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

[SnowblindNYR]

If sitting Lindgren was a viable option but it’s not. I don’t know a single coach who’d do it.

This is one of those things that may be true but shouldn't be something we should accept. Players sulking because a guy that sucks at hockey sits shouldn't be something that destroys the lockerroom and it won't be. I'm thinking of two teams in other sports that this happened to and won the championship.

1) Lawyer Milloy getting cut from 2003 Pats team and hack Tom Jackson telling everyone how because they lost game 1 31-0 the team hated their coach. They won 17 of 18 and the Super Bowl.

2) The Red Sox trading Nomar in 2004 and them winning the World Series.

If not a single coach in the NHL has the balls to make that move it just confirms that coaches in the NHL suck. My take is actually worse, I don't think he doesn't have the balls, I think coaches in the NHL value hockey mythology more than facts.

 

[CLW]

Honestly, I'll make a steel man argument for the 4 lines:

First line: Laf and Panarin have carried their line this year, I don't think Trocheck has been quite as good. Since they drive play anyway the downgrade won't be as significant. And really Mika SHOULDN'T be a downgrade. Maybe getting Mika away from Kreider will do him good.

Second line: Cuylle has been a beast but if you think Kreider-Mika have been toxic Kreider, who plays a north south game and is a better finisher.

Third line: Trocheck hasn't been as good this year but Cuylle and Smith have been good, if the top 6 works the is legit a very good 3rd line. I doubt it's as effective as the Chytil line was, but hopefully we get more production from the top 2 lines.

Fourth line: They've been good and are getting an upgrade in Vesey.

The D sucks, but with balance on offense I really really hope that and Igor is enough. The Panthers didn't have superstars on D and neither did the Pens beyond Letang.

Moving the forward lines about is like rearranging the chairs on the leaky ocean liner. Fixing the out dated system (the leaks) should be a priority, but the captain (coach) hasn't gotten that far yet.

 

[Kupo]

What in the actual f*** is happening……

 

[lakeshirts37]

Drury needs to find a way to upgrade the left side of the D. Not winning shit with Lindgren playing 1LD.

Dont think anything can be done about Mika and 1st lines problems. Forwards are who we are riding with barring any injuries and some depth at deadline

 

[kovazub94]

Drury needs to find a way to upgrade the left side of the D. Not winning shit with Lindgren playing 1LD.

Dont think anything can be done about Mika and 1st lines problems. Forwards are who we are riding with barring any injuries and some depth at deadline

The only way to do it is via TDL rental. No way they can get anyone they would be able to retain beyond this season

 

[Kodiak]

The D absolutely needed a shake up. We’ve been bleeding scoring chances all year. If you look at the SCA/60 and HDCA/60 this year, we’re near the bottom along with teams expected to miss the playoffs. Something needs to change.

That being said, these pairings ain’t it. Trouba and Lindgren both need partners who can effectively move the puck, and ideally, have their minutes a bit sheltered. Putting Trouba with Miller, who is not a good passer, and giving Lindgren more minutes is not putting anyone in a position to succeed.

 

[CasusBelli]

Spreading around defensive awareness of the forwards by splitting Z and CK. Makes sense. Defense isn’t a pairing issue; it’s a personnel issue. On a Stanley Cup winning team, we have one top-two and five top-six defensemen.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Drury needs to find a way to upgrade the left side of the D. Not winning shit with Lindgren playing 1LD.

Dont think anything can be done about Mika and 1st lines problems. Forwards are who we are riding with barring any injuries and some depth at deadline

This the best forward group we've had since I've been watching, if Mika gets his head out of his ass. But our defense is scary bad. Two years ago it was ok but seems like so many players regressed.

The D absolutely needed a shake up. We’ve been bleeding scoring chances all year. If you look at the SCA/60 and HDCA/60 this year, we’re near the bottom along with teams expected to miss the playoffs. Something needs to change.

That being said, these pairings ain’t it. Trouba and Lindgren both need partners who can effectively move the puck, and ideally, have their minutes a bit sheltered. Putting Trouba with Miller, who is not a good passer, and giving Lindgren more minutes is not putting anyone in a position to succeed.

Defense hasn't been good but these pairings won't be good at both defense and offense. In the end yeah it's a personnel issue. Maybe not 2 years ago but now for sure.

 

[noncents]

it is kind of annoying that we don't have any big fast PMD in the system. we draft schneider types, mobile stay at home guys

 

[Shesterkybomb]

Sadly the new lines will last a period and we'll go back to kzs

 

[Fitzy]

it is kind of annoying that we don't have any big fast PMD in the system. we draft schneider types, mobile stay at home guys

Considering MDZ wasn’t really that kind of player ultimately, I’d say Sanguinetti was the only true offensive defenseman we’ve picked in the first round the past 25 years

 

[kovazub94]

it is kind of annoying that we don't have any big fast PMD in the system. we draft schneider types, mobile stay at home guys

Miller is considered that (I hope you don’t mean Hedman type because his level is not easily available). The Rangers drafted Kravtsov instead of Dobson…

 

[IDvsEGO]

it is kind of annoying that we don't have any big fast PMD in the system. we draft schneider types, mobile stay at home guys

Considering the offensive players we have that does make more sense.
Pmd’s who also defend at a high level are top 10 picks.

