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

[Kocur26]

Fox and Trocheck have been complete no-shows - don’t tell me about Fox’s assists.
He has very little impact on the game in terms of putting shots on net and pressing the play upfront. He is also become one of the slowest rangers on the team.
By the end of next season, he’ll be a detrimental hockey player.
If you can’t see that you’re not paying attention.

Trocheck has turned into an asshole skating around smirking and slashing guys from behind zero production.

I don’t think there’s one untouchable on this team except Cuyelle.

 

[Machinehead]

Don't care about Fox's physicality because he is plenty physical for a small guy.

My concern is his terrible body language after turnovers, where he throws his head back in exasperation (happens like 5 times a night at this point) and his lack of urgency skating back into his zone to retrieve the puck. Also shoot the f***ing puck my man. Averages 5 shots a game for his career and down to 3.6 this year. The underlying numbers are the same as always, so to me that signals poor decision making with the puck on his stick.

He does need to shoot more. He's in a very long goal scoring slump and he's probably frustrated. He's not completely trusting his own ability. That's not soft, that's human. He'll get one to go and then he'll be fine.

You mentioned body language and other little things being indicative of larger issues. Ok, does Fox have larger issues? No, not really. I wouldn't worry about it.

 

[Mike in Houston]

If you are a -7 the last two games and a -13 for the season, you know it might be good to attend an optional or two. Just saying.

 

[will1066]

a big part of what you're seeing is the rapid decline of Lindgren leading to Fox getting double teamed and nobody respecting Lindgren on dump ins..

that post (not yours) feels like complaining just to complain. Fox does some things not so well. Whatever. Cale Makar sucks ass defensively and always has but no one complains because he go weeeeeeeee fast

even if he has legit gripes (which he does, the obnoxious head snaps are super annoying and indicative of some not great stuff) you clear out literally 95% of this roster first before you come to any conclusion that a D with 4 straight top 5 norris finishes is any sort of problem driver.

I think we're seeing a confluence of different things affecting not just Fox but a lot of other guys. To your other post, Trouba's troubles are caused by others too, and they're not just self-inflicted. Zibanejad gave him a weak pass last night that put him in a bad spot that led to a goal. Early in the game, Panarin gave Laf a suicide pass that could've been bad for Laf. They're putting each other in bad spots up and down the ice. Defensemen with bad pinches. Forwards not coming back to help on the backcheck.

Still, we're not seeing Fox deke a forechecker much, coming out of the defensive right corner.

 

[CLW]

I'll just say that slow and being non-physical aren't made up. He thrived on jukes and misdirection the first couple of years and dominated play. He rarely dominates 1 on 1 battles anymore.

Fox takes so much flak in the corners I wonder if he's going to go the way of Lindgren in a few years. He's already slowed down physically. This guy really has to focus on keeping himself in as great a shape as he can. His godly IQ is not going to help if he gets worn down to a pulp.

 

[zlev]

complaining about Fox is just people desperate to have the hottest take. he's been the best player on the team all season.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

The criticism that Fox is particularly unphysical is weird to me.

Like, ok he's 5'nothing, so he's not laying huge hits, but he's always sticking his ass right in there. He doesn't shy away from contact in either zone.

This one, I don't get. 17 assists in 20 games and the Rangers are huge plus in every category when he's on the ice.

For me, this is where it becomes vibes instead of results. People just want a more entertaining player. Too bad.

Fox would be plenty entertaining on a better team. Watch guys like Makar and Bouchard, when they get the puck they are in acres of space. The Rangers never create space, and they panic and say to Fox “here take the puck and do something with it because I can’t “.


I don’t like some of his tendencies lately but Fox is still a diamond in this pile of coal

 

[Machinehead]

Fox would be plenty entertaining on a better team. Watch guys like Makar and Bouchard, when they get the puck they are in acres of space. The Rangers never create space, and they panic and say to Fox “here take the puck and do something with it because I can’t “.


I don’t like some of his tendencies lately but Fox is still a diamond in this pile of coal

When it comes to spacing, it also really doesn't help that all of his partners have amounted to playing 4v5 in the offensive zone.

 

[noncents]

We have no idea what's actually said in room, where it matters. I couldn't care less what is said to the media, or by who.

You guys watch that shit? Do something else. I can recommend some good video games.

not surprised re: video game guy

 

[Machinehead]

not surprised re: video game guy

So, would you like to elaborate on that?

 

[Raspewtin]

just realized Trocheck has 1 point in his last 9 games. jeez

 

[Machinehead]

I don't know what's going on with Trocheck. He always had flaws but I would argue handling the puck like it's liquid wasn't one of them.

