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

[lakeshirts37]

Schneider will be the 1LD most likely. I don't think they signed Borgen to be 3RD, or to relegate Schneider to 3RD.

Miller may not get that much. His offensive numbers have tanked the last 2 years. A lot will depend on how many years he signs for. A 1-year deal is possible, but unlikely. More likely is 3 to 4 years. He just turned 25. He's going to want to be a free agent when he's 28/29. That will help keep the term down a bit.

Cuylle was projecting to get a significant raise, but his production has fallen off. There's a good chance Drury gives him a 2-year deal for around 3 mil per.

so you are thinking the below is more likely? I dont hate it but definitely not contender worthy unless Schneider takes a big jump.

4-23
79-17
18-UFA

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

He needs to go asap. Unless Drury is just giving up on this season

 

[bernmeister]

Your contract estimates are way off. Just Cuylle and Miller will likely be $10M. The below is prior to moving 20 or 93 and leaves $4.1m to fill 3C, 1LD, and a backup. So yes there will be cap issues but they can be solved by getting rid of the BFFs.

10 - 8 - 93
50 - 16 - 13
20 - 3C - Perreault
84 - 39 - 73

1LD - 23
79 - 17
18 - 4

31
BACKUP

Cuylle @ 4m
Perreault @ 975k (didnt't account for bonuses)
Edstrom @ 1.1m
Rempe @ 950k
Miller @ 6.0m
Vaak @ 1.5m

could see KAM 5-5.25 x 8

 

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

Schneider will be the 1LD most likely. I don't think they signed Borgen to be 3RD, or to relegate Schneider to 3RD.

Miller may not get that much. His offensive numbers have tanked the last 2 years. A lot will depend on how many years he signs for. A 1-year deal is possible, but unlikely. More likely is 3 to 4 years. He just turned 25. He's going to want to be a free agent when he's 28/29. That will help keep the term down a bit.

Cuylle was projecting to get a significant raise, but his production has fallen off. There's a good chance Drury gives him a 2-year deal for around 3 mil per.

Yeah i projected cuylle at 2 years 3.35M. if he has a good run to end the year, maybe he hits 4

 

[McRanger92]

I know were going back a few months(years?) as afar as rumors go but a Novak/Lauzon package from Nashville would be huge for us.

I also would really be looking at the Habs, who are starting to fall out of the race. Mike Matheson imo is a perfect partner for Fox. he can skate and move the puck. had a great year last year but has seen his role diminish with Lane Hutson's arrival. 1 year left at 4.8 so no big commitment. Jake Evans I like as well as a3C option. 11 goals and 15 assists, pending UFA.

These are the types of moves I think Drury should be focusing on making next.

 

[GAGLine]

so you are thinking the below is more likely? I dont hate it but definitely not contender worthy unless Schneider takes a big jump.

4-23
79-17
18-UFA

I think it was Vince who suggested that would be the case.

Signing Borgen doesn't really make sense unless either he or Schneider are going to play the left side.

 

[NYR Viper]

I'd offer Miller a long term deal. 7 years @ $5.5m per season. Lock it in

 

[McRanger92]

I think it was Vince who suggested that would be the case.

Signing Borgen doesn't really make sense unless either he or Schneider are going to play the left side.

You have to protect from injury, and Schneider getting reps on the left side seems like more of a maintaining flexibility thing than penciling him in for the 1 LD spot next year, imo. I think the Rangers best alignment going forward is Fox-Borg-Schneider on 3 different pairs. maybe when Lindgren goes, and KAM gets paid this summer, more of a chance is given to K'Andre to play with Fox.

 

[will1066]

Chychrun is UFA, says @duhmetreE

 

[Fitzy]

My biggest question is whether Kreider will get better with time off.

It may be a moot point since NYR will nneed every win to qualify for the playoffs, but if I made the decision in a vacuum, I'd much sooner have a healthy Kreider scoring 35-40 goal pace in May and miss him the next 30 games than watch him help us limp in and still be bad-back 20-10-30 full season Kreider.

