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

[Machinehead]

I dont really care about other teams. There's no magic formula to replicate. I care about how this specific team gets to the next level. The Rangers are soft. Their players play soft because they dont have guys who want to play that game. Mika and Kreider are the chief culprits of relying on the refs and the power play to fight their battles. They dont give any real effort anymore 5v5 due to age related decline or otherwise. And they get away with it because they've never played in front of a bad goalie their entire Ranger careers. Find me a defenseman you would trade Kreider for.

I don't think there's a defenseman I would trade Kreider for that you don't think is soft.

 

[Machinehead]

Also, not having bad players is a magic formula!

 

[McRanger92]

I don't think there's a defenseman I would trade Kreider for that you don't think is soft.

Try me lol. 34 year old aging star with trade value. 10 years ago you'd be leading the bandwagon.

Berard hurt. Smith back in. He's a guy I trust will have a big game tonight. Raise that trade value pal.

 

[Fitzy]

This should be the time where we are testing internal defensive options.

How has Scanlin been in Hartford this season so far? Wolfpack watchers have suggested he's closer to NHL ready than Robertson. In the event of an eventual Jones promotion, could he replace Lindgren as a stay at home 3rd pairing defenseman?

Mancini is far from a garunteed NHL defenseman but he should continue to get NHL looks while we mull over options.

I think NYR should be able to put together a trade to upgrade on one of Lindgren/Trouba. Esp if one of those two heads the other way. But I think one more spot being an internal replacement ight help not leak assets.

 

[McRanger92]

This should be the time where we are testing internal defensive options.

How has Scanlin been in Hartford this season so far? Wolfpack watchers have suggested he's closer to NHL ready than Robertson. In the event of an eventual Jones promotion, could he replace Lindgren as a stay at home 3rd pairing defenseman?

Mancini is far from a garunteed NHL defenseman but he should continue to get NHL looks while we mull over options.

I think NYR should be able to put together a trade to upgrade on one of Lindgren/Trouba. Esp if one of those two heads the other way. But I think one more spot being an internal replacement ight help not leak assets.

They have to trade Lindgren.

Then run with

Miller-Fox
Schneider-Trouba
Jones-Ruhwedel/Mancini

Look to trade for a top pair partner for Fox after than and you can bump everyone down to where they should be.

 

[lakeshirts37]

For shits and giggles, because I have time this afternoon, a detailed hypothetical scenario:

To NYR: JT Miller
To VAN: Mika Zibanejad

One for one. Headache for headache.

To NYR: Devon Levi, Jordan Greenway and Mattias Samuelsson
To BUF: Jacob Trouba (50% retained), Brennan Othmann

Buffalo balances out their defensive corps and adds a veteran presence and leadership to a young team with playoff aspirations. Trouba has value in hockey circles despite getting dragged on this forum. He's going to be the player that gets more back in a trade than most think. The Rangers add Levi who is blocked in Buffalo and he gets the chance to be the starter here.

Othmann doesn't seem like he has a future here, and is essentially flipped for the player that can play now in Greenway.

To NYR: John Beecher, Mason Lohrei, 2025 1st (top 10 protected, becomes a 2026 1st if deferred this year)
To BOS: Chris Kreider, Ryan Lindgren

Boston is going to take one more kick at the can in the Marchand era. Losing Lohrei hurts for them but get Lindgren back to give them some backfilled depth. The Rangers get two young pieces and a 1st rounder back to launch their retool, even if the return is a bit meager at first.

To NYR: Wyatt Johnson, Evgeny Dadanov (cap) 2025 DAL 1st, 2027 DAL 1st
To DAL: Artemi Panarin (25% retained)

The time is now for this Dallas team. They make a huge move to acquire a piece to push them over the top. They sacrifice a huge piece of their future in Johnston, but that's the price to pay for two playoff runs with Panarin to go for a Cup.

To NYR: Quinton Byfield
To LA: K'Andre Miller

Hockey trade. One for one. Two young guys that had good years in the past couple of seasons currently struggling and both regressing this year where a change of scenery can benefit both guys.

And lastly:

To NYR: 2026 COL 1st , Mikhail Gulyayev
To COL: Igor Shesterkin

Goalies sadly don't carry much trade value, especially those that are UFA's at the end of the year. This is a rental for Colorado, but a rental for a top 5 goalie in the league, and also gives them priority negotiating rights. LTIR Nichuschkin and Colorado has their cap space.

The Rangers overhaul their left side of defense and add depth, especially up the middle to insulate the young wingers that are the crown jewels of the new era.

