Speculation: Roster Building Thread: Part XIV (To trade or not to trade is the question)

[GoAwayPanarin]

So what’s realistically going to happen? Teams don’t trade at this time of year, so, they are going to continue to falter, fire an assistant coach or two, and then make some decisions at the deadline.

They are going to either barely sneak into the playoffs or barely miss - the dreaded middle.

Still can’t get over the Igor contract. It’s yet another sign that there will be no commitment to building a winner. This team could be looking at a haul of assets gained at the deadline (Panarin, Igor, Kreider) with a clean cap sheet on which to redesign the team but as usual we’ll be making small changes around the edges and the result will be the same.

They’ll more than barely Miss.

Don’t care how talented this group is, there’s something to be said for being in a hole that you can’t dig yourself out of. That’s this group.


Worst team? Nah. Bottom 10? Entirely possible.

They need to cut off all the fat they can between now and the beginning of next season. Outside of Mika (and now Igor) the big money guys are movable.

 

[UAGoalieGuy]

Where does Hagens fit in with recent top draft picks?

 

[jerseyjinx94]

No game day thread huh

 

[Vitto79]

Kreider, Lindgren
For Karlsson, Hague
Retain a but on Lindgren if Vegas needs it

 

[bigdog16]

Where does Hagens fit in with recent top draft picks?

Not at a Celebrini, Bedard, Hughes level. More like a Nico Hischier level

 

[McRanger92]

The team can’t fire Drury or Lavi and remain a serious organization. You can’t let these quitter players have another pelt on their mantle. The season is salvageable if they make hockey trades for younger heart and soul guys who give a shit about defending. Kreider and Trocheck should have their trade lists submitted by Monday morning. I’m so disappointed in Kreider because this season and how the team has quit because of poor leadership just confirms what we’ve all thought about him for years.

 

[LORDE]

No game day thread huh

Do the players know they have a game?

 

[TGWL]

I don't know what the coach is doing but even if he's doing absolutely nothing, these players should be able to go out there and look better than this without a coach. It's that bad and the players should be embarrassed.

 

[Draft Guru]

Where does Hagens fit in with recent top draft picks?

Definitely a tier below Bedard/Celebrini who have the potential to be generational (Ovechkin/Crosby tier)

Definitely above Power/Slafkovsky. Probably closer to Carlsson/Fantilli.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

LET'S GO RANGERS. VS BLUES WELL WHO KNOWS ANYMORE CANT WAIT FOR ANOTHER LOSS. AIM FOR THE 1ST OVERALL PICK. #NYRTANKFORHAGENS LINEMATE OF GABE PERREAULT AT BC AND IS A NEED AT CENTER. MAYBE THE RANGERS ARE DOING THIS TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN

Buttface will do everything in his power to be sure Rangers don't come close to 1st overall.

 

[kovazub94]

to me it actually looks like they're all trying. they just aren't very good. they're too slow and thus out of position too often. they have two defensemen that can actually play NHL hockey, the others simply cannot play the man-on-man system the coaches are asking for effectively. some players that could turn the game on a dime with a skillful play to score a goal have regressed majorly. then the game gets to 2-0, 3-0 and what little offense they were generating dries up because the other team is laying back.

I don’t know how you can look at last night’s goals and say they are trying. The only one who is trying but just got flat out terrible in less than two years is Lindgren. Mancini is trying too but he’s way over his head at this point. The rest are just pretending to be trying if even that.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

They’ll more than barely Miss.

Don’t care how talented this group is, there’s something to be said for being in a hole that you can’t dig yourself out of. That’s this group.


Worst team? Nah. Bottom 10? Entirely possible.

They need to cut off all the fat they can between now and the beginning of next season. Outside of Mika (and now Igor) the big money guys are movable.

In typical fashion, this team will suddenly remember hockey and do just enough to get into the playoffs.

 

[CTRanger]

Do not fire Laviolette, that’s giving this rotten core a pass. This is on them, no heart, no fight, absolute disgrace. Start with Lindgren, Smith and, Kreider at the trade deadline. Do all you can to get Zibanejad to waive in the summer. This team needs to be turned over to the younger players before the rot continues to spread and it’s too late.

 

[grachevsceiling]

Maybe it’s cloud-shouting, but I will continue to think that the organization’s poor/lack of communication with the fans (from both Lavi and Drury) is at least part of the problem. All indications (both through actions and reports) are that Drury blames the players more than the coaches. We hear Laviolette say “the execution isn’t there, but the answers are in the room.” At a certain point you just have to be honest and call people out. Like, “I didn’t think Mika was hounding the puck enough, so he’s going to sit for a game.”

It seems like that immediate communication of expectations/accountability isn’t happening. I’m not sure if it’s Lavi not wanting to embarrass the players and lose the room or Drury giving him a dictum not to for the optics.

