Speculation: Roster Building Thread: Part XXXIII

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

Here's how tomorrow's game will go:
Gilmour strings a few good shifts together - *crickets*
Gilmour has one small defensive lapse - "OMG WTF I TOLD YOU HE WAS TERRIBLE DEFENSIVELY"

Hockey fans with defenseman are like football fans with cornerbacks. They don’t realize that half the time, a solid starter gets burned on numerous occaisions. That’s just how the sport goes. Defenseman make mistakes. Cornerbacks get burned. All of them.

Unless it’s Pionk.

 

[SA16]

We should get some better defensive coaching. Quinn is fine with big picture and stuff, but Ruff is a disaster.

Coaching can make such a difference even with an underwhelming D corps. Just look at the Islanders. They went from worst defensive team to the best just by changing their coaching staff. They give up an absurdly low amount of scoring chances so it’s not even necessarily just insane goaltending, the goalies have been good but they’re definitely benefiting from the great team defense too.

Not saying I expect the Rangers to be the best D team in the league next year with the same players, but the Islanders are perfect example of how much a difference coaching can make. Ruff is a disaster, sure they D corps sucks as far as talent, but theres no reason they shouldn’t be able to play a better system to cut down on scoring chances and stuff.

The Islanders are an average defensive team getting elite level goaltending out of nowhere. That's still a lot better than they were last year though.

 

[kovazub94]

Well he's 24 so we've only got one season of him left before RB trades him.

No, he's too valuable to keep the rebuild in perpetuity. He's a keeper.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

Lettieri should play every game from here on out. The team needs to know what they have in him

I think that is pretty much answered already. And that answer is...not much.

 

[I Eat Crow]

Can't wait to see Lettieri get top 6 minutes and PP time while Lias continues to play 7 minutes a game

 

[NYR Viper]

I think that is pretty much answered already. And that answer is...not much.

I wouldn’t say that is necessarily the truth. I think he has shown glimpses of being an effective energy player. It has been no where near consistent but it doesn’t hurt to re-evaluate. The guy is doing very well in the AHL in only his second year in that league.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

It's a bit early to think about the offseason and UFA's for me. Right now I'm just rooting hard for Tampa and Dallas to nab us some extra first rounders, and for Winnipeg to lose in the first 2, all while supporting the tank for a top 3 lottery pick.

That's where I'm at right now. After I see who we draft and what positions have strengthened I'll have stronger feelings on guys like Panarin.

Not likely to change my tune on Kreider though unless a colossus offer comes in.

 

[Avery16]

Lettieri should play every game from here on out. The team needs to know what they have in him

Beleskey too, tbh

 

[effen]

i dont think they need to find out what they have in matt beleskey. we're good.

 

[Glen Sathers Cigar]

The Islanders are an average defensive team getting elite level goaltending out of nowhere. That's still a lot better than they were last year though.

Fair enough, still the roster is largely the same except losing a star forward and adding some bottom six guys. Going from historically bad to at least average defensively just shows the impact a system and coaching can have. You watch them play and they don’t have a single defenseman you’d say is a definite top pair guy it’s a bunch of #3-5 defensemen. But they’re great at eliminating space and taking chances away. Just saying Ruff is garbage and even though the D corps is bad, he’s still doing a bad job with them. It’s not impossible to get “greater than the sum of its parts” results with a mediocre to bad group of talent. I just hope they move in from Ruff this summer, the only plus he brings is a veteran coach for Quinn to lean on, his actual results speak for themselves with how bad they are, I just fear that management will hand waive it away as being bad bc of the roster when I think it’s both: the roster isn’t bad AND his defensive coaching, structure and deployment is bad too.

 

[Elliman]

Is this enough for #1 pick?

Colorado 1st OV Pick
For
NYR 1st round pick (6-9 OV)
NYR 2nd round pick (Tampa)
Chris Kreider @ 50%
Brady Skjei
Joey Keane

 

[egelband]

They also have Florida taxes...