Your 2025-2026 opening night roster

Miller-Trochek-Lafreniere
Perreault-Johnston-Kakko
Cuylle-Byfield-Berard
Greenway-Carrick-Rempe/Beecher/Edstrom

Lohrei-Fox
Jones-Schneider
Samuelsson-Mancini

Levi
UFA backup

Garand starts in Hartford
Gulyayev waiting in the wings on defense with Emery and Fortescue on the horizon to earn spots
Up top, Sykora and Laba that look like legitimate NHL prospects
Boston 2025 1st
Dallas 2027 1st
Colorado 2026 1st
Dallas 2027 1st

All of this moving forward to retool. You overhaul the defense and give the farm a bit of depth. Draft high end forwards with the extra picks and keep building depth in the middle rounds. This overhauled team is young, but send the message that this team belongs to Fox, Lafreniere, Schneider, Kakko, and Perreault. Not to mention an absolute pain in the ass to play against.

That trade is so bad for Dallas. Should have just drafted Wyatt instead of Brennan.

 

[Fitzy]

They have to trade Lindgren.

Then run with

Miller-Fox
Schneider-Trouba
Jones-Ruhwedel/Mancini

Look to trade for a top pair partner for Fox after than and you can bump everyone down to where they should be.

It's too bad but Lindgren seems to have hit the Kevin Klein cliff 5 years earlier. He likely takes a paycut in UFA this summer. I think he will be retired or in Europe by 29.

He's barely a #7 with the way he has played the past 15 months.

At least Trouba is 'competent' on the third pairing wth Jones.

 

[Raspewtin]

i

This should be the time where we are testing internal defensive options.

How has Scanlin been in Hartford this season so far? Wolfpack watchers have suggested he's closer to NHL ready than Robertson. In the event of an eventual Jones promotion, could he replace Lindgren as a stay at home 3rd pairing defenseman?

Mancini is far from a garunteed NHL defenseman but he should continue to get NHL looks while we mull over options.

I think NYR should be able to put together a trade to upgrade on one of Lindgren/Trouba. Esp if one of those two heads the other way. But I think one more spot being an internal replacement ight help not leak assets.

Scanlin has no NHL future imo. Neither does Robertson. If i absolutely had to play one of them it’s probably Scain, though.

 

[TGWL]

For shits and giggles, because I have time this afternoon, a detailed hypothetical scenario:

To NYR: JT Miller
To VAN: Mika Zibanejad

One for one. Headache for headache.

To NYR: Devon Levi, Jordan Greenway and Mattias Samuelsson
To BUF: Jacob Trouba (50% retained), Brennan Othmann

Buffalo balances out their defensive corps and adds a veteran presence and leadership to a young team with playoff aspirations. Trouba has value in hockey circles despite getting dragged on this forum. He's going to be the player that gets more back in a trade than most think. The Rangers add Levi who is blocked in Buffalo and he gets the chance to be the starter here.

Othmann doesn't seem like he has a future here, and is essentially flipped for the player that can play now in Greenway.

To NYR: John Beecher, Mason Lohrei, 2025 1st (top 10 protected, becomes a 2026 1st if deferred this year)
To BOS: Chris Kreider, Ryan Lindgren

Boston is going to take one more kick at the can in the Marchand era. Losing Lohrei hurts for them but get Lindgren back to give them some backfilled depth. The Rangers get two young pieces and a 1st rounder back to launch their retool, even if the return is a bit meager at first.

To NYR: Wyatt Johnson, Evgeny Dadanov (cap) 2025 DAL 1st, 2027 DAL 1st
To DAL: Artemi Panarin (25% retained)

The time is now for this Dallas team. They make a huge move to acquire a piece to push them over the top. They sacrifice a huge piece of their future in Johnston, but that's the price to pay for two playoff runs with Panarin to go for a Cup.

To NYR: Quinton Byfield
To LA: K'Andre Miller

Hockey trade. One for one. Two young guys that had good years in the past couple of seasons currently struggling and both regressing this year where a change of scenery can benefit both guys.

And lastly:

To NYR: 2026 COL 1st , Mikhail Gulyayev
To COL: Igor Shesterkin

Goalies sadly don't carry much trade value, especially those that are UFA's at the end of the year. This is a rental for Colorado, but a rental for a top 5 goalie in the league, and also gives them priority negotiating rights. LTIR Nichuschkin and Colorado has their cap space.

The Rangers overhaul their left side of defense and add depth, especially up the middle to insulate the young wingers that are the crown jewels of the new era.

