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

[MrAlmost]

If we are talking about what we want to see happen over the next year, I would like to start here:

Panarin-Tro-Laf
Cuylle-Zegras-(TBD)
Kreider-(TBD)-Perreault
Berard-(TBD)-Edstrom
Carrick

Miller-Fox
Fowler-Schneider
Jones-Mancini
(TBD)

Goalies TBD

Lindgren, Trouba, and Z are all for sure traded. Chytil, Kakko and Igor I'm not sold on. Let Smith walk.

I could see a Trouba and Othmann to Anaheim deal for Fowler and Zegras which is why they are in the lineup. I like that move. I actually think that helps both teams.

Some names I would like for the open
Center postions would be Gourde, Bennett, Chytil, Strum.

Some name I like for the open wing positions would be Tkachuk, Frederic, Kakko, Mangiapane, Greenway, Jeannot.

And those are just some UFA/RFA to be names since I don't think the return on Z will be a "hual".

As for Igor. You gotta gauge what you can be with what you can get for him vs what you can be with him, and his contract. Not easy.

You can make a real quick and aggressive team to play against with some changes that can be realistic.

My personal favorite adds would be Tkachuk, Frederic, and Sturm. Bring up Rempe and Berard.

 

[mike14]

Who is Berard going to play for? That’s the real question

Based on play it should be Smith or Kreider (assuming there's no point in scratching one of the 4th line wings)
Knowing how everything works, probably KK though

 

[McRanger92]

Berard getting the call. Either someone is injured or a an unexpected scratch is coming. My money is on Edstrom sitting lol. Jones is back I guess but they are really jerking around Mancini, who should be playing ahead of Trouba & Lindgren.

In the short term they need to get Chytil back and start playing that line like a top 6 line at ES & PP. Mika or Trocheck needs to be off PP 1 in favor of Lafreniere. The Mika/Kreider/Smith line need to be given the least amount of ES icetime and use them as specialists.

Lindgren needs to be traded or out of the lineup yesterday. The Rangers have a need for a top 4 LHD regardless of whether Miller remains in the mix or not defenseman long-term. Why not see if you can swing a trade for a talented guy like Jiricek from CBJ. Schneider looked fine on the left.

 

[SA16]

It would seem pretty obvious that he will be in for Brodzinski with Kakko playing 3C (assuming no Chytil) considering they have already been experimenting with Kakko at C and when they have done that it's been Brodzinski they've been skipping.

Berard getting the call. Either someone is injured or a an unexpected scratch is coming. My money is on Edstrom sitting lol. Jones is back I guess but they are really jerking around Mancini, who should be playing ahead of Trouba & Lindgren.

In the short term they need to get Chytil back and start playing that line like a top 6 line at ES & PP. Mika or Trocheck needs to be off PP 1 in favor of Lafreniere. The Mika/Kreider/Smith line need to be given the least amount of ES icetime and use them as specialists.

Lindgren needs to be traded or out of the lineup yesterday. The Rangers have a need for a top 4 LHD regardless of whether Miller remains in the mix or not defenseman long-term. Why not see if you can swing a trade for a talented guy like Jiricek from CBJ. Schneider looked fine on the left.

Mancini has the worst CF% of any dman in the league (100+ mins) at 5v5. Third worst xGF%. 2nd worst xGA60. In games he has an xG% > 50 once and it was against Montreal who is the worst team he has played against all year. He should not be playing ahead of anyone. Just because Trouba/Lindgren may not be that good does not mean they are the worst players in the league. Mancini should be playing big minutes in Hartford/filling in when players are hurt.

 

[CLW]

I’d kill for McT. I was trying to be mildly realistic about the returns we could get - McT isn’t one of them. The first line of my post was “some shitty examples” of retooling lol I just want to get a haul for Bread at the absolute peak of his value, which IMO is while he’s still a top 5 producing winger in the league and has TWO post season runs left on his deal. Trouba and Zib I just want out of here. Lindgren, if he would re-sign for 3x3 I’d be fine with playing as our 3rd pair and PK guy, but he won’t so I figure we should get some asset in return before his contract expires, while other teams still view him as a reliable playoff warrior. I don’t actually care what the trades are, as long as Zib and Trouba are moved. Bread, I simply think is a massive value with 2 years left, and our best chance to get a legitimate center prospect plus.

I'd trade Igor too. He can take his refusal of that ridiculous and moronic $11 million deal with him. If we're trading for Zegras (not sure I'd go there but *if) I'd offer Igor for Zegras + Dostal (then obviously odds and ends to make a deal before someone jumps on specifics).

 

[RangersFan1994]

Berard called up is great but how is the poor defense getting fixed?

 

[Machinehead]

Berard called up is great but how is the poor defense getting fixed?

Hot take: I think they should have more than one good defenseman, and maybe not two that are way below replacement level.

 

[RangersFan1994]

Hot take: I think they should have more than one good defenseman, and maybe not two that are way below replacement level.

I think whatever system the Rangers are playing, doesn't fit with this group of defense that skates in mud

 

[Raspewtin]

Who is Berard going to play for? That’s the real question

It should be Smith or Kreider but it will be Brod. Which is fine, his usual 5 minutes of above average play every year beginning is over.

 

[Machinehead]

I think whatever system the Rangers are playing, doesn't fit with this group of defense that skates in mud

There isn't a system for defensemen who can't play quick in 2024.

 

[Oscar Lindberg]

Going 6 defensemen after carrying 8 seems odd but whatever

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Berard getting called up is interesting since he hasn't has the greatest few weeks in HFD. Though better him coming up than some career AHLer so maybe i should just shut up.

 

[LokiDog]

Berard getting called up is interesting since he hasn't has the greatest few weeks in HFD. Though better him coming up than some career AHLer so maybe i should just shut up.

