Speculation: Roster Building Thread : Part XVI (Playoffs or Retool?)

[DuneGoon84]

What hurts more than adding is all the opportunity loss not selling off Smith, Borgen, Kreider, etc. Imagine Tampa Bay sending a 1st, 2nd, and 3rd for Sam Carrick.

 

[LiveLongandProspal]

A Chytil + Miller for Miller trade makes sense to me

 

[BlueGoose27]

That's actually exactly what you need to do with a top pick. I've said it before, but it bears repeating--it isn't so much leash as it is role. Guys who get drafted in the top few picks of the first round have spent the entirety of their careers as the guy. The one who puts the team on their shoulders. The one who is on the ice in all situations. The one who is put on for the last 5 minutes of the game because they NEED a goal. That's a mindset. It's a personality. To paraphrase the coach from The Replacements: Winners want the puck on their stick when the game is on the line. THAT'S why top picks get put out there over and over again even when they haven't earned it.

The Rangers did the opposite with Laf and Kakko. They put them on the 3rd and 4th lines. They would occasionally put them up on line 1 or 2 for 7 or 8 game stints, but the second the line didn't produce, they were bumped. They healthy scratched Kakko in the playoffs twice. They put them in a position they haven't been in since they were pee wee players--a role player. And for guys like that, that's confidence kryptonite.

With Laf, it at least sort of made sense, as he had Panarin and Kreider ahead of him having several career years (though I still think they should have sent him down if that was going to be the case). With Kakko? The team hasn't had a viable first line RW since the Buchnevich trade. Instead of stapling Kakko there and letting him work through his bumps, they brought in a rotating list of B-players (Copp, Vatrano, Reilly, sometimes Goodrow, Blais, etc etc etc) and aging vets (Kane, Tarasenko) rather than show an ounce of confidence in Kakko. Hell, as good as he was on D, they never even let him work into the PK.

Like I said, I don't necessarily think it was a mistake moving Kakko. By this point, he was never going to feel like this team had confidence in him. But it was the team that destroyed that confidence in the first place. You don't take a player with a Triple Crown pedigree and then try to make him elite at giving pony rides before letting him run a real race. If all they had were 3rd/4th line roles for him at MSG, then they should have sent him down. Better to develop that kind of player as "the guy" at a lower level than as nobody in the NHL. That's what Seattle knows that Drury didn't. It's not about an extra minute per game and PP time. It's about putting Kakko back into the position of having expectations--putting him in the role of being the reason they win or lose games. You rarely get that kind of drive outside the top of the draft, and you can't really teach it. You can crush it out of a guy though, and that's the main problem with the Rangers' "development."

Damn man, this is by far the best take I’ve read on the NYR in years. You nailed it…there’s not one thing I’d disagree with. Think you should give Dolan a call…they could use you in the front office…replacing Drury. Well said brother…tip of the hat for you.

 

[n8]

A Chytil + Miller for Miller trade makes sense to me

I sense we would need to add to that deal.
So tonight, Borgen had two pretty bad giveaways and Miller had too pretty bad blown coverages. He completely flinched away from the shot instead of covering Gallagher and was really slow to react to Laine's positioning on the GWG.

View attachment 963989

Yes indeed

 

[SnowblindNYR]

And Kakko having RFA years left, being younger, makes him more valuable.

I just don't know what exactly the expectation was. I don't know what GMs think but I know that on this board and with fans in general he was viewed as a VERY disappointing 2nd overall player who was a good role player and nothing more. So was Fast. I mean I can't imagine GMs in the league thought of him some diamond in the rough amazing player. The only reason to expect some amazing value back is his draft position almost 6 years ago.

Both Buch and Miller were better players when they got drafted. Buch got traded for a worse player. And Miller was just a throw in for God knows why reason.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

I sense we would need to add to that deal.
So tonight, Borgen had two pretty bad giveaways and Miller had too pretty bad blown coverages. He completely flinched away from the shot instead of covering Gallagher and was really slow to react to Laine's positioning on the GWG.

