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

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The Rangers were 5 points out the last WC even in games played with Ottawa before the Christmas break.


Five weeks later, the Rangers are 6 points out of the last WC even in games played with TB.


All of these people say the Rangers have climbed back into the playoff race. Really?

Trade off some pieces. Buy some pieces. Trades in the summer.

The 5-14 stretch is hard to overcome. Stop being stubborn and try to change the present and future.

It was an illusion. They may have had a shot had they pulled a bit closer but the truth was it was always going to be a hill that was likely to steep to climb.

It's one thing to rely on a single team to get cold when you are running hot, its another thing to rely on 5 teams to skid. None of them did, most of them either held serve or lost minimal ground (and thats been made up now.)

NYI and Detroit are going to run into the same issue.

Them ripping off a bunch of wins post TDL with out Lindgren would be hilarious and predictable.
 

Arthur going on again about how this room/core was "low-maintenance" before the Goodrow/Trouba jettisonings and how Drury screwed the pysche of the team.

Drury didnt handle it great but this is largely the same core who has pretty much gone through 4 coaches (almost 5) and refused to do some uncomfortable things in the playoffs to win series like the one against the Devils they pissed away under Gallant.

They brought in players like Goodrow, Trocheck and now JT to try and turn the culture. If it didnt need turning or tweaking than you cant say they were a low maintenance group.

The more I think of it the quicker they rid themselves of the bromance the better. I feel like they are the crux of the attitude problem with this club. Hopefully this deal is an indication of that and not just the 3rd iteration of a band-aid.
This is not a locker room issue. I do not believe it ever was. That is and was an excuse. Look at the playoff losses in the last 3 seasons. In crucial game 7's you will see a team that was out worked. Bread, CK, Zibs, and Fox are your top 4. Those 4 have a soft, soft, and softer approach to the game. They set the tone for they whole team. Now you have age playing a factor with Bread, CK and Zibs. CK is obviously playing hurt. Laf is back to inconsistent efforts. You have Fox having had knee injuries. We no longer have guys like Copp, Tank, Kane, and Mikkola as depth players. People are missing the real picture. This is not a locker room or coaching issue. This is a player issue. The only exception I will say is with Housley. I think he has done a bad job.
 
LAF - Vinny - Bread; Cuylle - JTM - Othmann; Kreider - Zib - Smith (Gabe next year), Twin Towers & Carrick is a more balanced team… But the D...
This is my inclination as well. Play Trocheck, Miller, and Zibanejad at center. Put Kreider and Zibanejad back together and make them the 3rd line. If they feel jilted by 3rd line minutes, then you can either play better or waive your no-move/no-trade clauses this summer.

The defense obviously needs work. Replacing Lindgren is the low hanging fruit. Fox sucks balls this year, but the Rangers shouldn't move him. I think he rediscovers his game with a better partner. It's common for undersized offensive D to have seasons that make you want to pull your hair out. It happened with Leetch and Zubov, and now it's happening with Fox. Moving Zubov was a mistake and moving Fox would be too.

I could see them going for Gavrikov this summer if the Kings can't re-sign him. 6'3" 220lb LD to pair with Fox. Shesterkin's teammate from SKA back in the day. Trading one of Kreider, Zibanejad, or even Panarin should open up the requisite cap space for Gavrikov and for KAM and Cuylle extensions.
 
@will1066 From the Athletic, here's your next avatar pic...LOL

GettyImages-2160115622-scaled.jpg
 
I am not necessarily on board the fire the head coach and upper management train but I will say, sometimes trades work out for a team and sometimes they don’t. No GM hits 100% and often trades are made for reasons other than bringing back equal or better talent as we know.
What general managers do control completely are contracts handed out and handing out enough bad ones is grounds for losing a job. The Igor contract concerns me.

None of this means anything in my day-to-day real life, I just wish I felt better about it 😅
Sharing here as some type of therapy, I guess.
 
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This is my inclination as well. Play Trocheck, Miller, and Zibanejad at center. Put Kreider and Zibanejad back together and make them the 3rd line. If they feel jilted by 3rd line minutes, then you can either play better or waive your no-move/no-trade clauses this summer.

The defense obviously needs work. Replacing Lindgren is the low hanging fruit. Fox sucks balls this year, but the Rangers shouldn't move him. I think he rediscovers his game with a better partner. It's common for undersized offensive D to have seasons that make you want to pull your hair out. It happened with Leetch and Zubov, and now it's happening with Fox. Moving Zubov was a mistake and moving Fox would be too.

I could see them going for Gavrikov this summer if the Kings can't re-sign him. 6'3" 220lb LD to pair with Fox. Shesterkin's teammate from SKA back in the day. Trading one of Kreider, Zibanejad, or even Panarin should open up the requisite cap space for Gavrikov and for KAM and Cuylle extensions.
NO
don't give Mika ANY wiggle room to stay a min more than is nec

shut him and Lindgren down NOW

IF max retained, then we pay Smith in lieu of 4 6ths to retain another 1.75 x 4 [+this yr] to a 3rd team
Zib at a net of 2.5 per to a team like the Isles works
AND JUST GIVE HIM AWAY

Lindy his value is now not 5th but 6th trending to cond 7th
I DON'T FUGGIN CARE

and for the nth time, stop w/Kreider hate
let him heal and play w/some decent playersb-> THEN re-evaluate
 
If Luka can get traded, Fox can get traded. Time to rip off the band-aid. Don't tell I'm crazy. I am 50% crazy. You aren't concerned with the way Fox can't defend? It's not all on Lindgren. That was a nightmare yesterday afternoon. His offensive output has dried up. I don't care about assists. 22 primary. 15 secondary.

JT is here and he is a different animal than what the Rangers have. Put Cuylle's locker next to Miller.

Get rid of the remaining trash.

The rentals. It's a sellers market. EF said the rentals are going for first round picks and teams don't like this draft. Lindgren and Smith package deal. Acquire a first round pick and other draft pick assets. Miller can kill penalties. Slide him next to Trocheck. Move Schneider next to Fox.

Draft a defenseman in the first round



Time to reinvent the team.


So a completely unrelated trade in a different league means we have to trade OUR best player. Ok, bern.
 
What would you do differently if you were chris drury?
People want to dump some guys for nothing with few replacements or cap relief in place. Professional GMs do not do that. Its a tough puzzle Drury is trying to glue together. This season with no cap room he added Carrick, Smith, Val, Brogen and JT. He also got rid of Goody and Troubas contracts. Feels like he has been trying to thread a needle. More deals for CK, Zibs, and Lindy would be ideal if we can add some real players/prospects/draft picks in return. Otherwise some may happen after July.
 
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This pushes Finland over the top imo. He and Kakko will be lit
My god does this Finnish defence look awful :laugh:

I think you can make the argument that Finland is very much competitive with the forward group and goaltending, but man oh man.... It's going to be like Ristolainen and Mikkola in the first pair.
 
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He should opt out of the NHL season too. Only this team is Pejorative Slured enough to keep rolling him out there every night
I think they are playing him in part hoping he will score to up his value but it may be backfiring. CK when healthy is realky strong. Yesterday I saw a guy that had real problems pushing off guys.
 

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