Roster Building Thread : Part XVIII ( TDL is March 7th)

[mike14]

Lavi needs to go with the core.

Very weird that hasn't been any kind of coaching shakeup this season so far. You would have thought with the drop-off fron last year, at least one assistant would be let go as a 'message'.

 

[NYR Viper]

IMO, the idea behind trading Panarin would be to recoup assets and build a team properly. You aren’t going to get a direct replacement for a player of his skill level but you don’t necessarily have to in order to improve on the whole. Get some assets back, use the cap space properly and build a cohesive team. The same could be said about Kreider.

When LA falls short, which they will, that’s the landing spot for Panarin. Get Clarke, Fiala and a 1st and move on. Fiala isn’t perfect. I realize that. But he’d be a nice piece to augment the teams offense and he plays with speed. He may be the type of player who is a 1-2 year bridge to other guys.

 

[HockeyBasedNYC]

I want them to win as much as possible and give up the pick this year. All bets are off the table with the pick next year.

I can see the thinking in that.

Are you mostly concerned that the Pens will get top 10 in 26?

How are the 2025 draft class compared to 26? Specifically the 1st round?

I'd rather get a top 12 this year and pair that player with Gabe & Emery than wait until 26.

I just think with the core and goalies they have, adding in JT for a full year and likely some bigger moves coming and potentially a new staff as well - i dont see them being that bad. Mediocre? Sure. But not lottery bad.

 

[TGWL]

I can see the thinking in that.

Are you mostly concerned that the Pens will get top 10 in 26?

How are the 2025 draft class compared to 26? Specifically the 1st round?

I'd rather get a top 12 this year and pair that player with Gabe & Emery than wait until 26.

I just think with the core and goalies they have, adding in JT for a full year and likely some bigger moves coming and potentially a new staff as well - i dont see them being that bad. Mediocre? Sure. But not lottery bad.

I think its more the fear of being a lottery team next year, in a draft with Gavin. Fanbase would explode if Penguins hit that home run from us.

 

[FoxysExpensiveNYDigs]

I can see the thinking in that.

Are you mostly concerned that the Pens will get top 10 in 26?

How are the 2025 draft class compared to 26? Specifically the 1st round?

I'd rather get a top 12 this year and pair that player with Gabe & Emery than wait until 26.

I just think with the core and goalies they have, adding in JT for a full year and likely some bigger moves coming and potentially a new staff as well - i dont see them being that bad. Mediocre? Sure. But not lottery bad.

This years draft reportedly severely falls off after the first 6 picks, then again after pick 10-12. 26 draft is reportedly much deeper. I'm on the side of giving the pick this year because I dont think this team will slide far enough down to pick top 6 this year.

 

[Shesterkybomb]

Yea in a nice open east/west game. When the big games start and things get tight and physical, he has to play a north/sound game he’s gone.

He’s definitely part of the problem. And would be the biggest trade chip we have to fix it.

This is overplayed, east west hockey isn't necessarily a bad thing, you just can't have all the lines playing that way and you can't have all the players on the line playing perimeter hockey. The whole "East West" thing isn't a problem if you have guys going to the net for rebounds, something this team is allergic to. Nobody plays heavy in this forward group outside of Miller, Cuylle, Rempe and Carrick. What's the point in Panarin dumping it in and nobody going to get it? He may as well make the best of what's ahead of him. The very last things wrong with this team are Fox, Panarin and the goaltending.

 

[Shesterkybomb]

What's the plan with Panarin? Can he play the right way? If the coach wants him to play a certain style, is Panarin willing to adjust? It's the same story every year with this group. Quinn was too tough on them and he was a micromanager. Gallant was the opposite and they needed more structure. Laviolette has lost the team after less than two seasons. Isn't Panarin part of the problem? It can't be all on Kreider being a big bitch.

The problem with every old rewashed coach we get is they only play one way and when they get to a team that isn't built to play that way they try and force it. A good coach comes in, looks at the players and makes a gameplan that gets the best out of the players instead of trying to turn skilled forwards into grinders. This team isn't built to play a man on man system, it never was and after the moves we made it's even less so. The team isn't made to play the 1-2-2 we've been trying the last little while either. This team needs to push the pace, it needs to provide back pressure when that fails, it needs an active f3 so the dmen can hold the line. We have players to do it, unfortunately the coach prefers vets over youth and when that happens you lose your legs and hunger for the puck.
There is absolutely no reason Othmann and Berard aren't staples in the top 9, especially when you consider the options currently playing there. Sykora could provide something as well in that regard. Having said all that, Panarin has succeeded even when the team fails.

