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

[Fitzy]

His role needs to be lessened wither way. he's not an effective player paying the minutes he does. He cant defend well enough to be a center anymore and he's a black hole on the PP. He is still a strength on the PK though. Play him at wing, get him off PP1 and give him minutes on the PK. Thats the best way to rehabilitate his game if he refuses to leave. The organization doesn't have to make it ugly but they also cant take it on the chin and continue playing him in the first class role he wants but cant perform in.

Having Mika on the 2nd PP unit is an interesting idea, but way too gutsy for most coaches in the league.

With Kreider gone, NYR's power play should be completely reimagined. One of Trocheck/Mika should be removed. Panarin, Miller, Fox are the mainstays.

You won't have a 'good' second unit, but you can at the very least have a unit with some identity (What, in my opinion, second PP units usually lack- ideas- because they are typically a mismatched hodgepodge of 'leftover' offensive players) if Mika is on it.

Second units pass the puck around and don't have an agenda. It usually ends up with some blue-line wrist flips towards the net. You have a shooter out there set up at the half wall and it at least forces teams to pay attention.

Laf has respectable hands. Maybe he can work on his deflections and goal mouth presence around the net.

It would be hard to reduce Mika's role if he's on Miller's wing and killing penalties. But a PP demotion wuld be one way to do it. I just think they'll go back to Miller, Panarin, Tro, Mika with Fox if we're going on tradition.

 

[RangerBoy]

Id lose respect for Quinn as a person if he bent the knee and came back to coach this Rangers team that pulled a mutiny on him in any capacity.

Maybe those players will not object to moving when the Rangers ask them to leave instead of having Quinn yell them like they are 5 year olds. Mika probably wants a say on the assistant coaches.

 

[IDvsEGO]

I honestly don't think Mika will ever waive. From the way his exit interview went, he didn't seem like he was interested in going anywhere and he reminded everyone of the contract he signed. Really came off as "well i'm here and i'm not going anywhere because i earned it." Left a bad taste in my mouth

Sorry. I hated Mika’s play in the first half.

His statement is entirely correct.
He did. He earned a contract, he took money off the top to get that full nmc.

 

[bl02]

Bottom line if we are keeping the pick we can not trade Panarin. Unless we are getting someone of similar value to help the (2025-2026) roster which is highly unlikely. This team has to make the playoffs next year or at very least compete for a spot.
If they give up the pick then no player is untouchable (minus Cuylle and maybe GP/Fox)

 

[duhmetreE]

I mean… path to playing more is achieving the lofty goal of out performing Borgen and claiming the second pairing right side. He should probably do that. Borgen on the third pair is ideal and Schneider taking a step forward and being a solid option for the second pair is ideal. Seems like a path to playing more to me.

They can also try him on his offside with Fox.

He looked decent there with Trouba

 

[NYRnine94]

His role needs to be lessened wither way. he's not an effective player paying the minutes he does. He cant defend well enough to be a center anymore and he's a black hole on the PP. He is still a strength on the PK though. Play him at wing, get him off PP1 and give him minutes on the PK. Thats the best way to rehabilitate his game if he refuses to leave. The organization doesn't have to make it ugly but they also cant take it on the chin and continue playing him in the first class role he wants but cant perform in.

I agree. His role should definitely be reduced and if he doesn't like it, he can request a trade and do us a favor.

 

[duhmetreE]

Meh, Schneider is still 23, which is insanely young for an NHL D man (and one of the reasons I want people to realize how much potential Byram has, even if he has warts - he’s a 23 year old playing 22+ mins and already has a Cup; people comparing him to KAM saying we already have a LHD who has brain farts are forgetting KAM is 25).

Schneider is 23 and has 18 goals, 69 points in 286 NHL games, averaging 16:20 per night so far in his career. Plus 43 playoff games for a total of 329 games.

Borgen is 28 and has 13 goals, 68 points in 298 career games, averaging 16:46 per night so far in his career. He’s appeared in 14 playoff games for a total of 312 games.