I want everyone to be healthy when it matters most.

 

[Alluckks]

Panarin - Miller - _______
Cuylle - Trocheck - Lafreniere
Perreault - ________ - ________

3rd line RW, 4th line, and extras -- combo of Edstrom, Rempe, Carrick, Berard, Sykora, Othmann

Schneider - Fox
Miller - Borgen
______ - ______

Vak, Fortescue, Branstrom, veterans


Prefer to do
- Smith, Lindgren, Vesey all gone in whatever deals at TDL - retain as needed and get 2nds in some way if you can
- Kreider at full contract somewhere for a 2026 1st, Minnesota Wild makes a lot of sense, maybe LA Kings
- Zib goes in the offseason, we may have to pay, that's fine

 

[duhmetreE]

Chychrun is UFA, says @duhmetreE

I’ve given up. I wanted him on his good value contract. Team with the Best record traded for him.

I’ll take anything at this point over Lindgren

 

[RangerBoy]

Brooks claims the Rangers would beaten TB and Florida in the playoffs if Miller was on the team.



The Rangers D group needs to get better.

Cuylle will benefit being around Miller.

The Rangers are looking for a 3rd line center.

I would like to see Othmann here eventually. He has the dawg mentality too.

 

[fm]

Let's get Othman and Berard up. see ya later Chris and Riley.

 

[Biermugg]

Brooks claims the Rangers would beaten TB and Florida in the playoffs if Miller was on the team.



The Rangers D group needs to get better.

Cuylle will benefit being around Miller.

The Rangers are looking for a 3rd line center.

I would like to see Othmann here eventually. He has the dawg mentality too.

Pretty easy to put Mika at 3C and put Kaliyev on wing with Miller and Cuylle/Laf

 

[Mikachu93]

I'd like to see a Lindgren trade before four nations.

Get Brannstrom a look in here before the deadline

Miller - Fox
Schneider - Borgen
Vaakaninen - Brannstrom

See what that looks like for a small sample size

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

Brooks claims the Rangers would beaten TB and Florida in the playoffs if Miller was on the team.



The Rangers D group needs to get better.

Cuylle will benefit being around Miller.

The Rangers are looking for a 3rd line center.

I would like to see Othmann here eventually. He has the dawg mentality too.

Why can’t Zib and Trochek have a mid-off to decide who gets 2C and the loser gets 3C? The whole point in of getting Miller was to get a real 1C and slot the other 2 down giving us depth.

The insistence on not hurting Zib’s feelings by “demoting” him makes no god damn sense. I know we’re thin at RW but with Chytil gone we’re thin at C too if Johnny Brodz is now our 3C.

wtf are we doing

 

[Savant]

Why can’t Zib and Trochek have a mid-off to decide who gets 2C and the loser gets 3C? The whole point in of getting Miller was to get a real 1C and slot the other 2 down giving us depth.

The insistence on not hurting Zib’s feelings by “demoting” him makes no god damn sense. I know we’re thin at RW but with Chytil gone we’re thin at C too if Johnny Brodz is now our 3C.

wtf are we doing

At this point I think we kind of just need to wait until the deadline is over and see where it stands

 

[TheDirtyH]

Zibanejad at wing makes perfect sense to me, especially since he sucks at center.

3C is a lot easier of a hole to fill than 1RW.

If the move to wing helps him get back to shooting, playing in straight lines, and frankly keeps the puck off of his stick a little more, then there's potential Zibanejad finds some mileage there.

8.5mil for a PPG winger isn't really bad all things considered. It's not like we're flush with RW anyway.

 

[JohnC]

Zibanejad at wing makes perfect sense to me, especially since he sucks at center.

3C is a lot easier of a hole to fill than 1RW.

If the move to wing helps him get back to shooting, playing in straight lines, and frankly keeps the puck off of his stick a little more, then there's potential Zibanejad finds some mileage there.