Yes indeed

Well considering that they just about had an agreement offering a lot less I'd say this is wrong.

As the the analysis on the OT winner but thats been covered in the other thread by multiple people. No need to bring that over here.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

A Chytil + Miller for Miller trade makes sense to me

The Rangers are downgrading with whomever they play instead of Miller. When he had some solid ass games these trade proposals stopped another rockie game and they're back. Our defense will be an AHL level joke if we trade Miller.

 

[effen]

Urho Vaakanainen has far exceeded my expectations in that he's had very few if any egregiously stupid mistakes or plays which is all I ask for from, well, anyone.

Good job Vaak.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Urho Vaakanainen has far exceeded my expectations in that he's had very few if any egregiously stupid mistakes or plays which is all I ask for from, well, anyone.

Good job Vaak.

He just exists in a way where he doesn't totally suck. He isn't great either, he just is.

Thats pretty much all I'm looking for in a #6.

 

[mrmovies779]

Vaak is fine for the 3rd pair and cheap.if the price is right,I would bring him back.

 

[NYR2007]

Although this team has stringed together some better play as of late. They still need to make serious changes to this team and coaching staff needs to be let go at the end of the season. They play with no game plan and no structure.

Each line and even down to each player goes out and plays how ever they feel. That’s why they are terrible 5 on 5. There is almost like no game plan and the forwards go out and get to do whatever they want.

Chytil carries the puck and tries to stick handle through all 5 players and turns it over every shift instead of dumping the puck in.

Everyone on the bead line pulls up after they cross the blue line and tries to hit a trailing player. No one takes the puck to the middle of the ice. Game after game every shot gets blocked cause they are shooting from the outside and refuse to go to the middle of the ice.

It’s very fustrating to watch. Hopefully they make changes and get a lot of this core out cause we will never win playing like this

 

[n8]

Well considering that they just about had an agreement offering a lot less I'd say this is wrong.

As the the analysis on the OT winner but thats been covered in the other thread by multiple people. No need to bring that over here.

What was the supposed deal? Rumored deals with a grain of salt.

 

[Clark Kellogg]

Our fans definitely suck. The most negative fans in the sport. People call me negative because I think Shesterkin sucks. But the amount of "this team is horrible" no matter what the result from fans shows I'm nearly the most negative person here.

Is it negative if our fans are down on the team because the team lacks structure and the correct mix of players.
The team has never passed the eye test and has succeeded in the recent past because of goaltending and special teams wallpapering over the cracks.
Largest US hockey fan base . That’s a lot of eyes all seeing the same thing, even with them going to two ECFs in the last three years.

 

[Clark Kellogg]

Some good news, I think. Garand looks ready. Of course there is no way of being sure until he plays in NHL games.
And if there is a sell off at the TDL the organization can promote Belzile, Grouxl, Berard, Mancini and maybe Scanlin as stop gaps to finish off the season.
That’s a third line , two bottom pair defensemen and a backup goalie.
Not to shabby for a non embarrassing tank.

 

[smoneil]

Urho Vaakanainen has far exceeded my expectations in that he's had very few if any egregiously stupid mistakes or plays which is all I ask for from, well, anyone.

Good job Vaak.

My only issue with UV is that every time his name is called, my brain hears "Vodka Neinen" and I want to go hit the liquor cabinet. That, combined with this team's tendency to ALSO make me want to go hit the liquor cabinet just isn't good for the continued health of my liver.

 

[Cmox]

Our fans definitely suck. The most negative fans in the sport. People call me negative because I think Shesterkin sucks. But the amount of "this team is horrible" no matter what the result from fans shows I'm nearly the most negative person here.

Twitter and other social media opened my eyes to how clueless fans can be. More than once Ive seen fans hating trades because the player is hot, lol