One thing I sometimes find interesting is that there are guys (not saying Berard is or isn’t one, it’s impossible to know yet) who essentially do better the higher level they play at, either because their energy and tenacity is best suited for the highest level or because they have an extremely complimentary skill set where playing with B talent doesn’t bring out the best in them. I’d be less inclined to believe this is a true phenomenon and players like this exist if it wasn’t also true that there are players who can be above point per game in the AHL and make an entire career playing there but can never even hold down an NHL job, let alone be a 40 point player. Somehow, some guys just work in specific situations. Berard definitely has the motor to be a guy who can hitch his wagon to two NHL players and just be a retrieval and energy guy and have a positive impact. Will he be? I don’t know. But I do think he’s a good choice for a cup of coffee right now.

 

[Vitto79]

We could see Vesey go soon if Berard can stick

 

[2014nyr]

finally adding the type of player i've wanted them to for 3 years...interested to see how they put the lines together, esp until chytil returns.

wonder if they let kakko get a crack at c btw berard and cuylle. guessing he steps in for edstrom tho, but either way, interested to see if he's ready. has to show the skating ability to bring the pace required in this role at the nhl level. to claim a spot, he needs to be noticeable getting in on pucks forechecking and creating turnovers with puck pressure all over.

 

[turcotte8]

We could see Vesey go soon if Berard can stick

more likely they do something stupid like send down Edstrom.

 

[nyr2k2]

I don't understand why people want Zegras. I mean I understand his talent is undeniable but he does not look good now. If we got him, I wouldn't be penciling him in as the 2C or anything like that. Too much of a risk IMO. Unless we're doing a rebuild, I'd want more of a sure thing. There's a real chance Zegras is one of those guys that just peaks really early and is basically irrelevant by his late 20s.

 

[RangersFan1994]

6 dman on the team, hope Berard isn't trade bait

 

[bernmeister]

Hopefully they scratch Kreider.

counterproductive
Zib should sit

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

counterproductive
Zib should sit

Kreider has been objectively worse.

I wouldn’t mind them sending a message to both .

 

[LokiDog]

I don't understand why people want Zegras. I mean I understand his talent is undeniable but he does not look good now. If we got him, I wouldn't be penciling him in as the 2C or anything like that. Too much of a risk IMO. Unless we're doing a rebuild, I'd want more of a sure thing. There's a real chance Zegras is one of those guys that just peaks really early and is basically irrelevant by his late 20s.

I get that there’s a level of untapped potential
still there and some people believe if he were happier, he’d play better, but I’m almost positive it’s because “he’s a local kid!!” and because we got boring vanilla “no swaggo Kakko” when Zegras was taken shortly after and is all sizzle and razzle dazzle.

 

[CLW]

I don't understand why people want Zegras. I mean I understand his talent is undeniable but he does not look good now. If we got him, I wouldn't be penciling him in as the 2C or anything like that. Too much of a risk IMO. Unless we're doing a rebuild, I'd want more of a sure thing. There's a real chance Zegras is one of those guys that just peaks really early and is basically irrelevant by his late 20s.

Also I question if his primadonna character is the right thing for this country club org. On the other hand he might blossom in the limelight of NY too, who knows. I've been wrong before :p

 

[mike14]

We really are in a weird spot. By pts% we are currently 7th in the league, and 3rd in the East which is a position most fans would love their team to be in ~25% of the way through the season, yet the general consensus (which I agree with) is that we are a long way from being a true 'contender' and that we are actually more likely to end up as Wild Card seed assuming we make the playoffs (we should).

It would be a very brave, and comfortable, GM who would turn that down, especially coming of a pretty successful postseason (yeah, yeah, Cup or bust) as it likely forgoes a chunk of playoff revenue for the owner.

But the defence, team-wide, is broken and likely can't be fixed to the required standard in season, and with the players we have. The D we need you won't get by trading the D we currently have except Fox which is its own problem (maybe Miller returns a guy who plays the way 'we' want), so it has to come by moving forwards. We are out of picks to trade and the prospect pool is pretty thin (while having some useful pieces), so change really has to come form the main roster.
So how deep do you cut?

 

[EdJovanovski]

I don't understand why people want Zegras. I mean I understand his talent is undeniable but he does not look good now. If we got him, I wouldn't be penciling him in as the 2C or anything like that. Too much of a risk IMO. Unless we're doing a rebuild, I'd want more of a sure thing. There's a real chance Zegras is one of those guys that just peaks really early and is basically irrelevant by his late 20s.

That's exactly why we should try to get him imo. He is a fantastic buy low candidate. He's a 23 year old with multiple 60+ seasons under his belt, as recently as the start of last season the price would be an arm & a leg. Then he was injured most of last year and is also on a shit team, there are many reasons to believe he can turn it around. We desperately need a center, with Zibanejad being absolute shit, Trocheck regressing to what makes it look like the playoffs were the outlier and this is what he is, and Chytil being one bad hit away from retirement. Zegras is a hometown kid who wants to play here, look at how rejuvenated Quick became after coming here.

Also I think people just see the flashy dekes and draw the wrong conclusion about him. Not saying he's anything special defensively but I do think he has a competitive fire to him. You'll see him getting into scrum after whistles, speaking his mind in interviews. He really has a different attitude than the meek guys we have in Zibanejad & co. He hates losing and has an attitude. Also at the end of the day sports are entertainment, he would at least be enjoyable to watch. Our team is horrid to watch. So often I watch our team and feel like we're playing in a totally different era than the rest of the league, Zegras is the quintessential modern day skilled hockey player

 

[Machinehead]

I really don't get all the continued Zegras proposals. He's bad at everything people already complain about. He's American Zibanejad.