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

[Machinehead]

We're razor-thin organizationally at LD. Otherwise, I don't disagree.

You don't let lack of positional depth stop you from making a good deal when the guy already in there sucks.

 

[Beer League Sniper]

Unfriendly reminder that Avery was a lazy player, a huge distraction off the ice, and had one good year in the NHL.

Only one of these things is true.

The man's a huge asshole, and a personally unlikable figure, but he wasn't lazy and he was basically the prototype of what a good bottom-6 pest should be for years.

 

[Kocur Dill]

This team plays selfish, selfish hockey. It's why our offense ranks so high. It's at the complete expense of our defensive game. Players aren't plastered to their man on the backcheck. They let opposing players gain separation. They're always waiting for someone else to force a turnover so they can fly the zone and move the puck back the other way. There's no accountability, either. Some of the worst offenders are our "core" guys. There's no strong voice in the room calling this shit what it is: cherry-picking and lack of defensive effort.

Our guys play passive as f*** on d, conserving energy until it's time to go the other way. I want them absolutely smothering the opposition, as the good teams of this league do to us. Instead, we get pinned for 30-60 seconds at a time and absolutely decimated. Sure, you blow an assignment occasionally when you're being aggressive, but that's what our $12M goalie is there for.

Sure, Trouba would try to "fire up the bench" by getting in some dumb fight, but he never publicly called this crap out for what it is. This core is rotten. This team needs a heart transplant.

The A$$ kicker is...the forwards can play D.

We have one of the best PK's in the league and its Kreider and Ziba on that PK. Yet, somehow their end boards/goal crease might as well be with the concession stands, 5v5.

 

[McRanger92]

This team plays selfish, selfish hockey. It's why our offense ranks so high. It's at the complete expense of our defensive game. Players aren't plastered to their man on the backcheck. They let opposing players gain separation. They're always waiting for someone else to force a turnover so they can fly the zone and move the puck back the other way. There's no accountability, either. Some of the worst offenders are our "core" guys. There's no strong voice in the room calling this shit what it is: cherry-picking and lack of defensive effort.

Our guys play passive as f*** on d, conserving energy until it's time to go the other way. I want them absolutely smothering the opposition, as the good teams of this league do to us. Instead, we get pinned for 30-60 seconds at a time and absolutely decimated. Sure, you blow an assignment occasionally when you're being aggressive, but that's what our $12M goalie is there for.

Sure, Trouba would try to "fire up the bench" by getting in some dumb fight, but he never publicly called this crap out for what it is. This core is rotten. This team needs a heart transplant.

The team cares more about the who and how of scoring rather than just scoring and winning. Deferring to Panarin has gotten comical. Zibanejad literally forgot how to play hockey because of trying to be "unselfish" and get his buddies points. The most selfish thing you can do on the ice is not take the good shot that's given, because it signals that they prioritize something other than getting the next goal at all costs.

 

[B17 Apricots]

Don't even bother with this one. Staple says Kreider alone wouldnt be enough to get impending UFA Trent Frederic, and it got worse from there. The only deal I'd do on that list was Chabot for K'Andre+. In a heartbeat.

Yeah.... this article is kinda nutty Tuch has one more year left before he's a UFA, he'll be 29 this year... trade Perreault or Laf for him? .... right. Brodin? The context of the article seems like we're talking about trades that could be made this season to keep them in the playoff race. Brodin has a NMC until the year is done. So if you'd want him right now, he'd have to waive. He turns 32 this summer. Dylan Cozens I like a lot. Plenty of talent there, he could have another level to his game. Buffalo's GM is adamant that Cozens and Byram are completely off the table. At least he mentioned that aspect about Tkachuk. Yeah, not a particularly good article this one

 

[Machinehead]

Only one of these things is true.

The man's a huge asshole, and a personally unlikable figure, but he wasn't lazy and he was basically the prototype of what a good bottom-6 pest should be for years.

Yeah, he worked so hard, it only took him over a decade to understand the offside rule.

He was a completely irresponsible player. I'll hear it from Hank who left everything out there, or Brian Boyle who had fundamentals out the wazoo and overperformed his skill level.

Avery was more celebrity than hockey player, cared more about the former, and now wants to pretend he was Mr. Heart and Soul sitting on his couch.

In April, Zibanejad will be older than Avery was when Avery was already out of the league.

 

[McRanger92]

Yeah, he worked so hard, it only took him over a decade to understand the offside rule.