Schneider is 5 years younger, has nearly played the same regular season games and averaged the same minutes, put up the same points and more goals in slightly fewer games and has more playoff experience. He’s been credited with 520 hits and 460 blocks and is a +22. Borgen’s been credited with 651 hits and 367 blocks and is a -6.

They’re essentially the same player already, but Schneider is about to enter his prime years and Borgen has maybe 2-3 prime year left.

“Can we get Will Borgen, mom?”

“We have Will Borgen at home.”

I believe Schneider and Miller both deserve patience yet (and also believe Byram is a tremendous buy-low opportunity on a potential 2/3 caliber puck mover with elite skating - something we don’t have). Age 23 is so young for a defender.

In fact, I’d personally be on board for a year of growing pains with:

Byram - Fox
Miller - Schneider
Soucy - Borgen

It’s a top four with lots of upside and potential. Give it a chance. I find it more appealing than giving Gavrikov 8M x7. Replace Soucy after a year.

Not forcing man coverage, will help this defense tremendously imo. Defense has always been a system/team buy in thing for me.

we should also have massive cap space available next off season, “just in case”. No more crazy free agent spending unless it’s McDavid.

 

[Machinehead]

The unwashed on Twitter are putting together packages for Robertson like Nate MacKinnon became available.

He ain't that guy.

 

[bl02]

I agree. His role should definitely be reduced and if he doesn't like it, he can request a trade and do us a favor.

not gonna happen. More likely than not he will be on the pp1 over guys like Cuylle/Laf/GP. Not much will change unfortunately.

 

[Lindberg Cheese]

Personally I’m not convinced on Schneiders growth or potential. Other teams may overvalue him and now is the time to move him to get back a position of need, especially before we give him 4x5 mil. Jones, Vaak, and Soucy can all pay the right side especially on the 3rd pairing. DAL keep coming up, I would move him and Brisson for Mavrik (that’s my call sign) Bourque and maybe Fegaras. Bourque will cost DAL around 2.5+ as an RFA so they solve a RD issue and save a few shekels.

 

[duhmetreE]

His role needs to be lessened wither way. he's not an effective player paying the minutes he does. He cant defend well enough to be a center anymore and he's a black hole on the PP. He is still a strength on the PK though. Play him at wing, get him off PP1 and give him minutes on the PK. Thats the best way to rehabilitate his game if he refuses to leave. The organization doesn't have to make it ugly but they also cant take it on the chin and continue playing him in the first class role he wants but cant perform in.

I don’t mind him on PP1 if he’s in the bumper and using his wrist shot. Get him off the perimeter

One thing about Pittsburghs teams, they always seemed to generate high danger slot chances. Hopefully Sully can bring that here.

 

[McRanger92]

Personally I’m not convinced on Schneiders growth or potential. Other teams may overvalue him and now is the time to move him to get back a position of need, especially before we give him 4x5 mil. Jones, Vaak, and Soucy can all pay the right side especially on the 3rd pairing. DAL keep coming up, I would move him and Brisson for Mavrik (that’s my call sign) Bourque and maybe Fegaras. Bourque will cost DAL around 2.5+ as an RFA so they solve a RD issue and save a few shekels.

The problem with Schneider is that the runway of him having value in a trade is 12 months longer, and we probably just wasted 2 years of it letting him play with a torn labrum. It's shit or get off the pot time for him and the team.

 

[duhmetreE]

Just cut the fat at forward. Unfortunately Kreider has to go. It’s the obvious pragmatic move. My hope is we can package him with Zibs

I won’t move anyone on defense. We need to add not subtract. Need to reevaluate what they look like in a competent system. When the biggest brain and chin in the league says they were “confused” playing defense, that’s a major problem.

 

[McRanger92]

I don’t mind him on PP1 if he’s in the bumper and using his wrist shot. Get him off the perimeter

One thing about Pittsburghs teams, they always seemed to generate high danger slot chances. Hopefully Sully can bring that here.

