silly to bring this up without mentioning Stamkos who went 1st OA and Hedman who went 2nd OA . Hell Drouin went 3rd OA too. Tampa absolutely struck gold on some players but again you can’t leave out those guys on purpose too.

There were very few free agents at the top of that roster, which is how you win.

They also had less dependance on free agents because they were able to keep their core together. Because people took under market deals. Because Florida is no state tax. Look at how Chicago had to dismantle because they had to pay guys. This was much less of a problem for Tampa, because they were able to get better contracts because of no Sales Tax in Florida

We currently have in our top 6,
Panarin (11+)
Trocheck (5.65)
Smith (2m cap hit due to retention)

Panarin and Trocheck have more than lived up to their contracts. Smith will not play more than one season here. Yeah it’s tough to balance a roster. That’s why no State tax is a huge deal.

Teams who win draft well and find gems and don't overspend on huge UFA's. Because then the rest of the team wants huge UFA deals. Toronto f'd themselves with Tavares. Not because he wasn't worth that money (he wasn't but different issue) but then you immediately have 2 other players who said "ok if you're gonna spend that much on outside talent, we want more).

They also don’t usually have to because it’s easier to keep their own guys. Like Tampa

Igor is currently looking at panarin's deal and saying "my turn"

Why shouldn’t he be?

Yzerman hasn't drafted as well in detroit as he had in TB. No huge gems in the late rounds, and his top talent has gotten paid and his cap dried up because he tanked for "too long" and his top talent needed to get paid, before he was even in his window.
He also didnt ever get a 1st or 2nd overall.

He hasn’t even made the playoffs. You’d think they’d have gotten in by accident at least once by now. And it’s not like he hasn’t tried either. But again he has to overpay FA’s like Andrew Copp because he doesn’t get those sweet heart deals like he was getting in Tampa anymore.

Add Bedard to that roster? They make the playoffs last year without question. Replace Raymond w Stutzle? They make the playoffs.

Not how it works though. Any team can say any of that stuff. You have to work with what you have. He doesn’t have the advantages that he had previously and it’s showing up now

 

[80shockeywasbuns]

Weak links or worst players?

 

[wolfgaze]

Earlier tonight I viewed the Sabres game for the first time and without knowing the score/outcome in advance.

 

[bernmeister]

I didn't "cherry pick" anything. YOU made the proposal that involved 10 moving pieces, mostly NHL starters, involving two clubs - one of which is considered among the favorites to win the cup.

I called it unrealistic and proved it because there hasn't been such a deal since the advent of the salary cap. Not even close. The only "mega deal" that I can think of that's in the ball park is the Panthers / Flames deal that involved half that number of players - The Panthers sent Huberdeau, defenseman MacKenzie Weegar, prospect Cole Schwindt, and a conditional first-round pick in the 2025 NHL draft to the Flames for Tkachuk.

I took your bullshit proposal, called you out on it, proved that it's never happened and will likely never happen and you're resorting to your normal word salad instead of owning up to the fact that you're more likely to get struck by lightning than a deal like that ever taking place.

I quoted your proposal directly from YOU without alteration. There was nothing out of context.

"
1. Rs - Ds
KAM, Othmann, Lindgren, Vesey, Robertson
for
Zegras, Vatrano, Vaakanainen, Dumoulin, Helleson"

BUT,

You didn't even stop there. The next paragraphs you're trading Panarin, Jones, Shesterkin, and trying to get rid of Trouba.

It's completely unrealistic and pure fantasy. Everyone here knows it but you.

But, keep on writing 500+ word trade proposals to your hearts content. It's fun to read but it's as likely to happen as snow falling here in Florida. In August.

you clearly did cherry pick, and you do so above again

I explained, painstakingly, that the benchmark for reasonable/unreasonable is the quality of the merits of each prop, not the quantity of how many assets are in each deal.

THAT is SUPERCEDING.

Then, to further alert that such notwithstanding, I provided 2 pertinent points on quantity.

First, the megadeals could be broken into multiple smaller packages, and demonstrated this saying Helleson and Robertson e.g., could be separate, resulting in 8 assets total [which again, since quantity is NOT >> greater/overriding] is moot.

Second, I showed per yr request via link where large megadeals had 7-8 in multiple instances -- and those were, where applicable as to 2 teams' assets listed, but it was identified that a third team was involved = thus further enlarging the total number of assets actually involved.

================
You are unwilling to debate merits, and fine, I have stuff to deal w/in the real world.

But on the merits, I will be proven correct once again, by saying smart move here is to EXTEND the window by dealing vets for quality youth, and no more nmcs [generous ntcs are sufficient].

 

[haohmaru]

You are unwilling to debate merits, and fine, I have stuff to deal w/in the real world.

