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

[noncents]

The thing about KAM is that bc of his size and skating he is often the guy making the desperation play trying to cover for someone else, which then leads to him looking out of position but it's bc he vacated to help someone else. He needs to learn and adjust that he doesn't need to try to cover the entire ice and save everyone. Kam needs to be stapled to Schneider and these pairs need to get stabilized.

KAM Schneider 2nd pair is a good idea.

 

[Steve Kournianos]

True story — I was on my way to my office to do an NYR podcast last night (for venting purposes) and like an idiot I drive off with my keys and wallet on the roof. Safe to say the last 24 hours have suuuuuucked, but I still need to get some stuff off my chest.

TLDR: I think Drury’s inexperience is showing and he’s scared to screw up royally now that he’s at a major fork in the road.

Ok, so here’s my theory with Drury, it’s mostly about his inexperience showing. While I do think he’s cocky, stubborn, and sure of himself after being called a “winner” on a national scale since he was in junior high, I also think he privately regrets a lot and is scared to make the wrong moves. Not talking to the public is very Satherian, but it also makes Drury look weak, especially in this town with insanely smart sports fans tracking his every move. But after all, Sather previously built a dynasty and had enough street cred to get a pass from the media. But Drury has yet to build anything on his own and as a novice GM really owes it to the fans who pay his salary to be more accountable and transparent. This is especially because we all know (Drury included) that deep down, this is really Gorton’s team and there isn’t a single contributor outside of Trocheck who Drury can claim responsibility for.

Now, I get he was in Player Dev. and an AGM and had a hand in some of the brighter spots developing as planned, and in some cases Drury helped influence the drafting of current roster types. But again, the Rangers are unquestionably what they are since 2021-22 because of Gorton’s big decisions. Yet this is where it gets kind of dicey, because both Drury and Gorton were part of Team Miscalculation that saw MZA, McDonagh, J.T. Miller, Hagelin, Skjei, and Duclair play their best hockey after being traded, and Drury made it worse with the horrendous Buchnevich deal, and now even losing Howden looks shortsighted. You can make an argument that staying the course with that group while executing the anticipated Hank-Igor transition would have yielded similar or possibly better results, and without Drury in a GM role.

Nonetheless, these are the top reasons why I think he is willing to run it back with guys who have clearly regressed while wearing the sweater, and that trading them really should be a last resort (to him). I think he knows players like Fox, Miller, and Lindgren are all in their prime, and he inked Zibanejad and gave the captaincy to Trouba convinced (more or less) that both would still hold value into their 30s.

But now you have this weird tactic of sending out a trade memo, less than five months after already screwing the pooch with Trouba in the offseason. Again, the blemishes on Drury’s resume are mounting, and it’s because of this that I think Igor is about to get his massive extension. It’s a no-brainer and a smart political move because it will buy him time, and if they fail in the playoffs, he can always say extending Igor limited his options to improve (which Dubas did in Toronto before gutting his draft capital as well as losing key pieces to FA).

Drury is in a bad spot and I’m not convinced he’s the right man to fight his way out of it. His tenure from a sheer transactional perspective is below-average at best, and I think most, if not all GMs around the league know they can dictate the terms.

Playing the kids is nice and a lot of us should feel validated that we pushed for it for years. But now he’s got a crippling contract that was his own doing (Zibanejad), and it will take a miracle for it to turn out in Drury’s favor.

I said it during the 2022 ECF — The Ranger defense was exposed but deserved a mulligan for being on the younger side. Three seasons later, and it clearly remains a major, major issue. I don’t think Drury is qualified to fix it without starting another rebuild/retool, but we’ll see.

 

[RempireStateBuilding]

Kinda funny Drury has to deal with a difficult captain after he himself refused to retire despite a career ending injury and forced the Rangers to buy him out. Homegrown captain next please and thank you

Well well, how the turn tables..

 

[Lindberg Cheese]

True story — I was on my way to my office to do an NYR podcast last night (for venting purposes) and like an idiot I drive off with my keys and wallet on the roof. Safe to say the last 24 hours have suuuuuucked, but I still need to get some stuff off my chest.

