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

SnowblindNYR

HFBoards Sponsor
Sponsor
Nov 16, 2011
55,141
34,568
Brooklyn, NY


I don't disagree with the Rangers team construction discussed in the video.

Mika and Panarin are both right-handed players. Similar players. Not very physical. Mika is bigger than Panarin but he isn't a very physical player.

Fox. I like Fox. However, he is smaller D. His playoff performances haven't been great. Does he wear down during the season and play on fumes in the playoffs? He is not Brian Leetch who won the Conn Smythe. Leetch was terrific. I remember Fox got injured in 21-22 during the season. Upper body/shoulder injury. He missed a few games. He seemed to be less than 100% for the rest of the season. Last season, Fox was kneed by Nick Jensen in game 4 against Washington and he was severely limited the way. The Rangers lost. Again.

Is Fox really a #1 D? Norris Trophy winner. I know. However, Fox is MIA in the playoffs.

The Rangers have major decisions to make here. Not just a few cosmetic moves.


Fox was not MIA in the playoffs until last year when he was clearly injured. Before that he was a PPG player in the playoffs. Revisionist history just because you want to get upset over something.
 

Boris Zubov

No relation to Sergei, Joe
May 6, 2016
19,271
26,872
Back on the east coast
Lol it's hardly hype, just pointing out that he gets quite excessively dragged for what he is (edit - see post above, that's just uncalled for). I've never expected him to become a true elite player in the league or anything.
He been hyped up as an elite player on HF overall & by some posters on HFNYR. That's the disconnect. Some people would have you believe he would come in & be a savior.
 
  • Like
Reactions: bhamill

GoAwayPanarin

HFBoards Sponsor
Sponsor
May 27, 2008
44,252
57,374
In High Altitoad
He been hyped up as an elite player on HF overall & by some posters on HFNYR. That's the disconnect. Some people would have you believe he would come in & be a savior.

The jovo juice!

Previously poisoned individuals include Kravtsov, Barbashev and Rempe.

Currently immune: Berard and regular season Panarin.
 

JohnC

Registered User
Jan 26, 2013
8,730
6,546
New York
Fox was the team’s best skater in the 22 playoffs. I actually distinctly remember him being really good during that run.

Last year he was playing on one knee and it clearly showed. Why people choose to hone in on the guy who’s arguably the team’s most important player is beyond me.

50% of the D not being able to find the offensive zone is the way more pressing issue along with the underachieving top forwards.
 

SnowblindNYR

HFBoards Sponsor
Sponsor
Nov 16, 2011
55,141
34,568
Brooklyn, NY
Fox was the team’s best skater in the 22 playoffs. I actually distinctly remember him being really good during that run.

Last year he was playing on one knee and it clearly showed. Why people choose to hone in on the guy who’s arguably the team’s most important player is beyond me.

50% of the D not being able to find the offensive zone is the way more pressing issue along with the underachieving top forwards.

It's masochism. People want to be miserable and if you complain about some middle of the road player, that's not max misery. If you complain about the best player then you're in full misery mode. And some people get off on that. I know some people will say that about me and Igor but I really don't think he's anywhere near our best player though, he does play solid in the playoffs and more or less consistent.
 
  • Like
Reactions: bhamill

Boris Zubov

No relation to Sergei, Joe
May 6, 2016
19,271
26,872
Back on the east coast
It's masochism. People want to be miserable and if you complain about some middle of the road player, that's not max misery. If you complain about the best player then you're in full misery mode. And some people get off on that. I know some people will say that about me and Igor but I really don't think he's anywhere near our best player though, he does play solid in the playoffs and more or less consistent.
There's a difference between complaining to complain & legit criticism, which in Fox's case is taboo on this board. He's a great player but also has his share of warts. However there's a huge faction here who refuses to see that or worse brings out the pitchforks if you dare to engage in a good faith discussion about where his game currently is.
 

McRanger92

Registered User
Jun 7, 2017
11,672
21,801
Argue over Fox’s playoff performance all you’d like (mostly great outside of the devils series where he was horrible) but the major point is the Rangers are soft on the back end and Fox can’t carry the load by himself.

The Rangers shouldn’t be making hollow “shakeup trade” threats. They absolutely need a lefty defenseman who can play on the top pair, which would subsequently push Lindgren out of the lineup whether he is on the team or not. Really anyone should be on the table for that type of player. The assets is hold are Fox, Laf, Cuylle and Gabe. Everything else is in play for that type of player.
 
Last edited:

CLW

Registered User
Nov 11, 2018
7,239
6,944
Lol that part was just a little (unnecessary) sarcasm to suggest that the Ducks really have no reason to move him. They are finally showing improvement and he's been one of the biggest positives next to Dostal.

Dostal is the one I'd be interested in if Igor gets traded due to his excessive salary demand (obviously low probability), Zegras not so much. Not sure if the Rangers and Ducks make good trading partners. What do the Ducks need?
 

WhatTheDuck

9 - 20 - 8
May 17, 2007
24,137
17,679
Worst Case, Ontario
Dostal is the one I'd be interested in if Igor gets traded due to his excessive salary demand (obviously low probability), Zegras not so much. Not sure if the Rangers and Ducks make good trading partners. What do the Ducks need?