Your 2025-2026 opening night roster

Miller-Trochek-Lafreniere
Perreault-Johnston-Kakko
Cuylle-Byfield-Berard
Greenway-Carrick-Rempe/Beecher/Edstrom

Lohrei-Fox
Jones-Schneider
Samuelsson-Mancini

Levi
UFA backup

Garand starts in Hartford
Gulyayev waiting in the wings on defense with Emery and Fortescue on the horizon to earn spots
Up top, Sykora and Laba that look like legitimate NHL prospects
Boston 2025 1st
Dallas 2027 1st
Colorado 2026 1st
Dallas 2027 1st

All of this moving forward to retool. You overhaul the defense and give the farm a bit of depth. Draft high end forwards with the extra picks and keep building depth in the middle rounds. This overhauled team is young, but send the message that this team belongs to Fox, Lafreniere, Schneider, Kakko, and Perreault. Not to mention an absolute pain in the ass to play against.

I don't see most of those teams staying on the phone very long, or reading the full email.

 

[McRanger92]

It's too bad but Lindgren seems to have hit the Kevin Klein cliff 5 years earlier. He likely takes a paycut in UFA this summer. I think he will be retired or in Europe by 29.

He's barely a #7 with the way he has played the past 15 months.

At least Trouba is 'competent' on the third pairing wth Jones.

Speaking of Klein, remember what that did for the 13-14 team when they swapped in a steady defenseman for a soft undersized guy. It was a great trade at a good time in the season and they went to the Final. That needs to happen with Lindgren sooner than later, Drury.

 

[Machinehead]

Try me lol. 34 year old aging star with trade value. 10 years ago you'd be leading the bandwagon.

Well, first of all, this team needs to move the puck better, especially from that end of the ice. They wouldn't look out of place in pre-lockout hockey with the two-line pass. That includes Fox who does pretty much everything at a Hall of Fame level except transition.

If they make any kind of trade, let alone Kreider, for 30 ass year old Mike f***ing Matheson who couldn't pick the puck out of a photo lineup, it's gonna be my 13th reason.

Stop doing Lindgen with extra steps. We got Lindgren at home.

We would never do the trade with Philly but I was really impressed with Emil Andrae. Matter of fact, most of their defensemen move the puck well. Torts is still changing at 66 years old and God bless him.

Colorado desperately needs a winger and Samuel Girard always seems to be available for some reason.

I don't know what's going on in Utah or what they would actually want, but Michael Kesserling is pretty good. And he's 6'5" so we all win.

If we do a trade with Ottawa that's actually somewhat realistic, Jacob Bernard-Docker is pretty good.

Also, it absolutely would not be a Kreider trade because they're rebuilding, but I'd like to get either Walman or Liljegren out of San Jose. Maybe they still think Miller is good and you can start there.

Miller is the perfect example of everything that's going wrong here. People ride him for being soft and maybe he is, but the way bigger problem I have with Miller is that his brain turns into oatmeal if he comes within 10 feet of the puck. It's like the Orb of Confusion from that episode of Spongebob.



It's about to be 2025. All six of your defensemen at least need a working relationship with the puck.

Speaking of Klein, remember what that did for the 13-14 team when they swapped a steady defenseman for a soft undersized guy. They went to the Final. That needs to happen with Lindgren sooner than later, Drury.

Yes, but Kevin Klein, very low-key, could move the puck like a gatling gun. And shoot it like a superstar, my goodness.

 

[SA16]

This should be the time where we are testing internal defensive options.

How has Scanlin been in Hartford this season so far? Wolfpack watchers have suggested he's closer to NHL ready than Robertson. In the event of an eventual Jones promotion, could he replace Lindgren as a stay at home 3rd pairing defenseman?

Mancini is far from a garunteed NHL defenseman but he should continue to get NHL looks while we mull over options.

I think NYR should be able to put together a trade to upgrade on one of Lindgren/Trouba. Esp if one of those two heads the other way. But I think one more spot being an internal replacement ight help not leak assets.

Does it matter? None of those guys are prospects. If they trade Lindgren/Trouba I would imagine they turn around and trade for another dman to replace them or just play Ruhwedel.

 

[Fitzy]

Speaking of Klein, remember what that did for the 13-14 team when they swapped a steady defenseman for a soft undersized guy. They went to the Final. That needs to happen with Lindgren sooner than later, Drury.

I remember the opposite going from MDZ to Klein, so I'm confused with this argument

Does it matter? None of those guys are prospects. If they trade Lindgren/Trouba I would imagine they turn around and trade for another dman to replace them or just play Ruhwedel.

I don't think clearing waivers makes one not a prospect, it just makes one a decidely less valueable one. Teams would likely still pay a 6th for them, now that they are AHL eligible. It's only as an NHL roster player that they are valueless.

Prospect to me informally delineates that the player could get better with time. Ruhwedel is what he is and always will be.

 

[McRanger92]

Well, first of all, this team needs to move the puck better, especially from that end of the ice. They wouldn't look out of place in pre-lockout hockey with the two-line pass. That includes Fox who does pretty much everything at a Hall of Fame level except transition.

If they make any kind of trade, let alone Kreider, for 30 ass year old Mike f***ing Matheson who couldn't pick the puck out of a photo lineup, it's gonna be my 13th reason.

