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

[Pawnee Rangers]

Get the feeling that they want to use this year as another tear down year to remove some fat, then next year is the big shove to go all in for Eichel in free agency and go from there

That's a terrible plan. Any monkey with access to Dolan's checkbook can do that. Can this guy make an actual hockey trade, can he identity undervalued guys around the league and pull off a Brassard for Mika move? I don't think so. And that's the problem. You can't just threaten guys with waivers and roll out the Brinks truck for whatever 30 year old UFA happens to come your way.

 

[NYR Viper]

I mean if he wants to avoid the Toronto circus, still be on an O6 team, still be in a big city, on a team that can contend immediately.
I don't see him limiting his search to Toronto. Plenty of Canadian guys who were expected to look at Toronto end up playing in the states.

He'd make considerably more in NY than anywhere in Canada...

 

[IDvsEGO]

He'd make considerably more in NY than anywhere in Canada...

I think Toronto would be the one exception, but yes.

 

[Alluckks]

That's a terrible plan. Any monkey with access to Dolan's checkbook can do that. Can this guy make an actual hockey trade, can he identity undervalued guys around the league and pull off a Brassard for Mika move? I don't think so. And that's the problem. You can't just threaten guys with waivers and roll out the Brinks truck for whatever 30 year old UFA happens to come your way.

If you're looking to do a fire Drury debate then you are replying to the wrong guy. Drury is here regardless of who likes it. I'd rather speculate on what may actually happen with the team.

 

[IDvsEGO]

That's a terrible plan. Any monkey with access to Dolan's checkbook can do that. Can this guy make an actual hockey trade, can he identity undervalued guys around the league and pull off a Brassard for Mika move? I don't think so. And that's the problem. You can't just threaten guys with waivers and roll out the Brinks truck for whatever 30 year old UFA happens to come your way.

I think it entirely depends on the 30 year old UFA.

I think if you have a roster of centers of
McD, JTM, Trocheck

Wings
Laf, Perreault, Cuylle, Berard, Othmann, (xxx)

Defense
Fox, Miller, Schneider, Borgen

Goaltending : Igor

And you fill in a possible top 6 wing, and figure out a partner for Fox, in a modern NHL structure with forechecking.

And suddenly this team isn't just a contender.

 

[Alluckks]

I think Toronto would be the one exception, but yes.

I think McDavid just wants to stay in Canada tbh

 

[IDvsEGO]

I think McDavid just wants to stay in Canada tbh

It wouldn't surprise me if thats the case, but on the other hand he likely wants out of Edmonton, and if you're gonna move to a city, NYC isn't a bad option.

 

[NickyFotiu]

Miller-Fox
Soucy-Borgen
Jones-Schneider
Vaakanainen

I feel like thats actually not a bad defense if they run a zone D instead of the man on man crap they have the last few years.

Any concern about who will clear the front of our net with that first pairing?

 

[Pawnee Rangers]

I think it entirely depends on the 30 year old UFA.

I think if you have a roster of centers of
McD, JTM, Trocheck

Wings
Laf, Perreault, Cuylle, Berard, Othmann, (xxx)

Defense
Fox, Miller, Schneider, Borgen

Goaltending : Igor

And you fill in a possible top 6 wing, and figure out a partner for Fox, in a modern NHL structure with forechecking.

And suddenly this team isn't just a contender.

McD is a pipe dream, I think. And the rest of the forward lineup is as of today, ass. I hope Perrault is the real deal, who knows what will be with Laff, Cuylie is solid and the rest is just a bunch of question marks. I guess it's better to have good centers and shitty wings. We've tried good wings and no centers and that hasn't been great.

If you're looking to do a fire Drury debate then you are replying to the wrong guy. Drury is here regardless of who likes it. I'd rather speculate on what may actually happen with the team.

Signing a 30 year old Eichel is the Ranger way so speculate away. You really went out on a limb with that one. But they're still going to have to identify good players in bad situations on other teams if they ever hope to fill out their top 6 because there's not much in house.

 

[Machinehead]

They're actually doing "stuff per 60" now.

JTM is doing a lot of actual stuff.

 

[Lindberg Cheese]

Ra-ra-retool, only 4 questionable trades away from north/south truculent glory

Othmann Miller Peterka
Cuylle Trocheck Necas
Berard Trenin Hartman
Parsinnen Drury Edstrom
Carrick

Hague Fox
Miller Borgen
Soucy/Vaak Klingberg (or Ceci or Hakinpoo)

 

[haohmaru]

JTM is doing a lot of actual stuff.