But on the merits, I will be proven correct once again, by saying smart move here is to EXTEND the window by dealing vets for quality youth, and no more nmcs [generous ntcs are sufficient].

Go deal with your stuff. These "explanations" of what you really meant are a complete waste of time and need a decoding ring to decipher.

Teams don't "extend their window" by dealing half of their starters in fantasy deals that will only happen on NHL 25 and even that program might crash trying to figure out the nonsense.

NMC's are part of offering competitive contracts in the NHL. If you don't offer them, you're not competitive and you're not signing high level players. Again, you being completely unrealistic. The merits are there, you're just unwilling to acknowledge them.

 

[gump116]

Jones needs to continue to play and develop amidst a largely irrelevant regular season.

We need all the options on the table, for the playoffs, fresh and having gotten reasonable minutes. You can't assume Lindgren won't improve, but you can't assume he will either. NYR must plan for every contingency.

At this point it’s unlikely that lindgren is going to improve significantly. Need to upgrade from him for the playoffs. A Jones-Trouba combo is a fine third pair

 

[mandiblesofdoom]

Up in the Blue Seats podcast:

Ha ha ha - "Rangers not afraid to shake things up" ... but 55-23, 79-8, never benching Lindgren, etc. Sure, guys.

 

[mandiblesofdoom]

Can’t believe the d pairs that have been bad for years have been bad
View attachment 927860

Stability & leadership - yo

 

[Daves a mess]

Jack Roslevic has 9 goals?

Not Mikas fault.

 

[NYR Viper]

This team offensively should be one of the top in the league. The issues that need correcting are mainly on the back end. The top-6 as a group don’t break the puck out well enough and are inefficient at moving the puck even with simple plays when under pressure. It starts with Trouba and Lindgren but even Schneider isn’t great at it.

Honestly, an upgrade from Lindgren to someone like Hanifin or someone in that vein would do wonders. It needs to happen and I’m sure Drury knows it, hence the delay in signing him this offseason and giving him a. 1 year deal.

 

[80shockeywasbuns]

Jack Roslevic has 9 goals?

Not Mikas fault.

Liked watching that guy he was like a Temu Barzal

 

[TominNC]

This is such a weird situation. Usually fans are too optimistic, favoring their team, not seeing the issues. But not Rangers fans. Every year they hate and hate and hate. All the other teams don't have the myriad issues we do. We suck. Our players suck, out coach sucks, our G sucks. We need to move everyone.

Then I go to the Athletic and lo and behold their writing staff STILL has the Rangers as a favorite to make the finals and a 1 in 6 shot to win the cup. Don't they see how absolutely awful we are? I guess maybe they haven't overreacted to a slump. Or they know nothing but all out Vinnie's from Brooklyn are hockey geniuses.

Damn

 

[CLW]

This is such a weird situation. Usually fans are too optimistic, favoring their team, not seeing the issues. But not Rangers fans. Every year they hate and hate and hate. All the other teams don't have the myriad issues we do. We suck. Our players suck, out coach sucks, our G sucks. We need to move everyone.

Then I go to the Athletic and lo and behold their writing staff STILL has the Rangers as a favorite to make the finals and a 1 in 6 shot to win the cup. Don't they see how absolutely awful we are? I guess maybe they haven't overreacted to a slump. Or they know nothing but all out Vinnie's from Brooklyn are hockey geniuses.

Damn

1/6 is quite pissy odds for a team that's supposed to be at it's peak, no?

 

[SA16]

1/6 is quite pissy odds for a team that's supposed to be at it's peak, no?

Well considering those odds would be nearly the best pre-season odds of any team to win the cup in a year in a very long time I would say no

 

[bobbop]

We’re overthinking 2025-26 a little too much.

This is the last year of the core as it is currently constituted. No matter what Igor eventually signs for, the Rangers will have a cap crunch.

1. Win this year. Or…
2. Expect a modest rebuild for 25-26. Salary out, some hockey trades, some young players given more opportunity. Depending on what happens this season, the players involved in the mini rebuild may change.
3. Watch Laviolette closely. He could be a casualty in the first half of 25-26.
4. What happens with Panarin for 26-27 will be the next major event in the evolution of the team

 

[CLW]

Well considering those odds would be nearly the best pre-season odds of any team to win the cup in a year in a very long time I would say no

Like everyone didn't know the Panthers would win when they did. Same for Tampa and Colorado. Does anyone, truly hand on heart, believe the Rangers will win this year?

 

[SA16]

Like everyone didn't know the Panthers would win when they did. Same for Tampa and Colorado. Does anyone, truly hand on heart, believe the Rangers will win this year?

No, this is not chess. If you asked if you believe that any specific team will win this year, and any year, the answer should be no.