Speculation: Roster Building Thread: Part XL

[The Crypto Guy]

Lemieux is much more than a 4th line guy and will continue to improve his game.

 

[Fitzy]

Lemieux's net front game won't matter much with Kreider around unless the PP2 unit improves substantially from where it was last season.

It was basically 3 forwards thrown together hodge-podge with Trouba and Fox playing catch at the blueline.

 

[Machinehead]

I like Lemieux but the narratives about him are tiring.

We'll still be hearing about "Lemieux's upside" when he's close to retirement. He's 24.

I also don't get the net-front thing. He's not that big, has no hands to speak of, and is generally terrible at it from what I've seen.

Why do we think playing tough inherently makes you good in front of the net?

 

[Ola]

Lemieux is much more than a 4th line guy and will continue to improve his game.

I love him, but I do think he was one of the players that disappointed the most this season. Didn’t really take a step forward. Seemed like he created more late last season while disappearing more this year. Don’t think he and Howden could develop much chemistry either...

 

[SA16]

I love him, but I do think he was one of the players that disappointed the most this season. Didn’t really take a step forward. Seemed like he created more late last season while disappearing more this year. Don’t think he and Howden could develop much chemistry either...

Interesting trends are that somehow nobody can develop chemistry with Howden and somehow everyone can develop chemistry with Panarin. I wonder why.

 

[Machinehead]

Interesting trends are that somehow nobody can develop chemistry with Howden and somehow everyone can develop chemistry with Panarin. I wonder why.

It's just because Strome is a special player.

 

[Machinehead]

We should put Panarin and Howden together for a few games. I'm morbidly curious to see what direction that goes in.

 

[Avery16]

Interesting trends are that somehow nobody can develop chemistry with Howden and somehow everyone can develop chemistry with Panarin. I wonder why.

Put Howden with Panarin and let them battle it out.

 

[Thirty One]

Lemieux is a 3.5 liner IMO. Rather avoid him on the PP altogether.

 

[RangersFan1994]

I like Lemieux but the narratives about him are tiring.

We'll still be hearing about "Lemieux's upside" when he's close to retirement. He's 24.

I also don't get the net-front thing. He's not that big, has no hands to speak of, and is generally terrible at it from what I've seen.

Why do we think playing tough inherently makes you good in front of the net?

agreed, i rather see Gauthier in front, he has more skill in my opinion

 

[nyr2k2]

I agree with your assessment of him offensively but you're kinda underselling his effectiveness at drawing penalties. He's actually 4th at penalties drawn per 60 for forwards this year but he also takes a lot. For guys with high PIM counts he's quite good at what he does but I feel like he started to slip there the last few months (IIRC he had a huge positive penalty differential at the halfway mark and it really slipped as he went on). But yeah, Lemieux is fun and effective when he's on but he's dog shit when he's not and tbh he can be really embarrassing when he's not lol

Thanks for letting me know about the penalties drawn. I guess he's better at it than I thought. I remember multiple incidents this year where we were apoplectic that he didn't get a call. They maybe blurred my perception of that aspect of his game.

I guess my main point with the penalties and all that, it just seems like far too often he spends literally multiple entire shifts just trying to draw penalties, rather than trying to contribute actual offense. If he focused more on the latter---learned to pick his spots better--I think he'd be a more effective overall player. He has to find that balance.

 

[NYSPORTS]

Teams would gladly take Lemieux off the Rangers hands for a playoff run. Thankful he’s a Ranger.

 

[nyr2k2]

Lemieux is a 3.5 liner IMO. Rather avoid him on the PP altogether.

I remember when the TDL was approaching (and well before it), when it came to trading Kreider a lot of people said that Lemieux could take his place in front. That, to me, was crazy. Kreider is one of the most effective net-front players in the entire league, and Lemieux isn't even that good at it--whatever good he brings is borne more out of a willingness to play there and the fact that he is strong and also a fatty.

 

[Thirty One]

I'm curious if there's a difference in his penalties drawn rates from the beginning of the year to the end. I seemed to notice a disdain for him building in the referee community throughout the year, wondering if the facts support that.

 

[Thirty One]

Teams would gladly take Lemieux off the Rangers hands for a playoff run. Thankful he’s a Ranger.

I am too. Still think we can discuss what he is and he isn't.

 

[Machinehead]

 

[Thirty One]

agreed, i rather see Gauthier in front, he has more skill in my opinion

I'd like to see Chytil given a shot there. Mostly because he doesn't really fit in any other PP spot, and he'll be a huge improvement on Lemieux in creating and maintaining possession.

 

[nyr2k2]

I'm curious if there's a difference in his penalties drawn rates from the beginning of the year to the end. I seemed to notice a disdain for him building in the referee community throughout the year, wondering if the facts support that.

I definitely remember refs seeming to refuse to give him any calls. If the numbers say otherwise, then I'm wrong, but what's fresh in my mind is that refs were not into his act.

 

[NYSPORTS]

Lemieux has always had 35 point upside. That’s 3rd line production

His board play is gold come playoff time and those opposing top lines hate going against his type.

 

[UnSandvich]

I definitely remember refs seeming to refuse to give him any calls. If the numbers say otherwise, then I'm wrong, but what's fresh in my mind is that refs were not into his act.

By Month:
October- 9 GP, 3 drawn, 3 taken
November- 15 GP, 12 drawn, 9 taken
December- 11 GP, 7 drawn, 8 taken
January- 3 GP, 3 drawn, 0 taken
February- 15 GP, 5 drawn, 4 taken
March- 6 GP, 2 drawn, 4 taken

Interestingly enough, on a penalties note, Kakko drew more than twice as many penalties as he took, and had the 3rd best Net Penalties/60 on the team with .57, just .01 behind Gauthier's .58. Zibby led the team there with .73 Net Pen/60.

Strome was 4th worst on the team with a -.74, and the worst among players with more than 25 games played.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

I think that the team needs more players like Lemieux , rather than less. Gorton targeted him in a deal and I do not see him moving.

We need more fouth liners?

 

[LokiDog]

We need more fouth liners?

Technically... it would be nice not to run McKegg and Smith out there.

 

[Avery16]

Technically... it would be nice not to run McKegg and Smith out there.

If we had good middle-six depth, Lemieux and Fast would be on the fourth line still getting good, effective minutes.

 

[Raspewtin]

I definitely remember refs seeming to refuse to give him any calls. If the numbers say otherwise, then I'm wrong, but what's fresh in my mind is that refs were not into his act.

Not just you two, I can definitely recall a point in the year where Lemieux started getting called for ticky-tacky garbage and stopped drawing many penalties.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Not just you two, I can definitely recall a point in the year where Lemieux started getting called for ticky-tacky garbage and stopped drawing many penalties.

Yes it was around nov-dec. Then they appeared to stop targeting him after that. My guess is some sort internal memo went out about him at some point to the refs.