But but everyone says he’s old and not an elite player.

 

[NickyFotiu]

The core problem with the Rangers is they never draft a franchise center. Like, never ever. Ever Never Ever Never. It's almost comical. Actually, a tragedy at this point.

That being said, a lot of franchise centers that have won the Cup aren't thought of in the same stratosphere as Crosby - Kopitar, Barkov, ROR, etc... They are great players, great two way players, but certainly not "generational". And then there's guys like Tavares, Mathews, Thornton, etc... that haven't won a thing.

Maybe the next time they have a top 10 pick they should draft the best center available. Think about how the Kakko and Lafreniere drafts might've been different if they Rangers drafted the best center instead of the best player.

Sure, the fanbase would've screamed bloody murder but it's an organizational issue for 50 years.

Who is the best center we've ever drafted? Weight? Savard? JT Miller?

Often (but not always) the best players have grown up as centers so they went #1 or high in the draft.

Would have been great to get Hughes instead of Kakko in the 2019 draft but we did not have that choice. Who would you have taken at center? This weekend I saw a clip of a hockey analyst I like a lot. The funny thing was right after the draft he was saying Kakko was bigger, stronger and faster than Hughes. Bigger and stronger I can understand but faster? I never saw that clip before. That made me laugh but the guy is a good hockey analyst.

In the 2020 draft you have a few more options at center starting with Byfield but none that have looked like franchise centers so far.

 

[Alluckks]

McD is a pipe dream, I think. And the rest of the forward lineup is as of today, ass. I hope Perrault is the real deal, who knows what will be with Laff, Cuylie is solid and the rest is just a bunch of question marks. I guess it's better to have good centers and shitty wings. We've tried good wings and no centers and that hasn't been great.

Signing a 30 year old Eichel is the Ranger way so speculate away. You really went out on a limb with that one. But they're still going to have to identify good players in bad situations on other teams if they ever hope to fill out their top 6 because there's not much in house.

Okay relax

Rangers, under Drury, heavily pursued Eichel in the past. There is some substance to a factor being Buffalo management refusing to let Eichel go to New York because he would then still be in their backyard, and they are butthurt owners. The Pegulas suck. Eichel is American - which is usually a whatever point, but there are plenty of indicators that Drury has shown a strong preference towards that. Miller acquisition, Sullivan signing, Tkachuck rumors, etc. Vince was quoted just last week saying that the main reason Buchnevich was even moved was because Drury was fairly certain he was going to get Eichel at that time. There is more to it than just "30 year old player to the Ranger, hurr durr."

They definitely do need a lot more. But if Cuylle can continue to trajectory and become a stable Top 6 guy that score 25-25 then he is a piece. JT Miller is a piece. Eichel would be a piece. Laf either becomes a piece or is traded for one (I lean trade, both in what I want and what I think happens; and I liked the fairly substantiated Peterka rumors/pursuit). Then maybe you hope Perreault could become a guy there.

It's a lot of moving parts, but you don't have to squint to see it.

Also, if for some reason Brady Tkachuck exercises his full NMC and presses for a trade here similar to what Nash did many moons ago... it gets interesting.

Peterka - Eichel - ______
Cuylle - Miller - Perreault
______ - Trocheck - ______
______ - ________ - _______

Fill in with free agency, Rempe, Edstrom, Carrick, Sykora, Othmann, etc.

 

[Machinehead]

But but everyone says he’s old and not an elite player.

He is old and not an elite player.

But his profile as a player who "does stuff" can be tangibly shown.

 

[IDvsEGO]

Often (but not always) the best players have grown up as centers so they went #1 or high in the draft.

Would have been great to get Hughes instead of Kakko in the 2019 draft but we did not have that choice. Who would you have taken at center? This weekend I saw a clip of a hockey analyst I like a lot. The funny thing was right after the draft he was saying Kakko was bigger, stronger and faster than Hughes. Bigger and stronger I can understand but faster? I never saw that clip before. That made me laugh but the guy is a good hockey analyst.

In the 2020 draft you have a few more options at center starting with Byfield but none that have looked like franchise centers so far.

