Speculation: Roster Building Thread: Part XXI (Will these playoffs ever F'ing end?)

[Mac n Gs]

With Marco Sturm reportedly getting the nod to be Boston’s head coach, there’s simply no excuse to not hire Jay Leach to coach the defense. Hell, fully send it and hire Jay Woodcroft too to coach the offense if he doesn’t find a head coaching job elsewhere.

Leach has coached with Sullivan before in the AHL, and his track record in the NHL is very apparent with helping develop defensemen. He did an excellent job in Seattle and was a big reason why Vince Dunn took huge steps forward in his game; the Soucy-Borgen connection doesn’t hurt either. He coached Blidh and Vaakanainen in Providence too. As a head coach in the AHL, Providence was always one of the best defensive teams and made the playoffs every year besides the COVID year.

Plus, there’s the added benefit of getting someone off of the Cassidy/Montogmery coaching tree. Those guys are amazing coaches and know how to get shit done.

 

[SA16]

Yeah, he's likely traded before or during the draft. Hope the Rangers can get a 3rd for him but at this point I'm not sure.

I doubt he's even qualified. He doesn't want to be here and he has no value around the league.

 

[TGWL]

I don't he's even qualified. He doesn't want to be here and he has no value around the league.

They have time to qualify him. Will they? Maybe not.

 

[Shesterkybomb]

Are we seriously shopping Key? I'm really against this. Our team, the whole team, coaching, top to bottom was ass last year. Seth Jones, Miko Mikkola should be cautionary tales for us in dealing a young dman with size that can skate instead of fixing the real problems before we deal him. I want Sullivan's crew to see what Miller, Schneider, etc can do with a proper system before we start throwing guys with qualities we'll be looking for in our next dmen

 

[SA16]

They have time to qualify him. Will they? Maybe not.

Yes, they have time. But why bother qualifying someone who they have no interest in playing, doesn't want to be here, and has value around the league since he wasn't traded last year despite being given permission to seek a trade? Just let him sign somewhere else.

 

[DanielBrassard]

I’m not surprised that miller is on the block, it seemed like based on what Vince said he’s not really interested in sticking around and wants to get to UfFA as fast as possible. Trading him for a 1st+ and then signing a LD in UFA might be the move.

 

[Machinehead]

If they wanted to replace K'Andre with a real upgrade...I don't know, that still kinda doesn't work for me because LHD is already such a position of need that like, why not both? But ok I guess?

The thing is, they're not even gonna do that. If they trade K'Andre, it'll be to replace him with a player who's worse at everything, parciuarly at moving the puck, but he'll vaguely sort of have the vibe of being a good defender. That's their type and they're never gonna get away from it.

 

[DanielBrassard]

Yes, they have time. But why bother qualifying someone who they have no interest in playing, doesn't want to be here, and has value around the league since he wasn't traded last year despite being given permission to seek a trade? Just let him sign somewhere else.

Who knows what Sullivan’s thinking is though, he might be willing to give Jones a chance to play consistently. I don’t see the point in just letting him go for nothing before training camp even begins. Also is there any evidence he has no interest in being here or is it that he just wanted to play? I think he’d have no problem being a ranger if the coaching staff gives him a chance.

 

[SA16]

Who knows what Sullivan’s thinking is though, he might be willing to give Jones a chance to play consistently. I don’t see the point in just letting him go for nothing before training camp even begins. Also is there any evidence he has no interest in being here or is it that he just wanted to play? I think he’d have no problem being a ranger if the coaching staff gives him a chance.

It's possible it can be different with Sullivan here. I doubt it though considering almost all coaches like the same things. I don't think many coaches have much use for small, third-pair defensemen, who don't play any significant special teams role though. How many of those are there?

For reference here is the list of defenseman last year to play at least 41 games, be under 6 foot tall, play less than 2 mins/game on the PP, and less than 1 min/game on the PK

Sam Girard
Zac Jones
Jordan Spence
Troy Stecher

That is two full time players - Girard and Spence. So while Sullivan, or someone else, could like him it's not particularly likely.

 

[haohmaru]

I’m not surprised that miller is on the block, it seemed like based on what Vince said he’s not really interested in sticking around and wants to get to UfFA as fast as possible. Trading him for a 1st+ and then signing a LD in UFA might be the move.

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking. He's probably wanting a two year deal and that's the end of the story. I mean, the Rangers can do that and still get assets for him at this or next year's TDL so I don't think there's a rush to move him this summer unless somebody throws a serious offer up that benefits the Rangers immediately.