TLDR: I think Drury’s inexperience is showing and he’s scared to screw up royally now that he’s at a major fork in the road.

Ok, so here’s my theory with Drury, it’s mostly about his inexperience showing. While I do think he’s cocky, stubborn, and sure of himself after being called a “winner” on a national scale since he was in junior high, I also think he privately regrets a lot and is scared to make the wrong moves. Not talking to the public is very Satherian, but it also makes Drury look weak, especially in this town with insanely smart sports fans tracking his every move. But after all, Sather previously built a dynasty and had enough street cred to get a pass from the media. But Drury has yet to build anything on his own and as a novice GM really owes it to the fans who pay his salary to be more accountable and transparent. This is especially because we all know (Drury included) that deep down, this is really Gorton’s team and there isn’t a single contributor outside of Trocheck who Drury can claim responsibility for.

Now, I get he was in Player Dev. and an AGM and had a hand in some of the brighter spots developing as planned, and in some cases Drury helped influence the drafting of current roster types. But again, the Rangers are unquestionably what they are since 2021-22 because of Gorton’s big decisions. Yet this is where it gets kind of dicey, because both Drury and Gorton were part of Team Miscalculation that saw MZA, McDonagh, J.T. Miller, Hagelin, Skjei, and Duclair play their best hockey after being traded, and Drury made it worse with the horrendous Buchnevich deal, and now even losing Howden looks shortsighted. You can make an argument that staying the course with that group while executing the anticipated Hank-Igor transition would have yielded similar or possibly better results, and without Drury in a GM role.

Nonetheless, these are the top reasons why I think he is willing to run it back with guys who have clearly regressed while wearing the sweater, and that trading them really should be a last resort (to him). I think he knows players like Fox, Miller, and Lindgren are all in their prime, and he inked Zibanejad and gave the captaincy to Trouba convinced (more or less) that both would still hold value into their 30s.

But now you have this weird tactic of sending out a trade memo, less than five months after already screwing the pooch with Trouba in the offseason. Again, the blemishes on Drury’s resume are mounting, and it’s because of this that I think Igor is about to get his massive extension. It’s a no-brainer and a smart political move because it will buy him time, and if they fail in the playoffs, he can always say extending Igor limited his options to improve (which Dubas did in Toronto before gutting his draft capital as well as losing key pieces to FA).

Drury is in a bad spot and I’m not convinced he’s the right man to fight his way out of it. His tenure from a sheer transactional perspective is below-average at best, and I think most, if not all GMs around the league know they can dictate the terms.

Playing the kids is nice and a lot of us should feel validated that we pushed for it for years. But now he’s got a crippling contract that was his own doing (Zibanejad), and it will take a miracle for it to turn out in Drury’s favor.

I said it during the 2022 ECF — The Ranger defense was exposed but deserved a mulligan for being on the younger side. Three seasons later, and it clearly remains a major, major issue. I don’t think Drury is qualified to fix it without starting another rebuild/retool, but we’ll see.

It’s gotta be a sobering moment when you’ve accepted the fact that you’ve been bullshitting everything your whole career. I guess we’ll see if Drury pulls out of the spiral or finds additional rationalization that somehow things weren’t his fault. Thanks Steve.

 

[Guyute]

Word is that JT Miller and Elias Pettersson don’t get along. Apparently Pettersson is playing better and looking happier during Miller’s leave. I wonder if a Zibanejad for Miller deal is possible. Maybe the Swedes (Allvin, the Sedin twins, Pettersson) can convince Mika to waive his NMC.

Idk if Miller is even better than Mika, but it seems like a change is necessary for both the Rangers and Zibanejad. The Mika-Kreider connection doesn’t work anymore. They haven’t been able to mesh with Blais, Kakko, Panarin, Vatrano, Tarasenko, Kane, Wheeler, and now Smith. Nobody has worked since Zucarello and Buchnevich. Zibanejad and Miller are similar in both age and cap hit.

 

[McRanger92]

My disillusionment with Drury is growing. Seems to be backtracking on the threats. However! If the Rangers players are going to rally around their hatred of him and play better, it was a great motivational tactic.