He was a completely irresponsible player. I'll hear it from Hank who left everything out there, or Brian Boyle who had fundamentals out the wazoo and overperformed his skill level.

Avery was more celebrity than hockey player, cared more about the former, and now wants to pretend he was Mr. Heart and Soul sitting on his couch.

In April, Zibanejad will be older than Avery was when Avery was already out of the league.

Don't care about the ice cold Avery takes, but Kreider is till learning the nuances of this one haha

 

[Machinehead]

Don't care about the ice cold Avery takes, but Kreider is till learning the nuances of this one haha

I really don't think that's been an issue for awhile.

 

[Gordon Bombay]

You aren't wrong. This is the least Rangers hockey I've watched... since I became a fan nearly 30 years ago.

I feel like everyone I talk to is saying this

 

[Mike in Houston]

Don't even bother with this one. Staple says Kreider alone wouldnt be enough to get impending UFA Trent Frederic, and it got worse from there. The only deal I'd do on that list was Chabot for K'Andre+. In a heartbeat.

I'll read Staple for game stories, but he's no Larry Brooks. Nothing he says or suggests ever happens. He should just go back to the Islanders full-time.

I love Avery's analysis.

 

[RangerBoy]

Don't even bother with this one. Staple says Kreider alone wouldnt be enough to get impending UFA Trent Frederic, and it got worse from there. The only deal I'd do on that list was Chabot for K'Andre+. In a heartbeat.

Stop playing GM Arthur.

 

[Machinehead]

Stop playing GM Arthur.

You of all people.

 

[Guyute]

I'll read Staple for game stories, but he's no Larry Brooks. Nothing he says or suggests ever happens. He should just go back to the Islanders full-time.

I love Avery's analysis.

Thank god Arthur isnt the GM. All of those trade proposals are horrific.

 

[Machinehead]

Thank god Arthur isnt the GM. All of those trade proposals are horrific.

Chabot for something around Miller isn't a bad idea.

Zegras sucks, Provorov sucks, Brodin sucks.

Arthur's prices for Tuch and Frederic are crazy. Already said I wouldn't do Lafreniere for Tkachuk.

He pretty much admits the Farabee, Miller, and Cozens deals would never happen lol. Did your boss make you get the list to 10, Arthur?

 

[will1066]

I feel like everyone I talk to is saying this

How about merch? I bet sales are down.

 

[MrAlmost]

Staple just says a name on another team. Then says start with Laf. Ok, Arthur.

The sad reality is that Ottawa has 2 players I'm sure would actually help the Rangers and that we could get in Chabot and Tkachuk, but I think we just got Buffaloed again.

People don't realize that there are 2 asking prices for most players. The asking price, and the Rangers asking price.

 

[NYR Viper]

I'd be good with:

Panarin @ $8m to Dallas for Bischel + Bourque + DAL 1st '25 + DAL 1st '26
Miller for Byfield
Kreider to Utah for Duda + Utah 1st '25 + Utah 2nd '26

 

[RangerBoy]

You of all people.

Arthur needed a Fox trade proposal to be taken seriously. He hates Lafreniere. Nearly every trade proposal has Lafreniere. The Rangers should be looking at subtracting players than adding players just because they freed up $8M.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

If I remember correctly staple is the guy who tried to start a rumor that Laf had off ice issues stemming back to his days in the QMJHL before he broke out last year.

He’s an islanders guy.

 

[bernmeister]

I still like the idea of a Byfield for Miller swap. That's one that I could see benefitting both teams

Unfortunately Byfield costs a lot more
shoe on the other foot, it is not close

Id prefer someone more proven tbh. I really have no interest in another project.

Now if Panarin gets moved, I can see something around Byfield for 1.5 years of Artemi for a Kings team that is stuck in the mud once playoffs roll around.

They are not contending vs Oil, Utah, and WC powerhouses.
Barring unexpected changes they have no interest in bread as a core add, esp if it moves a foundational piece

so again, no

There is possibility of too much on the table for them to turn down, and the trick is do it in currency that we can live with

You don't let lack of positional depth stop you from making a good deal when the guy already in there sucks.

This is a good rule
There may be exceptions to every rule, but this is a good one

Also, as applies here, the idea was sacrificing thin LD for thin pivot.
It wasn't let's take from position of need and add more surplus

You of all people.

