Speculation: Roster Building thread - Part XVII - (TDL is March 7th)

[TGWL]

How about:

Panarin to LA for Fiala + Dvorak + LAK 1st + Jeannot (cap dump)

Smith @ 50% to FLA for 2nd '26 + 4th '25

Lindgren @ 50% to COL for 2nd '25 + 5th '26

Kreider to DAL for Bourque + 1st '26 + 3rd '26


In the off-season, sign Gavrikov + Matta

Fiala-Miller-Zibanejad
Cuylle-Trochek-Lafreniere
Othmann-Bourque-Berard/Kaliyev
Edstrom-Carrick-Rempe
Berard/Kaliyev

Gavrikov-Fox
Miller-Borgen
Maata-Schneider
Vaak

Shesty
Quick

That fits with ~$4-5m in cap space

I don't see LA giving us that for Panarin when he's going to be a UFA next year and not really what they need. I think if they want to get out of Fiala's contract, there's better ways to do it. I don't see Dallas giving us that for Kreider. Seems like wishful thinking.

 

[Fitzy]

Feel like with all the rumors of Othmann they're probably just going to recall him once NHL play resumes.

You really hope he can make it work, because he'd really flesh out the top 9 with only players who can provide offense.

Trick is the balance, because someone (Oth, Cuylle, Laf) would have to go back to the right side. That also means Mika as 3C for the time being, but that should get him some very good match-ups.

 

[NYR Viper]

Feel like with all the rumors of Othmann they're probably just going to recall him once NHL play resumes.

You really hope he can make it work, because he'd really flesh out the top 9 with only players who can provide offense.

Trick is the balance, because someone (Oth, Cuylle, Laf) would have to go back to the right side. That also means Mika as 3C for the time being, but that should get him some very good match-ups.

It really should be Smith out, Othmann up. Take away the opportunity for the coach to fall back on the veteran

 

[Fitzy]

It really should be Smith out, Othmann up. Take away the opportunity for the coach to fall back on the veteran

We can move Smith for value, but then you've got one guy in the top 9 again who arguably shouldn't be.

Which is fine, there can be other trades, or you can try to prompte Berard too, but two rookies in the top 9 is a challenge.

 

[TGWL]

I'm just saying they would have cap space to make a move or add another player if desired

What did you calculate for all the signings and RFA deals?

 

[effen]

Edit: call up Othmann.

 

[bernmeister]

Trade Kreider and Mika will follow.
....

no, on principle alone, no
Mika does not control us
break him
ck we decide on the merits later

Leetch, Orr, Makar are all under 6 feet so that should not be the primary concern.

bold 2 were literally decades ago when avg player was smaller than today's avg
Makar prob is an exception due to ludicrous skating speed, shot

Absolutely awful return for Fox. LOL. LMAO even.

disagree
but by all means, feel free to elaborate and explain why

think of what is best return and compare my suggestion to that
we'll see who is reasonable/realistic

 

[chris kontos]

I think that what you're seeing is people trying to get creative to revamp the roster. Panarin isn't a perfect player either. Fiala, for all his faults, is a 28 year old winger who plays with good pace and who has (2) seasons where he put up more than a ppg, followed by a season where he scored 73 points in 82 games. This is all with playing ~2 minutes less per game than Panarin.

He's also a player who drives possession pretty consistently over his career. He's not perfect, be he'd be a nice top-6 wing option for a team in transition to a younger core who could provide offense.

He also carries a decent cap number ($7.875m) that could come back in return for Panarin's $11.6m number going the other way. It's highly unlikely that any trade of Panarin doesn't return some sort of higher cap hit contract coming back as part of the return.

Also, for all the shit Fiala gets for his playoff numbers, look at the teams he was on.
19-20 - 4 points in 4 games, where his team got swept
20-21 - 2 points in a 7 game series
21022 - 3 points in 6 games
22-23 - 6 points in 3 games
23-24 - 2 points in 5 games

Notice a trend? His teams haven't had very large sample sizes to pull from. But if we take his last 4 times in the playoffs, he has 13 points in 21 games. Not great, but not horrible. And his $7.875m contract is pretty much right in line with Lafreniere which is pretty much a 2nd liner.

