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

[DialUp]

So many teams to jump to make the playoffs. Detroit is a team that we beat like 3 times in the first few weeks of the season, they are now 5 points up on us. Rangers need to beat out one of Columbus, Tampa, Detroit/Ottawa, Boston and the Islanders. They need to go on a big winning streak just to tie one any of those teams. Like a 7 games winning streak. It's not like all of those teams are going to all go 0-7 at the same time.

As we move towards the deadline, if the Rangers are not solidly in position for a WC, they must sell, and just retool around Miller, Panarin, Laf and Trocheck. If they ARE in a WC spot towards the deadline, they are going to need a 3C, JBROD won't cut it.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

no chance lol

I mean we just watched Granlund and Ceci go for that.

Cup winnng veteran and GRIT LEADURSHIP defenseman for a 1st isn’t far fetched. I think it’s dumb but it is what it is.

 

[DanielBrassard]

So many teams to jump to make the playoffs. Detroit is a team that we beat like 3 times in the first few weeks of the season, they are now 5 points up on us. Rangers need to beat out one of Columbus, Tampa, Detroit/Ottawa, Boston and the Islanders. They need to go on a big winning streak just to tie one any of those teams. Like a 7 games winning streak. It's not like all of those teams are going to all go 0-7 at the same time.

As we move towards the deadline, if the Rangers are not solidly in position for a WC, they must sell, and just retool around Miller, Panarin, Laf and Trocheck. If they ARE in a WC spot towards the deadline, they are going to need a 3C, JBROD won't cut it.

The math is so difficult for them. If they don’t go 3-0 before the break it’s likely over. There should be no chance Drury holds onto Lindgren and Smith past the trade deadline.

 

[McRanger92]

I mean we just watched Granlund and Ceci go for that.

Cup winnng veteran and GRIT LEADURSHIP defenseman for a 1st isn’t far fetched. I think it’s dumb but it is what it is.

Reilly Smith and Lindgren are guys who are like catnip to an "old hockey man" GM who is feeling some heat to win. Not saying Vegas fit's that description, but would they move McNabb or Hague for Lindgren and a reunion with Reilly? They pulled Saad off the scrap heap to help their depth. We can easily retain on both.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

lindgren won’t get a 1st on his own. Paired with Smith at a discount, yeah. Probably a 1st and a 3rd.

a 1st????


Future considerations would be a coup by Drury

 

[DialUp]

The math is so difficult for them. If they don’t go 3-0 before the break it’s likely over. There should be no chance Drury holds onto Lindgren and Smith past the trade deadline.

Feel that no matter what Lindgren and Smith should be traded regardless of position. But agreed, they have to start going on long streaks to even be in the conversation.

 

[HatTrick Swayze]

Lindgren f***ing stinks, I don’t care who replaces him at this point just get him out of here

Getting rid of him is addition by subtraction

The fact that we’re in the year of our lord 2025 and he still has fans is wild

Same as Trouba. Replacing him with Borgen who, not to minimize, is good but nothing overly special, and suddenly Miller is better and the team is better.

Yet with Lindgren for some reason people are still hesitant to see this.

 

[McRanger92]

Feel that no matter what Lindgren and Smith should be traded regardless of position. But agreed, they have to start going on long streaks to even be in the conversation.

They are easily replaceable in house. Smith goes and you have room for one of Berard/Othmann. Lindgren goes and we are covered with Jones/Brannstrom.

 

[bl02]

Drury got basically a third and 6th/7th dman and got rid of one of the worst contracts in hockey (Trouba). He can most likely get a 2nd for Lindgren
Problem is if we are in the playoff race Lindgren probably goes nowhere unless it's for a decent LHD

I'm not saying Smith is some amazing player but people are fooling themselves if they think this organization is gonna give Othmann a chance to take that spot in a playoff push same for Berard unfortunately who I think can do well
Not sure Othmann can

 

[Savant]

They are easily replaceable in house. Smith goes and you have room for one of Berard/Othmann. Lindgren goes and we are covered with Jones/Brannstrom.