@RangerBoy and I could both do a better job than Staple

Chabot for something around Miller isn't a bad idea.

Zegras sucks, Provorov sucks, Brodin sucks.

Arthur's prices for Tuch and Frederic are crazy. Already said I wouldn't do Lafreniere for Tkachuk.

He pretty much admits the Farabee, Miller, and Cozens deals would never happen lol. Did your boss make you get the list to 10, Arthur?

Rest of it, agree, though am open minded on Zegras

bold is a bad idea

 

[B17 Apricots]

The team cares more about the who and how of scoring rather than just scoring and winning. Deferring to Panarin has gotten comical. Zibanejad literally forgot how to play hockey because of trying to be "unselfish" and get his buddies points. The most selfish thing you can do on the ice is not take the good shot that's given, because it signals that they prioritize something other than getting the next goal at all costs.

Mika has given interviews in the past that maybe seemed a little tongue in cheek saying things along the lines of how he'd rather see Kreider score and that'd he rather be the set up guy... and it's become obvious that he was 100% serious. The mentality completely infected his game. He can't drive play, he's constantly deferring. Night and day change.

You almost have to speculate... we know they say all the time how much attention Kreider has spent working on the deflections and tip ins. Within the last few years adding that aspect to his game transformed him into a bit of a different player. But you can't help but wonder if it was largely Mika helping him with that sort of stuff. Almost like Mika completely stopped working on his own game, his own shot, being that serious shooting threat from above the circle... to essentially what we have today. Trying to filter every single thing through CK. That's essentially what we've seen on the ice for the past couple years now. Those insanely neurotic slap passes to CK every time Mika touches the puck on the PP.. it hasn't been as bad lately but Jesus f***ing christ it was unbearable at times. And once every handful of games it actually connects... yippie... constantly passing up shooting opportunities for brain dead passes. You almost have to giggle now when Mika loads up for a shot because you know it's going 5 feet wide from the net. Maybe thats what happens when you stop practicing it? It makes you speculate that the above is where all his energy in training/practice has went toward the last couple years. And its 100% showing if thats the case.

Maybe the best thing that could happen to Mika is this eventual Kreider trade. Maybe that'll force him to work on his own game, rather than be this neurotic pass first set-up guy that's he's devolved into.

 

[duhmetreE]

we have a plethora of wingers.

they need to be used to land another C and LD.

 

[will1066]

Woke up mad as @Tob, fed up with these bunch of prissy hair-lickers. I wish I could Eternal Sunshine my brain of this "team."

 

[McRanger92]

Mika has given interviews in the past that maybe seemed a little tongue in cheek saying things along the lines of how he'd rather see Kreider score and that'd he rather be the set up guy... and it's become obvious that he was 100% serious. The mentality completely infected his game. He can't drive play, he's constantly deferring. Night and day change.

You almost have to speculate... we know they say all the time how much attention Kreider has spent working on the deflections and tip ins. Within the last few years adding that aspect to his game transformed him into a bit of a different player. But you can't help but wonder if it was largely Mika helping him with that sort of stuff. Almost like Mika completely stopped working on his own game, his own shot, being that serious shooting threat from above the circle... to essentially what we have today. Trying to filter every single thing through CK. That's essentially what we've seen on the ice for the past couple years now. Those insanely neurotic slap passes to CK every time Mika touches the puck on the PP.. it hasn't been as bad lately but Jesus f***ing christ it was unbearable at times. And once every handful of games it actually connects... yippie... constantly passing up shooting opportunities for brain dead passes. You almost have to giggle now when Mika loads up for a shot because you know it's going 5 feet wide from the net. Maybe thats what happens when you stop practicing it? It makes you speculate that the above is where all his energy in training/practice has went toward the last couple years. And its 100% showing if thats the case.

Maybe the best thing that could happen to Mika is this eventual Kreider trade. Maybe that'll force him to work on his own game, rather than be this neurotic pass first set-up guy that's he's devolved into.

The on goal they scored against NJ on the PP where Kreider tried the between the legs pass across the crease to Mika. Congrat on getting lucky, but why even attempt that. They only scored because it turned into a broken play. Simplify the f***ing game fellas. I bet they were real pleased with themselves during their iPad paddy cake session on the bench though.

 

[JohnC]

Staple had the knives out specifically for Laf after the Devils series saying he had off ice issues and if I’m remembering it right was the originator of the whole “Lafreniere needs to put away the golf clubs during the summer”thing.