Speculation: Roster Building Thread: Part XX (WTF are we going to do this Off-Season edition)

[Ruggs225]

Yup. Once fans are frustrated with a certain player and or more wholistically with the group or the organization as a whole every response is viewed through these negative lenses of interpretation.

I get frustration with this season but by and large Drury was able to address most of the team's flaws that were identified after last season. I recall my earlier position when Galant was fired / Laviolette hired is that 2023-2024 season was meant to make an assessment of what had to be done. Fortunately or unfortunately depending on the perspective, the team overachieved last season that changed everyone's expectations (including mine) going into this season. However, the original goal for 2023-2024 was still accomplished as the team flaws were identified but because of last season's success correcting them took longer (still not close to being done at D).

Drury needs to address the biggest flaw. Lack of competency at Gm

 

[Alluckks]

The only regular Tampa has that was born in the 80's was Ryan McDonagh and that was 1989. Even Stamkos was born in the 90's.

The Panthers also had one regular born in the 80's last year. 1988.

The late 80's is deep into Millennial territory.

I don't think a Gen X has played in the NHL since Joe Thornton retired and he's a Gen X by one year. Ovechkin is ready to turn into dust and he's a Millennial with years to spare.

The first Gen Alpha draft is in three years.

The demographic you're describing is pretty much the whole league.

Matt Rempe's ice time being 7 minutes or 8 minutes is more impactful than the discrepancy over your players belonging to a certain generation. Good lord

 

[Ruggs225]

Also, in a normal sport, you would just know what the injuries are because they tell you in other sports. We wouldn't have to hear it all today when it just sounds like an excuse.

But usually the team will disclose it in most sports. In this case a player is disclosing a ton of information. That is not exactly normal. And him doing so in the middle of the season as well is completely abnormal.

 

[DialUp]

Also if the question is whether this team is uniquely entitled, then my answer would be that their GM is uniquely a moron.

Everything about the Rangers is unique. We've been ass since the league was filled with guys born in the 40's.

Zoom out, and you are 100% right. Ass org. New York R-ass-ngers

 

[Levitate]

They were 12-4-1 going into those two games. There is no chance they "quit". Shellshocked at the fact that GM wanted to move two of their core players? Infuriated that said GM didn't talk to either player, and the whole team had to learn about it from the media? Flabbergasted that they were (while not playing well) in 1st place and yet the team might get blown up? Absolutely.

EDIT: I am wrong on my timing, the "memo" to the other 31 GMs went out after the two games you mentioned. My mistake there, my argument doesn't hold. I still don't see any reason this team would have "quit" going into those two games though. They were doing amazing in the standings. I had just been at the game at Seattle a couple days prior and they looked great (from what I remember). What reason would they have "quit"?

Their record was pretty good but everyone (here, the beat writers) were talking about how they weren't playing well and were lucky to have that record. We all assumed they'd even it out and would stop giving up so many chances, etc, and instead they bombed out even worse.

I mean honestly I don't know if it's consciously that they quit, but it looks like they were too distracted and bothered by outside things to focus on the details they needed to in order to win, and I have at times gotten the feeling even before this year that this team can get complacent and expect things to come easy because of past success. Sometimes it's a game to game thing...have several good games and then follow that up with a game that looks like they just expect everything to fall into place and instead the other team outworks and outskates them.

Honestly felt that way with the AV teams too. Maybe it's bullshit and I'm making it up, I dunno. There's no good reason there would be carryover from those teams from nearly a decade ago, but it's like some dumbshit curse with this team

 

[DialUp]

If team DIDN'T quit, then they were a "uniquely" bad team. There was a stretch where they were the worst team in the league. Did absolutely nothing right, lost to every other bad team, lost to every good team. Just absolutely putrid. So if it wasn't a collection of good played quitting, then it had to be, at that time, the worst collection of players in the NHL.

Rangers were very very bad this year. And if you weight it against Chi, or SJ, or the Ducks, it's even worse because the Rangers had NO excuse.

 

[Captain Monglobster]

Their record was pretty good but everyone (here, the beat writers) were talking about how they weren't playing well and were lucky to have that record. We all assumed they'd even it out and would stop giving up so many chances, etc, and instead they bombed out even worse.

I mean honestly I don't know if it's consciously that they quit, but it looks like they were too distracted and bothered by outside things to focus on the details they needed to in order to win, and I have at times gotten the feeling even before this year that this team can get complacent and expect things to come easy because of past success. Sometimes it's a game to game thing...have several good games and then follow that up with a game that looks like they just expect everything to fall into place and instead the other team outworks and outskates them.

Honestly felt that way with the AV teams too. Maybe it's bullshit and I'm making it up, I dunno. There's no good reason there would be carryover from those teams from nearly a decade ago, but it's like some dumbshit curse with this team

The only constants are ck and mika. The turn the other cheek crew.

 

[Machinehead]

But usually the team will disclose it in most sports. In this case a player is disclosing a ton of information. That is not exactly normal. And him doing so in the middle of the season as well is completely abnormal.

