Speculation: Roster Building thread: Part XIX (Thanks, Sam)

[Boris Zubov]

That's my thinking. Or MacTavish or Lowe. But I think Maloney makes more sense.

Lowe was a disaster in Edmonton. No thanks.

 

[NYR Viper]

Am I the only one who remembers when Don Maloney was in Arizona and all of the people here laughing at him and saying he was a poor executive? Even in NY as AGM people said the same thing. I realize it's been a while but I am surprised to see people clamoring for him back

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Really? Why? All the fans want him gone.

I have no idea what the future holds for Sullivan in Pittsburgh but the fans don't run the team.

 

[markymarc1215]

Wholeheartedly agree. This f***ing "feelings" nonsense is so f***ing high school it's unbearable. Every single one of these mother f***ers who were "sad" because "of how Trouba and Goodrow were handled" need to be removed from this roster by any means necessary. Whoever these players are, they are the closest living definition to "country club atmosphere", or "cancerous"

Ummm, we bought out Henrik Lundqvist, traded Adam Graves and Brian Leetch for pennies on the dollar. We let Mark Measier leave as a UFA. We traded Mats Zuccarello. We bought out Marc Staal and Dan Girardi. These are all playes who bled blue. The world survived.

You cant tell me Goodrow and Trouba were true blue Rangers. They were mostly here for the money and NTCs, like 80% of the team is. Not many of these current players bleed blue. Certainly not the high end ones.

 

[UnparalledPark]

Watched Nightingale play down here in Charlotte back when the Checkers were in the ECHL and affiliated with the Rangers. He was a star here for the Checkers, always did see that coaching ability in him, good to see him having success in that role!

Warsofsky also was a great coach here for the AHL Checkers.

I miss going to Checker games at the old colosseum on Independence BLVD. Great family entertainment for the price.

 

[effen]

The coach barely matters past the team quitting on them. It especially matters little with the same leadership group having the same failings across 3 coaches.

If they cloned Spencer Carbury or coach du jour do you think the 4th guy is the charm for this group? Cmon.

 

[HatTrick Swayze]

I think the "team quitting" narrative has a kernel of truth to it but is also being heavily pushed to the beat by the org / Drury because it covers up Drury's role in what has transpired. I mean we know the guy is an expert at org politics.

The guy's been in place for 4 years. If he doesn't own this mess, who else does...he hired the last 3 coaches. Kept the core intact and in several instances extended it.

 

[noncents]

If he doesn't own this mess, who else does..

Dolan. CD is beholden to ownership, and to the installations of corporate overseers. not trying to say Drury is doing a great job, just answering your question.

 

[JimmyG89]

Most of them are his mistakes. And he's such a stupid f*** that when he failed to correct it, he created a catastrophic situation. He should make another rule about when the players are allowed to talk to MSG staff though. Thats what's really holding them back.

If all 3 of those guys are traded this summer that would be crazy. Maybe 2. Z and Kreider.

I disagree that most are his mistakes. Kreider was not him, that was Gorton. The rumors in 2020 were legit prospects and Gorton signed him before the deadline.

The letter was penned in February of 2018. By February 2020 the team had signed Panarin, Trouba, and Kreider to long term deals. This iteration of the Rangers begun as soon as Kreider signed the deal.

Mika was on an amazing team friendly deal. You had just selected 6 1st rounders in the last 3 years. Gorton thought he was done with the "rebuild".

He drafted two Cs, two wingers, and a defensive pairing with those picks. You had Igor coming. Everyone knew Fox wanted to be here. Lafreniere falls in their lap. You take Schneider with your other 1st, your right side is set. Miller and Lindgren added in, all you need is a 3LD.

The foundation of this team was all Gorton. Drury was tasked with augmenting it to get this team back to the top. Fix the bottom of the lineup, add in star power as needed. Did Drury fail at doing that? The Kane move was bad, but all signs point to Dolan wanting it. He pivoted to Tarsenko and Mikkola. He upgraded Strome to Trocheck. Found pieces like Vatrano and Copp that fit exactly what they needed.

He added grit to the bottom of the lineup, elevated the team from a bubble team to being a team that can win the Metro and make runs at a cup.

None of that excuses this season, but Drury has done about as well as one can when you have a stagnant cap and long term deals on the books. He changed coaches because he really couldn't change the players. He tried to get Eichel, Buffalo wanted the farm from the Rangers and took less from Vegas. He gave this group 3 full seasons, 2022-2024, to get it done. He gave them two coaches with different styles of getting it done and they couldn't.

Look at the current roster. Who are we, as fans, most satisfied with? It's all his guys! I'm way more inclined to keep Drury than most because of this. He tried to "thread the needle" at this deadline as he said.

The players he added can easily be moved. Soucy can be shipped out of town for a pick. Don't like Carrick? He can be moved too. Vaak? Wouldn't take much.couldn't. Miller isn't going anywhere, and I think the majority would say we don't want him gone either.

The next wave of players is on the way. We've seen Berard and Othmann elevated, in spite of the coach not using them. Perreault won't need much AHL time, if any at all.