 

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

frankly while i think laviolette is incredibly mid and deserves to be replaced, at the end of the day, IMO coaching represents MAYBE 5% of a team’s success. This isn’t the NFL. Either your players are good enough or they aren’t. Was Mike Keenan really a better coach than a guy like Lavi or Gallant? Probably not.

 

[HockeyBasedNYC]

frankly while i think laviolette is incredibly mid and deserves to be replaced, at the end of the day, IMO coaching represents MAYBE 5% of a team’s success. This isn’t the NFL. Either your players are good enough or they aren’t. Was Mike Keenan really a better coach than a guy like Lavi or Gallant? Probably not.

I think in hockey there are a few really good coaches who are buoyed by a smart GM who provides the coach with the right weapons to go to war with.

A majority of the rest are mid and then you have the occasional inspirational hire, but their message will only last for so long.

I think of a coach like Cooper whos had the same kind of approach/system, has got the players in the right spots and is able to get the most out of his team every year for the most part.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

This years draft reportedly severely falls off after the first 6 picks, then again after pick 10-12. 26 draft is reportedly much deeper. I'm on the side of giving the pick this year because I dont think this team will slide far enough down to pick top 6 this year.

Next year’s draft is always deeper!

 

[JohnC]

I mean, there’s been extensive discussion over the past 30 around the 94 Rangers winning in spite of Mike Keenan, so not really a good example.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Next year’s draft is always deeper!

This is one case where it actually is.

 

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

I think in hockey there are a few really good coaches who are buoyed by a smart GM who provides the coach with the right weapons to go to war with.

A majority of the rest are mid and then you have the occasional inspirational hire, but their message will only last for so long.

I think of a coach like Cooper whos had the same kind of approach/system, has got the players in the right spots and is able to get the most out of his team every year for the most part.

Yeah I’d say Cooper is like the current pinnacle of coaching in the NHL. Even then not that hard when you have Kucherov, Point, Hedman, Vasi, and then the myriad of insanely good depth players on top of those guys

 

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

I mean, there’s been extensive discussion over the past 30 around the 94 Rangers winning in spite of Mike Keenan, so not really a good example.

i mean laviolette won a cup and he kind of stinks so

 

[rangersfansince08]

Using points as a measure of anything this season is completely useless in my opinion. The issue is with how they play. Mika has been better since January but like, he still makes 5 boneheaded plays a game. Stuff a 10 year vet shouldnt be doing. Panarin, Trocheck, Mika can get all the points they want but they all still play soft perimeter hockey and it stems from the PP. I think Mika probably sticks around and he has shown enough that I at least think he cares. He's also a force on the PK, thats undeniable. Same as Trocheck going forward. With Panarin and Kreider, they are moveable and their time is up on this team. We have to go in a different direction for the good of the franchise. Do people really want to run it back without more major changes? Last game was the point of no return for me.

What's the value in playing the right way and playing a tough game if it doesn't result in production and wins?

 

[nsvoyageurs]

This season seriously cannot end soon enough to start the purge.

13 games to go. Let's get a nice draft pick. Top 10 would be excellent.

I'd rather have a top 10 pick next year.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

I'd rather have a top 10 pick next year.

We wont have that. We’ll be back in the playoffs once we get rid of the garbage and make some additions in the offseason.

 

[Oscar Lindberg]

Even if they pick top 10 this year I’m convinced they will trade it

Drury doesn’t give a f*** about 3-4 years from now when that pick will play. His ass is on the line in the next 18-24 months

 

[HatTrick Swayze]

We wont have that. We’ll be back in the playoffs once we get rid of the garbage and make some additions in the offseason.

Lot of moving parts to get this roster back to contention if you ask me.

 

[effen]

It's not hard to avoid posting about players you personally don't like every day, in almost every post.

Let's leave the moderating to the moderators.

I object to you asserting that posters have a bias against certain players for personal reasons (stole their lunch money?!? banged their wife???) and if you're going to keep doing that I'd like a citation that convinces you so much.

 

[FoxysExpensiveNYDigs]

We wont have that. We’ll be back in the playoffs once we get rid of the garbage and make some additions in the offseason.

What makes you so certain?

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Lot of moving parts to get this roster back to contention if you ask me.

Not with Igor. He plays as he normally does we will be in with an average roster.

 

[nsvoyageurs]

We wont have that. We’ll be back in the playoffs once we get rid of the garbage and make some additions in the offseason.

That's a big "if"to me. They need a new head coach too (not that I want to give this core the satisfaction of getting another head coach fired).

 

[The Crypto Guy]

What makes you so certain?

We still have one of the best goalies in the league. Regardless if he had an off season. Even with his bad season we are still a point away from the playoffs. And the forwards will certainly be better next year with the country club boys.

 

[DanielBrassard]

Not with Igor. He plays as he normally does we will be in with an average roster.

Whoops, maybe not.