I can't picture a realistic scenario where the Ducks move Dostal at any point in the foreseeable future. He's making himself the franchise goalie moving forward. Our biggest need is for star talent to emerge elsewhere so that our success isn't so hugely reliant on goaltending as it has been. I assume one of these goalie starved teams will eventually fork over enough to make it worth moving Gibson as his contract comes up to the final two years.
 

Boris Zubov

No relation to Sergei, Joe
May 6, 2016
19,271
26,872
Back on the east coast
I can't picture a realistic scenario where the Ducks move Dostal at any point in the foreseeable future. He's making himself the franchise goalie moving forward. Our biggest need is for star talent to emerge elsewhere so that our success isn't so hugely reliant on goaltending as it has been. I assume one of these goalie starved teams will eventually fork over enough to make it worth moving Gibson as his contract comes up to the final two years.
I'd take Gibson as a stop gap instead of overpaying Igor.
 

bhamill

Registered User
Sponsor
Apr 16, 2012
4,756
5,937
Zegras has loads of talent but he has to put a more coherent NHL game together. It's an issue sometimes with these bottom feeding teams. They stick a kid in the NHL before he has an idea about defensive responsibility to see if he can run up some points and then if he does the other parts of his game don't get addressed or addressed enough.
Yes. Don’t get me wrong, if we can buy low on Zegras we should do it. To my mind, though, Kakko is the better more complete player, the player I want for THIS team, even if Zegras can pick it back up. And this is not even taking into consideration that Kakko may turn out to be a center…
 

McRanger92

Registered User
Jun 7, 2017
11,672
21,801
I think it’s being under discussed that there’s some locker room turmoil going on. Not exactly sure what it is but Brooks has brought up multiple times how the last week of training camp something with the team felt “off”. Multiple outlets have said everyone in locker room is walking on eggshells. It’s the least shocking thing ever when you have the Trouba trade drama, Igor contract drama, and whatever is going on with Meeka.

Not to mention the young players who are carrying us being continually passed over. I don’t completely buy that Kakko wants out but where there’s smoke there’s fire. And if the vets are really pushing back against Drury as being too harsh, they are all in for a rude awakening if he’s fired and replaced by someone who hasn’t known them all for a decade.
 
  • Like
Reactions: skipmowerman

Kocur Dill

picklicious
Feb 7, 2010
3,191
1,692
Fox wasn’t even bad in the Devils series.

He had one semi bad moment in g7 which was mostly on Kreider and for that alone people wants to attach the idea that he had a bad series (ive even heard some say he had a bad season lmao.)

A small part of the image of Adam Fox is hidden in your message although you probably didnt intend to.

For the level of importance he is in this line-up, having an "ok" or "not bad" series isn't helpful for this team to succeed.

Yes, the team needs to be better as a whole and supportive. And yes, Fox isnt a "Savior". You can't expect him to have a Messier "We will win." moment. Its just not his style.

But, if the expectation certain players need to have lets say, conservatively, one defining game per series. That performance that seperates the SCW from the Playoff losers. Well, we expect one game per series where Shesterkin is that guy, we expect it from Panarin as well. Adam Fox, the persona he fills, should be expected to meet that criteria too.

Lafreniere had one of those games and so did Kreider last playoffs.

Krieder to me is in the "great if it happens, not expected." tier.

Lafreniere was a VERY pleasant surprise. And the fans got giddy for it.

Shesterkin has earned the expectation.

Panarin is working on it. Hense the critisism.

Fox should be in that A tier of expectation.

That said, some of that is on him to get unselfish and maybe make a Alpha move once in ahwile. Some of that is on the other 4 guys on the ice to scheme up and give him the support he can trust to abandon his responsible sector of the scheme to run and open hole with an Alpha move.

My point is. He's in that tier of talent and pay. So he's worthy of constructive critisizm.

And as said previously, the pitch fork crowd, if they are truely reasonable people, should understand that.
 

McRanger92

Registered User
Jun 7, 2017
11,672
21,801
Drury inquired about JT Miller again per the Athletic. They want a guy who plays with fire and will hold people accountable I guess. Kinda is his MO in Vancouver for better or worse. Who knows what going on with him on this leave of absence by maybe a problem for problem trade with the Canucks.
 
  • Like
Reactions: skipmowerman

DanielBrassard

It's all so tiresome
May 6, 2014
23,881
22,998
PA from SI
Drury inquired about JT Miller again per the Athletic. They want a guy who plays with fire and will hold people accountable I guess. Kinda is his MO in Vancouver for better or worse. Who knows what going on with him on this leave of absence by maybe a problem for problem trade with the Canucks.
Mika for Miller if Mika would waive his NMC would be something else.
 

Boris Zubov

No relation to Sergei, Joe
May 6, 2016
19,271
26,872
Back on the east coast
Drury inquired about JT Miller again per the Athletic. They want a guy who plays with fire and will hold people accountable I guess. Kinda is his MO in Vancouver for better or worse. Who knows what going on with him on this leave of absence by maybe a problem for problem trade with the Canucks.
do-it-ben-stiller.gif
 

Ad

Upcoming events

Ad

Ad