But, guess what, that’s what’s happening anyway. Guys are getting embarrassed and the organization—whether it’s Lavi or Drury, or both—has lost the room. Because the media is communicating for the organization. And then, in place of clearly communicated accountability, we get Drury’s “ruthless” side (eg. forcing Trouba to waive, etc). I have a feeling the players would actually respond better to the clarity of a specific call out. And then, if the response is poor, then you make the roster move and it doesn’t even have to look ruthless. It’s more just like, “we’re trying to be a team that’s quick on the puck, and you’re not. Sorry. You’d be a better fit for…um…Buffalo. Or the waiver wire.”

 

[TGWL]

Do not fire Laviolette, that’s giving this rotten core a pass. This is on them, no heart, no fight, absolute disgrace. Start with Lindgren, Smith and, Kreider at the trade deadline. Do all you can to get Zibanejad to waive in the summer. This team needs to be turned over to the younger players before the rot continues to spread and it’s too late.

Unfortunately, this team can't go to the trade deadline before something happens. Whether that's firing the coach or something else.

 

[duhmetreE]

At this point, sell off, add foundation pieces for moving forward. Miss playoffs and pray for another lotto pick

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Unfortunately, this team can't go to the trade deadline before something happens. Whether that's firing the coach or something else.

I suspect that is exactly what's going to happen.

 

[Fitzy]

Do not fire Laviolette, that’s giving this rotten core a pass. This is on them, no heart, no fight, absolute disgrace. Start with Lindgren, Smith and, Kreider at the trade deadline. Do all you can to get Zibanejad to waive in the summer. This team needs to be turned over to the younger players before the rot continues to spread and it’s too late.

No let's just keep cycling coaches until we find one the lazy players like who never asks them to do anything uncomfortable.

 

[MrAlmost]

Kreider, Lindgren, vesey, Smith, z, kakko? and Miller?

That is potentially a lot of trades and a lot of value. We could really remake this team and be right back in the playoffs.

 

[duhmetreE]

Kreider, Lindgren, vesey, Smith, z, kakko? and Miller?

That is potentially a lot of trades and a lot of value. We could really remake this team and be right back in the playoffs.

I don’t see the reason to trade Kakko or KAM, unless it’s a package consolidated for an upgrade.

They’re controllable. They fill their role. They’re not going to be “the guy” but they still young and there’s still potential there in a better environment.

It’s hard to evaluate when everyone is sucking. Once again, I’d keep all RFAs unless an upgrade is available

 

[NYRfan85]

Firing Laviolette isn't going to do anything unless you bring Torts or someone like him in. A coach that will hold EVERYONE accountable. But that's not happening.

Drury needs to unload as many players as he can at this point. Keep the kids. I'd rather keep losing with all of the kids getting ice time and making progress than to keep losing with a bunch of checked-out veterans.

 

[duhmetreE]

2 paths for Drury imo

Try to salvage the season. imo That means a new coach and some defensive upgrades. We’ve seen this already. It works for a while

Or tank for next season. Sell off whatever vets you can and retool. Also a new coach in the offseason

 

[Oscar Lindberg]

It seems obvious that the team morale is lost and is being mixed with players that are just not that good anymore to culminate in what you’re seeing.

Not sure Drury can do much in the short term. Maybe we’ll see another move after the roster freeze but the options are limited in season

 

[HFsNumber1Heel]

For what it's worth was watching the Buffalo and Detroit games last month when this skid started with a friend in the medical field who thinks Mika has some kind of a back/spine issue which explains his lack of effort/play. Wouldn't be the first time a player aged 31/32 rapidly declines (Bossey, Graves, Kerr, to name a few from my youth).

Brooks is right, he needs to change his offseason training. Richards in between 2012-13 and 2013-14.

Kakko is tradeable. He's never going to be 50 point player, too inconsistent. At best he's like a diet Lekhonnen/Barbashev.

The schedule is brutal the rest of the month. They might win one more game between now and New Year's (Nashville).

Othmann should be back in a few weeks. I expect he'll play some games with the big club before the Four Nations break.

The NHL is a lot closer to the NFL nowadays than the MLB with a hard cap; you can stink for one year and be right back in the playoffs a season later, or go from an 8th seed to a division winner (Rangers from 2010-11 to 2011-12 and Washington is on the path to do that this year).

They tank this year and get a top pick like Hagens you can add that to Perrault and Labe joining next season. Presto, your top nine is very different and you'll have UFA money to add short term deals before the big summer of 2026.

The core was always going to change, it just is happening six months earlier.

 

[CLW]

Do not fire Laviolette, that’s giving this rotten core a pass. This is on them, no heart, no fight, absolute disgrace. Start with Lindgren, Smith and, Kreider at the trade deadline. Do all you can to get Zibanejad to waive in the summer. This team needs to be turned over to the younger players before the rot continues to spread and it’s too late.

This is the story about Cinderella's glass slippers. The slippers do not fit so we need to take the axe to the toes. Drury the genius brought in the same shit coach three times over and things went south three times. I'm shocked, shocked I tell you. Let's keep the shit coach, the shit GM and try new players, that will work (not).

There is not a single poster here that seriously argues against changes on the roster, but claiming the coaches and Drury are victims is hilarious.