This statistical example and the player it represents are prototypes of why the game of hockey cannot be quantified absolutely,
The player HAS NO HOCKEY SENSE. And by all reports very little sense off the rink.
I have been involved in and watched hockey for much longer than i'll admit and i have never laughed harder watching a player virtually corkscrew himself into the ice spinning in one place, passing to no one or the opposing team in critical moments and turning over the puck in the o zone. He angers himself at these gaffes and takes penaltys at critical times as a result.
The guy belongs in the circus and not the nhl.

 

[NickyFotiu]

bold 2 were literally decades ago when avg player was smaller than today's avg
Makar prob is an exception due to ludicrous skating speed, shot

Fox has warts to his game but they are not about being an inch under 6 feet tall in my opinion.

 

[Kodiak]

Fiala has a lot of the same traits as Panarin which drive this board crazy. He's also less productive and signed for longer. If we're moving Panarin (big if), then there has to be a better target. Hard pass

 

[Boris Zubov]

Chychrun is going to push 20 goals this year.

His AAV is going to start with an 8 at minimum.

That's going to be a buyer's remorse deal in year 3. I like the player, but he simply cannot stay healthy. This year is an outlier for him playing in almost every game.

 

[Guyute]

Fiala has a lot of the same traits as Panarin which drive this board crazy. He's also less productive and signed for longer. If we're moving Panarin (big if), then there has to be a better target. Hard pass

Agreed. Fiala would drive Drury nuts. Can't see him being a target in a Panarin trade. If you want to trade Panarin, trade him for prospects and picks. Promote our NHL-ready wing prospects. Use the cap space to fix the defense!

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

That's going to be a buyer's remorse deal in year 3. I like the player, but he simply cannot stay healthy. This year is an outlier for him playing in almost every game.

He did it last year too so someone is going to do it.

If he has a big playoff that number is going to start with 9.

 

[Boris Zubov]

He did it last year too so someone is going to do it.

If he has a big playoff that number is going to start with 9.

Oh I have no doubt he's going to get paid, & as much as he'd look good next to Fox, I'd be very wary if we offered him that deal.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Oh I have no doubt he's going to get paid, & as much as he'd look good next to Fox, I'd be very wary if we offered him that deal.

Yeah I’m out the second that shit hits 8.5 which is going to be immediately.

 

[FoxysExpensiveNYDigs]

no, on principle alone, no
Mika does not control us
break him
ck we decide on the merits later


bold 2 were literally decades ago when avg player was smaller than today's avg
Makar prob is an exception due to ludicrous skating speed, shot


disagree
but by all means, feel free to elaborate and explain why

think of what is best return and compare my suggestion to that
we'll see who is reasonable/realistic

If you are trading Fox you have to get a 1C or 1D back. A couple 3rd liners, a rookie D that maybe has 3/4 upside and 2 lottery tickets aren't that.

 

[McRanger92]

There is room on this team for one more shit stirrer at forward. I think Drury's wishlist in that regard probably goes Brady T-Sam Bennett-Trent Frederic, based on who is available and what they do in other areas. I do think its a need to play that way and every Cup winner has that element in spades. JT, Cuylle, Trocheck, Rempe and Borgen is a good start but we do need more. Hopefully Othmann who can play a heavy game and shoot the puck finds his way up before we trade him.

It's hard to be too optimistic about the team's chances coming back from the break with Lindgren playing top pair minutes. Even if they simply scratched or demoted him to 3rd pair, it would be a huge improvement. I like Urho-Fox, Lindgren-Schneider and Jones-Schneider more than I like 55 playing with Fox. I think a simple upgrade like Soucy or Maata would also greatly improve things.

 

[bernmeister]

Fox has warts to his game but they are not about being an inch under 6 feet tall in my opinion.

as I've said, Fox is not undersized, but he IS at the lowest end of what is standard min size, 6', being just under that

while some ? as to how much of that is a negative in terms of not being able to exert his will vs a bigger opponent, I disagree it is not a prob at all, but agree it is not a huge prob

howev, there is no getting away from the fact he is slow, seriously slow, and will only get slower
his superior hockey iq and anticipation can only carry him so much

If you are trading Fox you have to get a 1C or 1D back. A couple 3rd liners, a rookie D that maybe has 3/4 upside and 2 lottery tickets aren't that.