I still think he needs to go further. Trade Lindgren for a real defenseman to show you are not a coward. How long is the locker room going to be upset if they are made into a better team. I think you’ll see a hell of a lot more consistency out of this team with a Matheson, Walman Pettersson playing in his pot?

 

[McRanger92]

Word is that JT Miller and Elias Pettersson don’t get along. Apparently Pettersson is playing better and looking happier during Miller’s leave. I wonder if a Zibanejad for Miller deal is possible. Maybe the Swedes (Allvin, the Sedin twins, Pettersson) can convince Mika to waive his NMC.

Idk if Miller is even better than Mika, but it seems like a change is necessary for both the Rangers and Zibanejad. The Mika-Kreider connection doesn’t work anymore. They haven’t been able to mesh with Blais, Kakko, Panarin, Vatrano, Tarasenko, Kane, Wheeler, and now Smith. Nobody has worked since Zucarello and Buchnevich. Zibanejad and Miller are similar in both age and cap hit.

I think that’s the type of seismic move that only happens now if both teams continue to spiral. But in the summer? A Mika or Trouba for JT deal makes sense for all involved parties.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Word is that JT Miller and Elias Pettersson don’t get along. Apparently Pettersson is playing better and looking happier during Miller’s leave. I wonder if a Zibanejad for Miller deal is possible. Maybe the Swedes (Allvin, the Sedin twins, Pettersson) can convince Mika to waive his NMC.

Idk if Miller is even better than Mika, but it seems like a change is necessary for both the Rangers and Zibanejad. The Mika-Kreider connection doesn’t work anymore. They haven’t been able to mesh with Blais, Kakko, Panarin, Vatrano, Tarasenko, Kane, Wheeler, and now Smith. Nobody has worked since Zucarello and Buchnevich. Zibanejad and Miller are similar in both age and cap hit.

He's absolutely better.

I don't think people realize how good our favorite bozo has become.

If a 1 for 1 trade is on the table we need to take it and run.

 

[Kupo]

True story — I was on my way to my office to do an NYR podcast last night (for venting purposes) and like an idiot I drive off with my keys and wallet on the roof. Safe to say the last 24 hours have suuuuuucked, but I still need to get some stuff off my chest.

TLDR: I think Drury’s inexperience is showing and he’s scared to screw up royally now that he’s at a major fork in the road.

Ok, so here’s my theory with Drury, it’s mostly about his inexperience showing. While I do think he’s cocky, stubborn, and sure of himself after being called a “winner” on a national scale since he was in junior high, I also think he privately regrets a lot and is scared to make the wrong moves. Not talking to the public is very Satherian, but it also makes Drury look weak, especially in this town with insanely smart sports fans tracking his every move. But after all, Sather previously built a dynasty and had enough street cred to get a pass from the media. But Drury has yet to build anything on his own and as a novice GM really owes it to the fans who pay his salary to be more accountable and transparent. This is especially because we all know (Drury included) that deep down, this is really Gorton’s team and there isn’t a single contributor outside of Trocheck who Drury can claim responsibility for.

Now, I get he was in Player Dev. and an AGM and had a hand in some of the brighter spots developing as planned, and in some cases Drury helped influence the drafting of current roster types. But again, the Rangers are unquestionably what they are since 2021-22 because of Gorton’s big decisions. Yet this is where it gets kind of dicey, because both Drury and Gorton were part of Team Miscalculation that saw MZA, McDonagh, J.T. Miller, Hagelin, Skjei, and Duclair play their best hockey after being traded, and Drury made it worse with the horrendous Buchnevich deal, and now even losing Howden looks shortsighted. You can make an argument that staying the course with that group while executing the anticipated Hank-Igor transition would have yielded similar or possibly better results, and without Drury in a GM role.

Nonetheless, these are the top reasons why I think he is willing to run it back with guys who have clearly regressed while wearing the sweater, and that trading them really should be a last resort (to him). I think he knows players like Fox, Miller, and Lindgren are all in their prime, and he inked Zibanejad and gave the captaincy to Trouba convinced (more or less) that both would still hold value into their 30s.