People were going pure contrarian right before that draft.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Ra-ra-retool, only 4 questionable trades away from north/south truculent glory

Othmann Miller Peterka
Cuylle Trocheck Necas
Berard Trenin Hartman
Parsinnen Drury Edstrom
Carrick

Hague Fox
Miller Borgen
Soucy/Vaak Klingberg (or Ceci or Hakinpoo)

hakinpoo?

 

[Pawnee Rangers]

Okay relax

Rangers, under Drury, heavily pursued Eichel in the past. There is some substance to a factor being Buffalo management refusing to let Eichel go to New York because he would then still be in their backyard, and they are butthurt owners. The Pegulas suck. Eichel is American - which is usually a whatever point, but there are plenty of indicators that Drury has shown a strong preference towards that. Miller acquisition, Sullivan signing, Tkachuck rumors, etc. Vince was quoted just last week saying that the main reason Buchnevich was even moved was because Drury was fairly certain he was going to get Eichel at that time. There is more to it than just "30 year old player to the Ranger, hurr durr."

They definitely do need a lot more. But if Cuylle can continue to trajectory and become a stable Top 6 guy that score 25-25 then he is a piece. JT Miller is a piece. Eichel would be a piece. Laf either becomes a piece or is traded for one (I lean trade, both in what I want and what I think happens). Then maybe you hope Perreault could become a guy there.

It's a lot of moving parts, but you don't have to squint to see it.

Also, if for some reason Brady Tkachuck exercises his full NMC and presses for a trade here similar to what Nash did many moons ago... it gets interesting.

This is all just a bunch of hope my man, in two years Miller and Trocheck are in decline. I don't know if you'll ever get a better season out of Trocheck than we saw last season. You can't build a team based on what good player "might" be available two years from now. Build the foundation of a solid team and then go out and sign the missing ingredient. They have 1 1/2 good defenseman on this team right now. Connor McDavid couldn't even help that.

 

[Alluckks]

This is all just a bunch of hope my man, in two years Miller and Trocheck are in decline. I don't know if you'll ever get a better season out of Trocheck than we saw last season. You can't build a team based on what good player "might" be available two years from now. Build the foundation of a solid team and then go out and sign the missing ingredient. They have 1 1/2 good defenseman on this team right now. Connor McDavid couldn't even help that.

We're fans, hoping is what we do

I do know we aren't doing a full rebuid. I also think all signs are we aren't pushing in all our chips this year. So if we are going for something in between then this does make sense to me and could be realistic.

 

[NickyFotiu]

I like the Rangers youth a lot. I dont like handwaving it because the guys dont show up on top prospect lists or not drafted high.

Cuylle, Rempe, Edstrom, Berard, Othmann, Perreault all should have NHL roles next year. Sykora, Roobreck, Laba and others can challenge for spots as the season goes on imo. Sullivan has on record lamented the fact that Pittsburgh hasnt had many young players to incorporate. He's got his chance now. Let the kids play. There's the upside. I just wish one of them was a center lol. Maybe try Edstrom or Perreault there?

I'm optimistic about them but if we were trading for them their ceilings would be in debate for sure.

I'm going have to wait and see on Gabe. In his few games he looked like a guy that needs to be in the AHL for a bit. How far and fast he grows will tell the story.

I think Will has already earned his spot. He is one of the few locks to be on the 2025-26 NYR.

Most the rest of the young guys may become good but look like bottom 6 guys.

 

[Pawnee Rangers]

We're fans, hoping is what we do

I do know we aren't doing a full rebuid. I also think all signs are we aren't pushing in all our chips this year. So if we are going for something in between then this does make sense to me and could be realistic.

Signing Eichel while the rest of the team needs major work is certainly realistic for this organization.

 

[HockeyBasedNYC]

I think theres a possibility Drury trades the pick if there are suitors. Even more so if they hit the lottery.

 

[Machinehead]

hakinpoo?

He's a shortstop from Seattle

 

[cheech70]

I like-Peterka-MacTavosh-Rossi-Powers-Clarke just to name a few....we need to do a hockey trade and win...also I was dreaming and Dubas called Sydney and asked if he would like to be traded to a team and a coach he can trust?

 

[Levitate]

Any concern about who will clear the front of our net with that first pairing?

I mean the team hasn't had someone who can clear the front of the net since I dunno maaaaaaaybe Girardi in his early years

not really a ton of good crease clearers in the NHL today beause it's not quite something that exists in the game the way it used to. You can't just maul someone all game long without getting called for a lot of penalties.

Tying up sticks properly tends to achieve similar success these days