1. you have to get the best return possible, you try for position of need but you don't take less to try and force things
that = mindset = set up to fail

2. Grieg is 3C but I can see him as a 2C
Pinto = 2C and I can see IF IF IF right combo/chemistry, could function as a first line

Kleven is huge, lhs, can play either side, if I remember was a first round pick
AND HE IS AVAILABLE IMMEDIATELY
most Ds their performance is impacted extensively by who is partner/chemistry, but there is no reason to think he "maybe" as 2nd pair upside. With correct partner [Schneider?] I could see that now. Why be negative and automatically assume* this kid has a hard ceiling for upside?
No reason to think that

And the picks are an upgrade
besides, Rs have to bend, buckle and break and listen to bern and acquire-> develop quality youth which means draft picks, and STOP ADDING VETS





* remember, when you assume, you make an ass out of u and me

 

[NickyFotiu]

as I've said, Fox is not undersized, but he IS at the lowest end of what is standard min size, 6', being just under that


his superior hockey iq and anticipation can only carry him so much

You can be 5-11 and have some grind in your game physically. There are guys 5-7 to 5-10 that use their body. As a kid we were always taught defend the body not the puck. Fox has pluses and minuses like most players but I do not think being 5-11 is the big issue. I think if he hustled harder and used his body more that the speed and size warts would be much less of a concern. If I was his coach I would ask him how can I get him to hustle 100%. Would he be able to hustle harder if he played fewer minutes. I would also encourage him to lead by example. Not only via hustling but stop with the looking up to the sky so often. Nobody up there is stopping you from scoring any more than somebody up there is helping you when you score. Now with that said we should not throw out the baby with the bath water. Fox has played at a higher level previously. I think he can get back to that level once the knee is 100% and if his hustle gets to its peak level.

 

[bernmeister]

You can be 5-11 and have some grind in your game physically. There are guys 5-7 to 5-10 that use their body. As a kid we were always taught defend the body not the puck. Fox has pluses and minuses like most players but I do not think being 5-11 is the big issue. I think if he hustled harder and used his body more that the speed and size warts would be much less of a concern. If I was his coach I would ask him how can I get him to hustle 100%. Would he be able to hustle harder if he played fewer minutes. I would also encourage him to lead by example. Not only via hustling but stop with the looking up to the sky so often. Nobody up there is stopping you from scoring any more than somebody up there is helping you when you score. Now with that said we should not throw out the baby with the bath water. Fox has played at a higher level previously. I think he can get back to that level once the knee is 100% and if his hustle gets to its peak level.

I appreciate the insights, but must disagree
Fox is not lax
and I don't blame him or any other player for not going 111% of effort 111% of the time, b'c humans break down from physical stress, and any other nobler aspects aside, that is counterproductive

He IS slow; less slow when he hustles, but STILL SLOW
that will not be overcome going forward

And it is fair to ask if we are not better off w/multiple quality youth -> depth instead of one higher end D w/warts

 

[lakeshirts37]

Trade Kreider and Mika will follow.


I appreciated Trouba very much. The Rangers miss him. He played with a broken foot in the playoffs. Wasn't the prefect player but he was a tough SOB. The Rangers need more tough SOB's and not being so nice. I think the U.S. team plays a heavy game. Playoff hockey.

The Rangers do not miss Trouba lol

 

[NickyFotiu]

I appreciate the insights, but must disagree
Fox is not lax
and I don't blame him or any other player for not going 111% of effort 111% of the time, b'c humans break down from physical stress, and any other nobler aspects aside, that is counterproductive

He IS slow; less slow when he hustles, but STILL SLOW
that will not be overcome going forward

And it is fair to ask if we are not better off w/multiple quality youth -> depth instead of one higher end D w/warts

Every player should be giving as close to 100% as possible. Problem for Fox is he tries to use his brain (and stick) instead of his feet too often. That ends up showing up badly at times like in the game 7 vs NJ.

I used to teach my kids move your feet. Get your body (not just your stick) in between where a guy wants to go with the puck. Just reaching with your stick is lazy playing. The young kids used to crack up because I would repeatedly us the phrase "You reach I teach" while going around their lazy stick checks.

 

[cheech70]

All these plans are predicated on Dolan looking to expand salary and get into an arms race. With his Dad passing maybe he puts his MSG empire on the block. I remember Phil Jackson saying Jim only did this for his father. Who would be a good new owner?

 

[FoxysExpensiveNYDigs]

All these plans are predicated on Dolan looking to expand salary and get into an arms race. With his Dad passing maybe he puts his MSG empire on the block. I remember Phil Jackson saying Jim only did this for his father. Who would be a good new owner?

 

[AirGut]

The trade is one for one: Adam Fox for Brady Tkachuk