 

[Kravtsov420]

No issue with giving those forward lines a shot. Might wake ZBad up, and poor Kreider needs a chance to show that he can still beast 5v5 with a better centre.

Lindgren is the bane of our D corp though, and should be shipped out for Future Considerations.

Past considerations work too for me, honestly, a bag of peanuts at this point

 

[eco's bones]

The changes are being made to see if something different works better. The team was eventually going to go into some kind of doldrums with players getting shifted around. It pretty much happens every year at two or three points of the season. It also doesn't necessarily mean anything is permanent. The changes might not work very well and before a game or two could change back. I don't know if it's something to get all that excited about. Better to sit back and see how it goes.

Clearly now that Lindgren is back Jones is going to be the 7D. It doesn't surprise me. I think Zac has played well but I don't think Lindgren has been playing particularly badly either coming off his injury. Pretty much no training camp and getting up to speed on the fly with everyone else. He and Trouba the last game had the unenviable task of facing Stutzle/Tkaczuk all night long. Those were the hardest minutes by far. I don't see Jacob or Ryan with us next year though. Whether Jones will still be here is another question. It's not like I don't think the coaches don't like Zac......it's more like they don't like him enough.

 

[mandiblesofdoom]

Why is lindgren back on the top pair.

gotta have more Lindgren - the fan fave

 

[RangerBoy]

I like the Rangers changing lines. I remember during the summer we discussed needing to break up Kreider and Mika. I remember writing this a few months ago. Mika and Kreider have been stale for a while.

Cuylle-MIka-Lafreniere. The Rangers need a physical presence in the top 6. Cuylle is a bigger physical presence than Chris. Those players are hard to acquire in a trade. Mika and Lafreniere have shown some chemistry in OT in the last few years.

Panarin-Trocheck-Smith. Keep Panarin and Trocheck together. Add Smith to the line. Trocheck and Smith played 1,400 minutes together from 2014-15 to 2016-17. Smith was acquired by Vegas in the summer of 2017. That line reminds me of the Misfits line in Vegas. Karlsson. JSM. Smith. Karlsson and Smith are two way players and JSM is the offensive player.

Kreider-Chytil-Kakko.

Laviolette went with Panarin-Mika-Lafreniere. Panarin and Mika has never worked.

Cuylle-Trocheck-Smith. Is this line the Rangers checking line? Brooks will be happy.

Lindgren back with Fox is repulsive. Miller has been inconsistent. Lindgren is not a top pair D.

Maybe Laviolette will change the PP. The Rangers are still using Quinn's PP.

 

[Savant]

Speaking of Mika and Kreider line/linemate issues, Jack Roslovic of all people has 6 goals for the Hurricanes this season and has been playing with Aho all season. He is not recognizable from the version that we got.

 

[Mike in Houston]

Good to see PL change things up a bit. Hopefully it pays dividends. In theory we should smoke the Islanders today. Especially when you consider who they'll be missing. But sometimes... Rangers gonna Ranger.

 

[Do you want ants]

Speaking of Mika and Kreider line/linemate issues, Jack Roslovic of all people has 6 goals for the Hurricanes this season and has been playing with Aho all season. He is not recognizable from the version that we got.

I feel like CBJ fans told us he goes on temporary heaters. He kind of did for us too. Let’s see if he keeps it up.

Not directed at you, but I’m still trying to understand how they watched 3 games of Lindgren and decided he needed a big promotion. I just want Fox to have a decent partner, instead of wasting his talents.

 

[MrAlmost]

Speaking of Mika and Kreider line/linemate issues, Jack Roslovic of all people has 6 goals for the Hurricanes this season and has been playing with Aho all season. He is not recognizable from the version that we got.

Because their Org has a culture of hard work and speed and if you don't bring that to the game every night, you don't play.

Wonder what that's like.

 

[SA16]

Jack Roslovic has 6 goals because he's shooting 25%. Not really hard to understand. He also has 0 assists.

 

[leetch99]

Looking at these lines and pairs it’s obvious they’re just trying to get Zib and Lindgren “going” by saddling our best players with them. It’s not about balance at all.

Lindgren struggles enough without the mask...it is almost impossible for him to play with it on . I can't believe they are even playing him . They should have went with Jones and Mancini ]until he was healthy . Give the guy a chance and maybe he returns fully healthy and then previews well for a trade if that becomes the plan . The team would have survived without him for 20 games.

 

[leetch99]

We’re the New York Yankees on ice

Or...the 1974 NYI's without the Shesty Godlike performances....every second night in reg season and playoffs the last 3 yrs .

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

it is kind of annoying that we don't have any big fast PMD in the system. we draft schneider types, mobile stay at home guys

We don’t draft puck movers, we don’t draft centers.