I'm not sure I can explain this any clearer...
you offer NO indication as to why it is "reasonable" to speculate that Zib waives his NMC. None. Drury doesn't have the same threats for Zib as he did for Goodrow and Trouba.
If Zib not playing every single night, that is a bad look even if he is getting a paycheck.
That is not enuf to make him go just anywhere, but VAN =
a) cup contender
b) his fellow Swede EPetterssen is there so he'c comfy
c) w/EP and JTM, no urgency/pressure to bust a gut and be the #1 star guy
Those are all solid reasons for zib to waive
Drury needs only instruct he not play til he caves.
PERIOD
Drury was able to waive Goodrow and threaten to waive Trouba because it wouldn't have been a violation of the contracts. If Drury went to Zib and told him he would never play again unless he waived his NMC, the players association would be involved in a nano-second, they would be right to get involved, and they would win whatever complaint they lodged. These are real life contracts. There are rules.
You also completely ignore the fact that such a move would require the Rangers to retain almost 5 million dollars a year for FIVE years. That will never happen.
I am not ignoring that, I have been open about it.
There is no magic way to undo what has been done.
Either you cut the zib cancer out NOW, and eat 4.25 per [not almost 5] or you continue to swallow 8.5
half a good loaf is better than none,
but half a bad loaf is better than a full bad loaf
THAT IS BASIC MATH
To be rid of Zib is worth it
There is zero chance this guy can be rehabilitated quickly enuf for him to have some trade partner risk anything good to get him, and that is assuming he can even be rehabbed at all.
Now sure, you can see if a place like Nash will basically do him for Stamkos, assuming Mika waives. But stammer is beyond cooked.
That only swaps out headaches, possibly one w/a less restrictive contract, possibly.
IT IS NOT A SOLUTION
Again, the above is irrelevant because your strategy to get around Mika's NMC isn't legal, but again, you are focused on what
you want to do with someone else's money. Can you even remember a trade where the Rangers retained money at all, to say nothing of that much money for half a decade? The Rangers RARELY retain on a contract. It isn't going to happen, particularly when Zibanejad is objectively still among the top 4 centers on the team and there is no clear way to replace him.
You ALSO ignore that such a move leaves an already organizationally-thin position (center) even thinner with no means (financial or otherwise) to bring in someone new.
Wrong Raty is a pivot. He can handle 3C now and maybe has 2C upside.
For now, Chytil + Tro can do top 2. Also KK can possibly do 2C, pushing Tro up if chytil is out
and we got useful short term D, which saves opportunity cost of putting their salaries into pivots
and we recover 4.25 which can be put to good use. Hence "even thinner with no means... etc." is entirely wrong.
Raty has 7 career points, is currently in the minors, and would be on his third NHL team if here. He's who you see as the next 2C? Kakko was played at C for a game or two, and then healthy scratched. He's your solution? Chytil, though he's a favorite of mine, is a mosquito fart away from a lengthy stint on IR. Nice player, but not one you plan on for the long term.
Just for lols, which top six center do you see signing in NY this summer for $4.25 million? And that's assuming they don't want to upgrade the defense at all.
Zibanejad is here for at least another two seasons, whether you or I like it or not.
I don't like it and it won't be the first time Rs mgmt did not listen to me and hindsight will later show it was their mistake.
Either way I will not be silent.
If you have any objective basis to dispute what I said, fine.
But I have refuted you above.
I am correct on this and Rs will listen to me or regret it, as surely as they are now regretting not listening to me about full nmcs.
Kreider I'm not gonna rehash
Jettison the others first, see what we have then
Bern, you refuted nothing. You repeated pipe dream ideas that are not based in reality.
Vancouver isn't trading for Zibanejad.
It doesn't matter because the Rangers are never retaining even a fraction of that amount.
It super doesn't matter because Drury isn't daft enough to try to illegally force Zibanejad into waiving his NMC.
And Kreider's place on this team has clearly been overtaken by Cuylle, Laf, and co.