But now you have this weird tactic of sending out a trade memo, less than five months after already screwing the pooch with Trouba in the offseason. Again, the blemishes on Drury’s resume are mounting, and it’s because of this that I think Igor is about to get his massive extension. It’s a no-brainer and a smart political move because it will buy him time, and if they fail in the playoffs, he can always say extending Igor limited his options to improve (which Dubas did in Toronto before gutting his draft capital as well as losing key pieces to FA).

Drury is in a bad spot and I’m not convinced he’s the right man to fight his way out of it. His tenure from a sheer transactional perspective is below-average at best, and I think most, if not all GMs around the league know they can dictate the terms.

Playing the kids is nice and a lot of us should feel validated that we pushed for it for years. But now he’s got a crippling contract that was his own doing (Zibanejad), and it will take a miracle for it to turn out in Drury’s favor.

I said it during the 2022 ECF — The Ranger defense was exposed but deserved a mulligan for being on the younger side. Three seasons later, and it clearly remains a major, major issue. I don’t think Drury is qualified to fix it without starting another rebuild/retool, but we’ll see.

Steve please get your shit together and find a way to post here more often. Malaka.

Also - how did you manage to drive with your keys on top of your car? Is it a key fob? I imagine your key fell, causing your car to be immobilized after a few feet. Newer cars need the key fob to be within a couple of feet for them to run. Or were these a different set of keys?

We need some clarity, Steve.

On a side note, I’m auctioning off this custom Louis Vuitton Rangers wallet. Bid starts at $1,375. Bidding is open to everyone. Except @Tob . f*** that guy.

He's absolutely better.

This.

Hell, there are two centers on our very own team better than Zibanejad, and EP is superior to both.

 

[Kupo]

A Mika or Trouba for JT deal makes sense for all involved parties.

Noooooo. Cmon. Vancouver would get an absurd amount of better offers for JTM.

 

[McRanger92]

Noooooo. Cmon. Vancouver would get an absurd amount of better offers for JTM.

Depends what Vancouver wants to do. And what’s JT’s no trade situation? I think if the Canucks are building around the Pettersson/Hughes leadership group and moving on from JT, Mika and Trouba both fit that mold. I’d obviously be willing to add but it’s on whoever the GM is to win the trade.

 

[grachevsceiling]

Can we fast forward to kakko’s memoir or, god willing, biopic ?

 

[LokiDog]

So, it was nice to get a W and break the skid, but it feels almost disappointing because we are so close to obvious, earth shaking moves that are *very much* still needed and you just know that, in the hyper traditional, conservative NHL, a win and Z scoring, is viewed as a “monkey off the back” moment when - in reality - we all know that Montreal sucks, we got brutally outplayed, looked like crap, didn’t deserve the win and certainly are not “back on track”. I’d have rather dropped 7 straight and seen some genuine changes than win this afternoon. If there is anyone out there who thinks THIS roster is a genuine threat to win the Cup, while I envy anyone who can live their life with that much optimism, they are … erm, handicapped? If THIS roster won the Cup this year it would legitimately be insulting to about 5-6 teams that are actually well constructed, bring a consistent effort, move the puck well, backcheck well, defend well, etc. I know that when the team wins all of a sudden it becomes a completely different climate around here and I may be called a doom and gloomer, but honestly I’ve been posting the same shit about this club for over 12,000 posts. The mix isn’t right. The core isn’t good enough and there is no solid leadership. No accountability. I desperately want to see changes.

Kakko, Laf, Cullye, Berard, Edstrom, Fox, Schneider, Jones can stay. Shesterkin as well, but I DO think it’s foolish to give him the contract he wants. One, mayyyybe two, of Trochek/Kreider/Panarin can stay. Literally everyone else should be gone. I didn’t include Chytil in my list because his health is too tenuous and we will never be able to rely on him as a top-six mainstay but he isn’t really a bottom-six talent. Which sucks, because he’s certainly good. He CAN stay, but I just think you’re going to be lucky if he averages 55 games a year.