Wingers yes. Lindgren unfortunately not. If Lindgren was easily replaceable by Jones it would have happened months ago. Brannstrom is just a contract he isn’t going to get minutes here for the same reason Jones isn’t going to/hasn’t gotten minutes here. Brannstrom was unclaimed on waivers at least once this season. The solutions to the Lindgren problem are not internal

 

[UnparalledPark]

There’s a gaping hole at 3C and top 4 D, now that Mika is a RW. Cap rising, lots of teams looking to deal. I foresee buying opportunities galore.

I would put Carrick there and call up Groulx for a look.

 

[bernmeister]

Have you seen how Chris is playing? The answer is: he shouldn’t be.



Lindgren wil get a late 1st if Drury has the balls to move him.

That’s how stupid NHL GM’s are.

Ck should not be playing, should be on LTIR
howev, he deserves positive for at least trying to contribute while injured
given Drury is too stupid to let him heal and call up Berard/Oth, just so we can cater to zib and hope to get him going

NO way NONE
lindy gets a 1st

So many teams to jump to make the playoffs. Detroit is a team that we beat like 3 times in the first few weeks of the season, they are now 5 points up on us. Rangers need to beat out one of Columbus, Tampa, Detroit/Ottawa, Boston and the Islanders. They need to go on a big winning streak just to tie one any of those teams. Like a 7 games winning streak. It's not like all of those teams are going to all go 0-7 at the same time.

As we move towards the deadline, if the Rangers are not solidly in position for a WC, they must sell, and just retool around Miller, Panarin, Laf and Trocheck. If they ARE in a WC spot towards the deadline, they are going to need a 3C, JBROD won't cut it.

strong general agree, but disagree on Brodz being chopped liver
as is the case 99% of the time, chemistry is a factor
he worked fine w/kid line before we stupidly destroyed it by shipping out both KK and Chytil when other assets could have been used to deliver our get

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

They can also just move Mika back to C.

If this is a ploy to get his head space in a different area and hopefully clear it up a bit before moving him back? It may be the smartest thing Lavi has and ever will have ever done in his life.

If this is the long term plan? It may be the dumbest thing he's done next to treating Lindgren like he's f***ing Lidstrom.

 

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

They can also just move Mika back to C.

If this is a ploy to get his head space in a different area and hopefully clear it up a bit before moving him back? It may be the smartest thing Lavi has and ever will have ever done in his life.

If this is the long term plan? It may be the dumbest thing he's done next to treating Lindgren like he's f***ing Lidstrom.

With how mika’s two way game has fallen off the face of the earth, shifting him to wing and just telling him to shoot is probably the right move. i don’t think we’re ever getting anything close to peak Mika back. Even if he rebounds he’s a decent middle-6 C who relies on the PP to produce. At his worst this year he was an active blackhole. He could be a decent goal scoring winger, though. And maybe he produces enough playing w Miller to end the year to make him movable this offseason.

 

[tiggles]

Cap-wise, even with the jump to $95.5mil, we're going to be up against it (Igor's extension, JT's money, Miller's new contract), and I don't think it's possible to keep Mika at the wing going into next season. We have cheap wingers who could theoretically play, we don't have a cheap center.

 

[lakeshirts37]

Chychrun, if he test the market

I wonder what his contract will be. I have a feeling he’ll stay in DC unless someone else offers a crazy contract

 

[lakeshirts37]

Cap-wise, even with the jump to $95.5mil, we're going to be up against it (Igor's extension, JT's money, Miller's new contract), and I don't think it's possible to keep Mika at the wing going into next season. We have cheap wingers who could theoretically play, we don't have a cheap center.

Cap-wise, even with the jump to $95.5mil, we're going to be up against it (Igor's extension, JT's money, Miller's new contract), and I don't think it's possible to keep Mika at the wing going into next season. We have cheap wingers who could theoretically play, we don't have a cheap center.