 

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

That's my thinking. Or MacTavish or Lowe. But I think Maloney makes more sense.

kevin lowe? probably the only guy who could make things even worse

 

[Raspewtin]

I think the "team quitting" narrative has a kernel of truth to it but is also being heavily pushed to the beat by the org / Drury because it covers up Drury's role in what has transpired. I mean we know the guy is an expert at org politics.

The guy's been in place for 4 years. If he doesn't own this mess, who else does...he hired the last 3 coaches. Kept the core intact and in several instances extended it.

this 100x

it's way more likely that the core that's approaching their mid-30s are starting to play like a core that's in their mid-30s

it isn't rocket science

 

[noncents]

can someone link where brooksie wrote that kreider was leader of babypuss brigade

 

[majordomo]

Don Maloney is the first managerial suggestion that Ive seen that I actually like. Put him JD's old role.

Wasn't JD President while Gorton was GM?

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

I think the "team quitting" narrative has a kernel of truth to it but is also being heavily pushed to the beat by the org / Drury because it covers up Drury's role in what has transpired. I mean we know the guy is an expert at org politics.

The guy's been in place for 4 years. If he doesn't own this mess, who else does...he hired the last 3 coaches. Kept the core intact and in several instances extended it.

I think there’s more than a kernel of truth to it, we’ve seen the team play this year. It's been more apparent with some players than others but everyone has suffered from selective effort at one point or another outside of maybe Cuylle and Trocheck (who definitely tries his best, but has been pretty bad despite this.)

The rest I can't really disagree with at all. Most of his predecessor's sins are gone from the roster or hung around way to long. Most of the holes that existed when he took over still exist now. No real excuse for not trying (or succeeding) in filling those gaps.

Understand the cap constraints, but there were ways to work around that.

 

[majordomo]

I think there’s more than a kernel of truth to it, we’ve seen the team play this year. It's been more apparent with some players than others but everyone has suffered from selective effort at one point or another outside of maybe Cuylle and Trocheck (who definitely tries his best, but has been pretty bad despite this.)

The rest I can't really disagree with at all. Most of his predecessor's sins are gone from the roster or hung around way to long. Most of the holes that existed when he took over still exist now. No real excuse for not trying (or succeeding) in filling those gaps.

Understand the cap constraints, but there were ways to work around that.

On another note, I'm sure the other GMs were certainly not trying to help him -- which would make things even more difficult than usual.

 

[Crease]

It's an aging core whose fee-fees got hurt when they were confronted by that truth.

It's a coaching staff that catered to the core and has no long term vision.

It's a GM who has shirked all responsibility.

 

[RangerBoy]

None of this matters unless Drury goes. You can hire Scotty Bowman in his prime to be the HC, but the rot that Drury has put into this organization isn't going away until he does.

Bowman failed when he had to pick the players in Buffalo.

 

[RangerBoy]

It's an aging core whose fee-fees got hurt when they were confronted by that truth.

It's a coaching staff that catered to the core and has no long term vision.

It's a GM who has shirked all responsibility.

How do the Rangers get out of this situation is the tricky part?

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

The coach barely matters past the team quitting on them. It especially matters little with the same leadership group having the same failings across 3 coaches.

If they cloned Spencer Carbury or coach du jour do you think the 4th guy is the charm for this group? Cmon.

the coach matters when he completely lets the "leadership" group do whatever the f they want with no consequences whatsoever, and who keeps "losing" his young players on the bench.

Coaches matter , as bad as the players or GM might be.

 

[haohmaru]

"TSN and The Athletic's NHL insider Pierre Lebrun has concluded that New York Rangers coach Peter Laviolette will be fired, but general manager Chris Drury will remain on with the organization."

 

[egelband]

It shouldnt be lost on anyone that Mika actually plays with some authority on a line with JT and Cuylle as opposed to being a wallflower when playing with pansies like Kreider and Kakko.

I’ve been pretty happy with Mika. I can overlook hockey stick genocide and all the black marks he puts on the glass above the goalies head, because he’s getting himself into good spots. He has made himself a factor again.
He got into some awful habits with certain other players who are thrilled by event free shifts.

 

[JohnC]

Drury being allowed to hire 3 coaches in 4 years is a sin

 

[The Crypto Guy]

"TSN and The Athletic's NHL insider Pierre Lebrun has concluded that New York Rangers coach Peter Laviolette will be fired, but general manager Chris Drury will remain on with the organization."

Exactly what a I figured. Let Drury complete his job of shipping out the Country Club bros.

I’m also positive Lav will be canned within 48hrs of the season ending. Drury will try to grab his next guy before someone else takes them.

 

[RangersFan1994]

Bruins to pluck top RFA from cap-strapped rival with offer sheet!

Big summer ahead in Boston if management makes the right move. Is this it? Full details below:

www.hockeyfeed.com

 

[Oscar Lindberg]

I’ve bought into the theory that Drury is just a Dolan yes man and that’s why he’s gonna be kept around

So that’s great