He probably did that because the he was suffering from vertigo and the team was trying to trade him.

These players suck but Drury is unfit to be running this show.

 

[Levitate]

That's fair, I can't argue with that.

My personal narrative, not provable but at least what I have convinced myself - it was less about players effort and more about the league figuring out how to beat them. Gallant was never and Xs & Os coach. There really was no structure, and that came back to bite us against Tampa in the '22 playoffs and then the book was out in the '23 season & playoffs. Stay out of the box, don't let the PP get chances, play a disciplined, structural game, and find holes in the coverage of their defense, and you'll beat the Rangers. Easier said than done, but the Devils figured it out halfway through that series.

Lavi comes in in 23-24 and implements more structure, we get a more sustainable recipe for success (albeit still not good enough at 5-on-5 and way too reliant on PP and goaltending) than we had with Gallant. 2024-25, the wheels fall off, not because of the approach, but because of all the other issues outlined. And Lavi did a terrible job of managing the locker room, making adjustments, holding players accountable, etc.

I think that's fair, we were mostly all happy with Laviolette's first year and bringing more structure to the team but again last year it's like they just lost all of that and went back to having no clue what to do on the ice. And yeah, Lavi couldn't manage it.

On the flipside, if Drury just being more communicative with his players would have avoided some of this then maybe he should fix that shit???

 

[Levitate]

He probably did that because the he was suffering from vertigo and the team was trying to trade him.

These players suck but Drury is unfit to be running this show.

Honestly I don't see any likelyhood that Drury is going to be fire this year so I'm just kind of shrugging and hoping he lucks into fixing this somehow

 

[effen]

They were 12-4-1 going into those two games. There is no chance they "quit". Shellshocked at the fact that GM wanted to move two of their core players? Infuriated that said GM didn't talk to either player, and the whole team had to learn about it from the media? Flabbergasted that they were (while not playing well) in 1st place and yet the team might get blown up? Absolutely.

EDIT: I am wrong on my timing, the "memo" to the other 31 GMs went out after the two games you mentioned. My mistake there, my argument doesn't hold. I still don't see any reason this team would have "quit" going into those two games though. They were doing amazing in the standings. I had just been at the game at Seattle a couple days prior and they looked great (from what I remember). What reason would they have "quit"?

They got wind of something? Got sick of Laviolette? Couple day bender in the Rockies? Lot of options on the table.

A fun sequence of events was if they decided to have a mini-revolt on Laviolette and THAT made Drury get fed up and put out the memo.

 

[Guyute]

Howden got quite a lot of middle six time his first two years and played PP his rookie year. This might have been a function of a lack of talent on the team and was the source of the boards incessant, excessive mean girl posting about him because Quinn seemed to prefer him to Chytil or Andersson.

You're correct. I was referring to his last season when he was 4C and played PK.

 

[will1066]

Howden got quite a lot of middle six time his first two years and played PP his rookie year. This might have been a function of a lack of talent on the team and was the source of the boards incessant, excessive mean girl posting about him because Quinn seemed to prefer him to Chytil or Andersson.

How do the mean girls feel now? Lol

 

[EdJovanovski]

 

[cheech70]

Bright spot in a dismal year...He could be a 3rd liner

 

[will1066]

Remember when we laughed at the Leafs? Pepperidge Farms remembers.

 

[Homelander]

So at the VERY VERY least, why can't Drury do this?

 

[Guyute]

The Mika quote and this quote are pretty annoying.



KAM was asked about his shitty year then he immediately deflects blame towards the team and the noise. GTFOH.

 

[will1066]

The Mika quote and this quote are pretty annoying.



KAM was asked about his shitty year then he immediately deflects blame towards the team and the noise. GTFOH.

The noise he referred to could be a different type of noise, like the noise out of Housley's mouth.

 

[Oscar Lindberg]

Bright spot in a dismal year...He could be a 3rd liner

Would like him to be an NHL 4th liner before we start penciling him into the 3rd line

But that’s just me

 

[huerter]

Man Molly was extra giggly today with Lav out and post 4/20.

 

[EdJovanovski]

From Perreault’s exit interview:

 

[Machinehead]

From Perreault’s exit interview:
View attachment 1019255

"If thou wanteth a guy to be a 4th liner, he shall be one." -Silverfish, 4:20

 

[Machinehead]

I mean, yeah there was a lot of noise.

Instead of saying exactly what he was doing and doing that, Drury just vaguely said "oh, I might trade guys." And then he basically didn't. He didn't subtract one player from the core.

Nobody is going to respond to empty, emotional threats.

And then the one major piece from the room he did get rid of; he goes out and gets a similar player. So like, you're yelling and bloviating, and the team has no idea what you want them to do better. Drury has no idea what he wants to be better.

Identity starts at the top.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

So at the VERY VERY least, why can't Drury do this?

Bc he’s a weasel