Yeah it’s a very bad situation. They’ll have $3-4m to spend with a gaping hole at 1LD. There is no way to materially improve the roster without moving Kreider and Mika. Drury needs to do whatever necessary to get them off the cap without retention.

 

[JohnC]

I’m not sure it’ll be a popular opinion (mostly because of depth issues), but I think Mika needs to be transitioned to wing like Stamkos was.

His game’s always felt weird for a center to me.

Jonny Brodz at 3C was NOT what I had in mind here…

 

[SnowblindNYR]

i mean everyon bashed trouba and he had some value. everyone bashed kakko and he had value. familiarity breeds contempt and lindgren has played a big role on teams that have had success. GMs are always looking for stiffness and reliability on D.

Frankly there's absolutely a possibility that on a well coached team, deployed in a minimal role, Lindgren could still find some effectiveness. But on this team, where D coaching just leaves them to fend for themselves, and where he's always only going to be stapled to Fox regardless of health or effectiveness, it just isn't a fit. He needs to be replaced. There were plenty of UFA options last july, and trades before/since then.


there's no Q in this dudes name. unless his middle name is Quinlay or something

Everyone bashed Kravtsov and he had no value. So these things are hit or miss.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Cap-wise, even with the jump to $95.5mil, we're going to be up against it (Igor's extension, JT's money, Miller's new contract), and I don't think it's possible to keep Mika at the wing going into next season. We have cheap wingers who could theoretically play, we don't have a cheap center.

I don't think its going to be possible to keep Mika around at all unless they ship out Panarin. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense from a roster construction standpoint either.

Unless they ship Panarin out instead.

 

[Shesterkybomb]

Imo brodz and Carrick should switch spots if they are intent on keeping Brodz in the lineup.

 

[will1066]

So many teams to jump to make the playoffs. Detroit is a team that we beat like 3 times in the first few weeks of the season, they are now 5 points up on us. Rangers need to beat out one of Columbus, Tampa, Detroit/Ottawa, Boston and the Islanders. They need to go on a big winning streak just to tie one any of those teams. Like a 7 games winning streak. It's not like all of those teams are going to all go 0-7 at the same time.

As we move towards the deadline, if the Rangers are not solidly in position for a WC, they must sell, and just retool around Miller, Panarin, Laf and Trocheck. If they ARE in a WC spot towards the deadline, they are going to need a 3C, JBROD won't cut it.

 

[Savant]

With how mika’s two way game has fallen off the face of the earth, shifting him to wing and just telling him to shoot is probably the right move. i don’t think we’re ever getting anything close to peak Mika back. Even if he rebounds he’s a decent middle-6 C who relies on the PP to produce. At his worst this year he was an active blackhole. He could be a decent goal scoring winger, though. And maybe he produces enough playing w Miller to end the year to make him movable this offseason.

If Mika is a wing now, that means they need to get another center too

I don't think its going to be possible to keep Mika around at all unless they ship out Panarin. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense from a roster construction standpoint either.

Unless they ship Panarin out instead.

I do not think Panarin is a Ranger opening night 2025

 

[tiggles]

I don't think its going to be possible to keep Mika around at all unless they ship out Panarin. It doesn't make a whole lot of sense from a roster construction standpoint either.

Unless they ship Panarin out instead.

If the team wants to improve in any meaningful way next year, with what the cap situation looks like, at least one more vet absolutely has to go. Trading Mika would be ideal, but I assume it will be Kreider because of Mika's NMC.

 

[McRanger92]

Yeah it’s a very bad situation. They’ll have $3-4m to spend with a gaping hole at 1LD. There is no way to materially improve the roster without moving Kreider and Mika. Drury needs to do whatever necessary to get them off the cap without retention.

Kreider is going to get threatened with waivers this summer if the rangers find a trade & he refuses to go. Not sure why people think that's an outlandish scenario considering it's already happened twice this year. His money will come off the books the easy way or the hard way.