Defensemen can "find it" later in their careers and that would be a shame to watch him figure it out elsewhere. He's got the tools to do just that if he can quit making boneheaded decisions under pressure.

If the Rangers do sign him you can kiss Kreider goodbye.

 

[McRanger92]

Media around the team are on the record that K'Andre isnt going to give any kind of discount to the Rangers and he has not really improved since his high water mark in the 2022 playoff run. Can Sullivan and the new coaching staff fix him? Perhaps. But im open to listening to what other teams have to offer and how highly he is valued around the league. The caveat to all of this being that there arent obvious upgrades on the trade or free agent markets. I still think a 2 year deal is probably the best outcome for all parties.

 

[Leonardo87]

Easy with kandre. You sign Provorov and deangelo.

Provorov-Fox
Schneider-Borgen
Vaak-DeAngelo

Deangelo coming back to nyr is alot more realistic than people think

If you move schneider its likely for a LHD

2nd page of the new roster thread and we are proposing DeAngelo to return here? Come on dude.

 

[Pawnee Rangers]

Trade Miller for a C. Trade Laff for LD. Team has plenty of options on the wing. Between Schneider and Miller, I think Schneider has more room to grow.

 

[bigdog16]

Trade Miller for a C. Trade Laff for LD. Team has plenty of options on the wing. Between Schneider and Miller, I think Schneider has more room to grow.

Miller's ceiling is substantially higher than Schneider's. Schneider is a great defender, but he doesn't have the skating ability or offensive skill set to be much more than what he already is.

 

[SA16]

Miller's ceiling is substantially higher than Schneider's. Schneider is a great defender, but he doesn't have the skating ability or offensive skill set to be much more than what he already is.

Schneider is a bad defender

 

[ReddestRum]

Trade Miller for a C. Trade Laff for LD. Team has plenty of options on the wing. Between Schneider and Miller, I think Schneider has more room to grow.

Gave the puck away just as much as Miller this past season playing less time than Miller, and can't take the puck away from opponents in his zone like Miller can. No thanks.

 

[Alluckks]

Suprised we haven’t heard much of Jones in trade talks from our beatwriters. Cant imagine he’s on the team next year after he voiced his opinion last season.

I don’t think he has any trade value

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Schneider is not a good defender.

He's really the opposite of what people think he is in that he's pretty decent at driving offense but not really all that good at preventing it from coming back the other way.

He has turned a corner on the PK though. Was very strong there last year before it fell apart for everyone the last month of the season.

 

[Machinehead]

Schneider is not a good defender.

He's really the opposite of what people think he is in that he's pretty decent at driving offense but not really all that good at preventing it from coming back the other way.

He has turned a corner on the PK though. Was very strong there last year before it fell apart for everyone the last month of the season.

He's the new Kevin Klein. Super underrated at moving the puck and super overrated at defending.

 

[Pawnee Rangers]

Miller's ceiling is substantially higher than Schneider's. Schneider is a great defender, but he doesn't have the skating ability or offensive skill set to be much more than what he already is.

I think Schneider is just as good a skater as Miller and much, much tougher. Mentally and physically. With better structure I think he's the better player. I could be full of shit too, who knows.

 

[UnSandvich]

If we are really considering moving Miller (f***ing stupid btw), we should absolutely 1000% also be moving this year’s pick. It is a tacit admission that we do not plan on being a better team next season, because there is nobody currently available that is meaningfully better than him

 

[Pawnee Rangers]

Gave the puck away just as much as Miller this past season playing less time than Miller, and can't take the puck away from opponents in his zone like Miller can. No thanks.

They all treated the puck like it was a covid mcmuffin last year. I think a lot of that had to do with the play of the forwards and their shit man on man system.

 

[Fitzy]

If we are really considering moving Miller (f***ing stupid btw), we should absolutely 1000% also be moving this year’s pick. It is a tacit admission that we do not plan on being a better team next season, because there is nobody currently available that is meaningfully better than him

I guess it depends on what you mean by 'available'

 

[Machinehead]

If we are really considering moving Miller (f***ing stupid btw), we should absolutely 1000% also be moving this year’s pick. It is a tacit admission that we do not plan on being a better team next season, because there is nobody currently available that is meaningfully better than him

You're right, but like I said, they're gonna replace Miller with some Soucy/Borgen type and tell themselves it's a huge upgrade.

 

[haohmaru]

You're right, but like I said, they're gonna replace Miller with some Soucy/Borgen type and tell themselves it's a huge upgrade.

That would be profoundly disappointing.