8.5mil for a PPG winger isn't really bad all things considered. It's not like we're flush with RW anyway.

If they’re serious about making a push for playoffs (clearly they are) then they need to play him at 3C until they fill the hole.

You can’t trot Jonny B out there as a regular, let alone in the top 9.

 

[HockeyBasedNYC]

Zibanejad at wing makes perfect sense to me, especially since he sucks at center.

3C is a lot easier of a hole to fill than 1RW.

If the move to wing helps him get back to shooting, playing in straight lines, and frankly keeps the puck off of his stick a little more, then there's potential Zibanejad finds some mileage there.

8.5mil for a PPG winger isn't really bad all things considered. It's not like we're flush with RW anyway.

If theres no other option with Mika, you gotta try it at least.

Mika was more engaged in last nights game than ive seen in like over a year. And he got 3 points look at that.

This is what the Mika haters have been saying all along. The moping. The woe-is-me attitude. If JT is waking him up emotionally so be it. I dont think its going to be everything, but if it even gets him playing 15-20% better with some consistent intensity that will be huge because you are stuck with the guy

 

[bl02]

I’ve given up. I wanted him on his good value contract. Team with the Best record traded for him.

I’ll take anything at this point over Lindgren

You did call it. I was worried about his injury history. The talent was always there but just didn't want another young player with injury history but I guess he's been healthy this year?!

 

[Siddi]

All these trade proposals that get posted that involve Zibanejad even though he has stated that he is not willing to waive his NMC seems ridiculous and a waste of time.

This.

some shifts they are together, some not

I believe the announcer called out Kreider did grunt work to enable goal

Holy f***!. You actually dont watch the games! What kind of bogus snake oil business are you running here? What the actual f***

 

[pld459666]

Your contract estimates are way off. Just Cuylle and Miller will likely be $10M. The below is prior to moving 20 or 93 and leaves $4.1m to fill 3C, 1LD, and a backup. So yes there will be cap issues but they can be solved by getting rid of the BFFs.

10 - 8 - 93
50 - 16 - 13
20 - 3C - Perreault
84 - 39 - 73

1LD - 23
79 - 17
18 - 4

31
BACKUP

Cuylle @ 4m
Perreault @ 975k (didnt't account for bonuses)
Edstrom @ 1.1m
Rempe @ 950k
Miller @ 6.0m
Vaak @ 1.5m

Unless both the Cullye and Miller deals are for 8 years, neither should sniff those amounts.

And as dumb a player as Miller is, I'd want no trade protections on his UFA years.

 

[JimmyG89]

Pretty easy to put Mika at 3C and put Kaliyev on wing with Miller and Cuylle/Laf

Mika moved to wing and at the same time cut his hair. He has already matched his December production in 2 games.

I'm keeping him on RW for the foreseeable future. While the team has added guys that play RW, they've almost never had a RHRW. Panarin is a RHLW. All their other right wingers have been LH. Kakko, Lafreniere, Smith, etc. Blake Wheeler was the last RHRW they've had in the top 6 in a while. Before that it was Fast.

I know we often talk about this regarding your defense, but having a right shot on right wing in the defensive zone helps, especially exiting the zone. You're receiving a pass on your forehand. When working on the wall you have an easier time as well. If you are facing your net, your stick is set to be protecting the middle of the ice. It changes your positioning overall.

 

[TheDirtyH]

If they’re serious about making a push for playoffs (clearly they are) then they need to play him at 3C until they fill the hole.

You can’t trot Jonny B out there as a regular, let alone in the top 9.

Why? Brod did fine in that role for much of last season. Wennberg wasn't really an upgrade at all.

Frankly, I like Johnny B at 3C much more than I like 2024-25 Mika there. We've seen it already: he's blown chunks. Brod has already outplayed him in that role, or at least, hasn't been worse this year.

Kreider seems the bigger issue at 5v5 right now as he has not even been top 9 caliber most of the season.