Stop doing Lindgen with extra steps. We got Lindgren at home.

We would never do the trade with Philly but I was really impressed with Emil Andrae. Matter of fact, most of their defensemen move the puck well. Torts is still changing at 66 years old and God bless him.

Colorado desperately needs a winger and Samuel Girard always seems to be available for some reason.

I don't know what's going on in Utah or what they would actually want, but Michael Kesserling is pretty good. And he's 6'5" so we all win.

If we do a trade with Ottawa that's actually somewhat realistic, Jacob Bernard-Docker is pretty good.

Also, it absolutely would not be a Kreider trade because they're rebuilding, but I'd like to get either Walman or Liljegren out of San Jose. Maybe they still think Miller is good and you can start there.

Miller is the perfect example of everything that's going wrong here. People ride him for being soft and maybe he is, but the way bigger problem I have with Miller is that his brain turns into oatmeal if he comes within 10 feet of the puck. It's like the Orb of Confusion from that episode of Spongebob.



It's about to be 2025. All six of your defensemen at least need a working relationship with the puck.


Yes, but Kevin Klein, very low-key, could move the puck like a gatling gun. And shoot it like a superstar, my goodness.

Walman or Liljegren I like. Im very open minded. Its just a trade that needs to be made. How many times do we need to see Lindgren get knocked over by his own net, or the referee? Can't wait to see what tricks Hughes plays on him tonight.

 

[Machinehead]

You know who's also very low-key a puck-moving defenseman at this point?

I'd like for his coverage to be a bit better, but he gets rid of the f***ing thing.

More of this please. And Jones.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

You know who's also very low-key a puck-moving defenseman at this point?

View attachment 938798
I'd like for his coverage to be a bit better, but he gets rid of the f***ing thing.

More of this please. And Jones.

Elite OFD

 

[McRanger92]

You know who's also very low-key a puck-moving defenseman at this point?

View attachment 938798
I'd like for his coverage to be a bit better, but he gets rid of the f***ing thing.

More of this please. And Jones.

He should have the second most ice time 5v5, behind Fox. Has looked good on both sides. They are still playing Trouba and Lindgren way too much. Something has to give.

 

[Machinehead]

He should have the second most ice time 5v5, behind Fox. Has looked good on both sides. They are still playing Trouba and Lindgren way too much. Something has to give.

I don't think Schneider is actually that bad at defending. He has lapses, but like, who cares? That's what you pay a goalie a salary for. I think those numbers reflect a team where nobody knows what to do in their own zone except for Fox, who he never plays with.

He doesn't get hemmed like Lindgren, and he doesn't produce 3-on-1's on a conveyor belt like Trouba and Miller.

Offensive zone keep-ins are important. You absolutely need them from your defensemen and it requires aggression in this day and age, but you also can't f*** too many of them up. Miller and Trouba are a near-guarantee to f*** up the pinch and have it go the other way with numbers, and Lindgren just won't try and will keep backing up until the other team takes it all the way down and either shoots or dumps it in to establish possession (and beat him there too!)

Schnieder is good at them.

 

[Machinehead]

Also, you know who's great at keep-ins as a winger?

f***ing Will Cuylle could hold water in a cheese grater.

 

[McRanger92]

Top 6
Panarin-Trocheck-Lafreneiere
Cuylle-Chytil-Kakko

 

[SA16]

I remember the opposite going from MDZ to Klein, so I'm confused with this argument



I don't think clearing waivers makes one not a prospect, it just makes one a decidely less valueable one. Teams would likely still pay a 6th for them, now that they are AHL eligible. It's only as an NHL roster player that they are valueless.

Prospect to me informally delineates that the player could get better with time. Ruhwedel is what he is and always will be.

Which is likely significantly better than guys that are incapable of even making the NHL in the first place.

 

[Savant]

You know who's also very low-key a puck-moving defenseman at this point?

I'd like for his coverage to be a bit better, but he gets rid of the f***ing thing.

More of this please. And Jones.

The Rangers have three dmen that I would, with confidence, say I want on the opening day roster next season, and absolutely no one to pair them competently with.

I think the Miller criticism has been a bit harsh, but at this stage (especially in context of this team/cap situation) I would MUCH rather bridge Jones than give Miller a big extension

 

[Cmox]

I never knew the Rangers are the first team in history to put players on the trade block.

 

[noncents]

I never knew the Rangers are the first team in history to put players on the trade block.

it is really weird how much normal hockey operations become a big deal when it's us. i can't believe how much we continue to hear about the goodrow waiver

 

[will1066]

Just wasted 15 maddening minutes finding the end of the tape on a roll of scotch tape and working a new peel, so I'm ready for violence tonight.