Zibanejad wants to play in his office for one timers. If he is on the PP he will influence things so that he gets to play there. Id rather try something different. Cuylle and Lafreniere have the hands and shotmaking to be ebtter PP players, and obviously JT, Panarin and Fox will be on it.

 

[duhmetreE]

Zibanejad wants to play in his office for one timers. If he is on the PP he will influence things so that he gets to play there. Id rather try something different. Cuylle and Lafreniere have the hands and shotmaking to be ebtter PP players, and obviously JT, Panarin and Fox will be on it.

Laffy shot is below average imo. His release and power are poor. Major room for improvement there.

Cuylle deserves way more opportunity. One guy I’d be confident locking up long term

 

[RangersFan1994]

Real Kyper's Off-Season Trade Board 1.0: Players to watch this summer

While the Stanley Cup Final begins this week, the off-season has begun for 30 teams across the NHL. With the draft combine going on in Buffalo this week and the draft to follow later in the month, Nick Kypreos introduces his first trade board of the off-season.

www.sportsnet.ca

 

[NYRnine94]

not gonna happen. More likely than not he will be on the pp1 over guys like Cuylle/Laf/GP. Not much will change unfortunately.

Of course. If Sullivan wants to go down with the ship then let him. If he is going to tie himself to the vets and "character" on this team then he's in for a rude awakening.

 

[DanielBrassard]

The unwashed on Twitter are putting together packages for Robertson like Nate MacKinnon became available.

He ain't that guy.

On the other hand, on HFBoards you have people making ridiculous comments saying they wouldn’t trade Will Cuylle for him and that Will Cuylle is a better version of Brady Tkachuk. Last season broke people’s brains.

 

[NYRnine94]

On the other hand, on HFBoards you have people making ridiculous comments saying they wouldn’t trade Will Cuylle for him and that Will Cuylle is a better version of Brady Tkachuk. Last season broke people’s brains.

Anybody with a brain wouldn't even think about trading Cuylle for Robertson or Tkachuk whether it's here or on Mars.

 

[DanielBrassard]

Anybody with a brain wouldn't even think about trading Cuylle for Robertson or Tkachuk whether it's here or on Mars.

That is so outlandish and would get laughed out of the building by anyone with any knowledge about the sport. I like Cuylle but he’s getting extremely overrated because everyone else on the team had a disappointing season and he exceeded expectations.

 

[NYRnine94]

Sorry. I hated Mika’s play in the first half.

His statement is entirely correct.
He did. He earned a contract, he took money off the top to get that full nmc.

That's wonderful. He still needs to stop being a little bitch and give 100% effort all year instead of when he feels like it. This fanbase loves defending these spoiled loser athletes when they haven't did shit for this team.

 

[Machinehead]

Don't forget that we were all ready to anchor the franchise to Lafreniere after his 2024 run and then he went right back to what he was.

No, I wouldn't trade him (not in anything realistic), but let's see what Cuylle does next season.

 

[NYRnine94]

That is so outlandish and would get laughed out of the building by anyone with any knowledge about the sport. I like Cuylle but he’s getting extremely overrated because everyone else on the team had a disappointing season and he exceeded expectations.

Cool. You're probably one of those guys who think Tkachuk would be our savior right? Robertson is so overrated it's not funny.

 

[TGWL]

I couldn't care less about the second unit. Some of these players should never be removed from the entire powerplay unless they just had an extended shift or you're trying to come back out with a top line immediately when it expires. Fox is 27 years old, why is he coming off the powerplay?

 

[McRanger92]

Laffy shot is below average imo. His release and power are poor. Major room for improvement there.

Cuylle deserves way more opportunity. One guy I’d be confident locking up long term

I think Lafreniere has gone backward with his shooting mechanics, but he's got hands for tips and around the net. If he was more willing to play near the crease I think we'd all have a better opinion of him.