 

[Raspewtin]

I think we're seeing a confluence of different things affecting not just Fox but a lot of other guys. To your other post, Trouba's troubles are caused by others too, and they're not just self-inflicted. Zibanejad gave him a weak pass last night that put him in a bad spot that led to a goal. Early in the game, Panarin gave Laf a suicide pass that could've been bad for Laf. They're putting each other in bad spots up and down the ice. Defensemen with bad pinches. Forwards not coming back to help on the backcheck.

Still, we're not seeing Fox deke a forechecker much, coming out of the defensive right corner.

yeah there's def some kind of hockey raincloud hanging over pretty much the whole team. the bad habits are contagious. the awful players aren't the only ones driving these bad habits. I agree with all of this.

This is why even though I think the team sucks way more than is lazy or unwilling, I'm pro getting rid of a core player to shake things up. Whoever goes may not fix everything, but it may jolt the room just a bit.

 

[lakeshirts37]

He's shooting 24%.

When he gets closer to a realistic shooting percentage is he still "answering the call?"

He's a good player and has a lot of elements we need, but your entire narrative that he's taking the bull by the horns falls apart when his shooting normalizes.

Take a look at the guy with a five-year resume of never going below a top 20 player in the world.

Yeah I dont think anything changes when his S% normalizes because he brings it every night and guys feed off that. Being highly skilled is not a prereq for being captain, so points and how many goals he scores is irrelevant

 

[will1066]

 

[Ruggs225]

I don't know what's going on with Trocheck. He always had flaws but I would argue handling the puck like it's liquid wasn't one of them.

Yeah he is a big concern of mine. Like he is night and day from last year both skill wise, and attitude/hustle wise.

Its what really makes me think that alot of bad is going around in locker room. Like worse thet what is being reported.

 

[Machinehead]

Yeah I dont think anything changes when his S% normalizes because he brings it every night and guys feed off that. Being highly skilled is not a prereq for being captain, so points and how many goals he scores is irrelevant

Not disagreeing with that, but when he doesn't score for ten games, I don't wanna hear "what happened to Cuylle? He used to bring it!"

 

[Kocur26]

complaining about Fox is just people desperate to have the hottest take. he's been the best player on the team all season.

Hysterical - he has flat out sucked.
He’s taking terrible minor penalties cost us a game or two doing that out of position a number of times a complaining ref baiter by the way all of a sudden.
His lack of quick left or right foot speed is starting to become a huge problem.
He has no shots from the point whatsoever. He’s a flipper and a chipper those guys after a while burn you financially.
The best player on the team this year is Panerin btw followed by Willie C.

 

[Mikachu93]

So smug. Acting like he didn't actively block a trade 4 months ago which is why he's being asked this in the first place.

 

[McRanger92]

So smug. Acting like he didn't actively block a trade 4 months ago which is why he's being asked this in the first place.

Waivers

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

When it comes to spacing, it also really doesn't help that all of his partners have amounted to playing 4v5 in the offensive zone.

Yup. by the time he gets the puck he’s cornered already.

The whole team operates only around the walls.

Some guys like Panarin , Laf, and Kakko maintain possession around the outside and do nothing with it.

Others like Kreider, Trochek, and Zib try to do the same but lose the puck . Either way, not good.

 

[will1066]

Waivers

Actual question: Who, and how many, can they bury in Hartford, theoretically?

 

[NYR Viper]

Yup. by the time he gets the puck he’s cornered already.

The whole team operates only around the walls.

Some guys like Panarin , Laf, and Kakko maintain possession around the outside and do nothing with it.

Others like Kreider, Trochek, and Zib try to do the same but lose the puck . Either way, not good.

This is what makes Cuylle such a revelation. He fights to get to the inside of the ice. When Trochek is playing well, he's doing the same thing. Same goes for Chytil and Lafreniere.

People shit on Othmann as a prospect for whatever reason but if he was in the NHL, whether he was scoring or not, he's going to force himself and the puck to the net and get there himself.

 

[28]

No trade lists exist for a reason. I’m not moving somewhere I don’t want to live. The team agreed to this provision.
People need to stop being so “offended.”

 

[Machinehead]

Yup. by the time he gets the puck he’s cornered already.

The whole team operates only around the walls.

Some guys like Panarin , Laf, and Kakko maintain possession around the outside and do nothing with it.

Others like Kreider, Trochek, and Zib try to do the same but lose the puck . Either way, not good.

@DanielBrassard has beaten the hell out of the drum on this team not going to the middle. It's something that has permeated the roster.

Berard getting a tiny bit of space and using it to go straight to the blue paint was so refreshing.

I think the issue is threefold:

1) It's a bad habit that's been endorsed by a lot of the usual suspects on the roster.

2) This team really drinks the Valliquette royal road kool-aid and has really gone to extremes on cross-ice passes, to point where skating it across or being in the royal road is bench-worthy.

3) They're not great at passing for a team that wants to do that, so around the horn is the play they always come back to leaning on.