$10m in Florida is 10m, that ain’t true in NYC

Have said before but if it's all about money and/or playing with his buddy, then he can take a hike anyhow.
I don't think that's how it's going to be, though. He'll have a number of competitive offers and he will decide based on a variety of factors. I think the ranger have as good a shot as any team.

 

[egelband]

Trade Chytil and Andersson each for 2020 1st round picks I hear that draft is gonna be sick

Yes. Wise move. They're getting pretty old and haggard.

 

[aufheben]

Here's how tomorrow's game will go:
Gilmour strings a few good shifts together - *crickets*
Gilmour has one small defensive lapse - "OMG WTF I TOLD YOU HE WAS TERRIBLE DEFENSIVELY"

But also if he makes a nice rush up the ice he'll be Next R. McDonagh III.

Is this enough for #1 pick?

Colorado 1st OV Pick
For
NYR 1st round pick (6-9 OV)
NYR 2nd round pick (Tampa)
Chris Kreider @ 50%
Brady Skjei
Joey Keane

IMO anytime you have to ask if the value is enough, it probably isn't.

 

[egelband]

We should get some better defensive coaching. Quinn is fine with big picture and stuff, but Ruff is a disaster.

Coaching can make such a difference even with an underwhelming D corps. Just look at the Islanders. They went from worst defensive team to the best just by changing their coaching staff. They give up an absurdly low amount of scoring chances so it’s not even necessarily just insane goaltending, the goalies have been good but they’re definitely benefiting from the great team defense too.

Not saying I expect the Rangers to be the best D team in the league next year with the same players, but the Islanders are perfect example of how much a difference coaching can make. Ruff is a disaster, sure they D corps sucks as far as talent, but theres no reason they shouldn’t be able to play a better system to cut down on scoring chances and stuff.

I think they're playing pretty well structurally, in terms of getting into passing lanes and basically being in good position. Individually though they're not good at standing up and using the body. They back up too much one on one for example. But I think they're improving. All over the ice this team is playing stronger and using the body more effectively. I don't know that it's Ruff's fault really. It's on these guys to improve individually.

 

[UAGoalieGuy]

Yes. Wise move. They're getting pretty old and haggard.

Yes they will be of legal drinking age in the US. Too old must trade.

 

[Ola]

Just an observation, Tyler Myers, 29, had one of those games against LAK yesterday. Made me thinking. If he played like that more often he would be looking at 10-11m per this summer.

It’s a bit interesting. Myers has played well his entire tenure in Winnipeg, and better and better after he fixed his back problems. He will get a lot of exposure in the coming months in Winnipeg. With Buff out, possibly much longer than expected, Myers he playing a lot in all situations and doing a really solid job at it right now.

All teams are looking for that RD (except London Knights...). What is going to happen with Tyler Myers price tag as an UFA this summer if he keeps this up? Especially if Buff is out and he keeps the huge role he has right now and if they make some noise in the POs. And how will that affect things?

Winnipeg has not allocated a huge sum to keep Myers. 6m? You never know with NHL GMs. He is a Texas kid, does he even want to stay there? Buff is a injury disaster waiting to happen. Does he have 100 strong NHL games left in him? You never know with him. I am only speculating, but from what I can tell Trouba cannot wait to get out of Winnipeg fast enough.

If Myers is gone for Winnipeg this summer, would they even consider trading Trouba? A RD would have to come back for sure though.

BTW, just saying, Chara was 29 y/o when Boston signed him...

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Edler is going to stay in Vancouver too.

Gardiner is just a disaster signing waiting to happen for someone. Hopefully NJ.

It's only a matter of time before someone opts to sign Gardiner to revive Smith's career since they played together in college

 

[RangerBoy]

Larry Brooks says the Rangers are making the Kreider decision this summer and he isn't entering next season as a pending free agent.

Essentially every trade decision the Rangers have made over the past 12-plus months has been driven by contract considerations. Rick Nash, Kevin Hayes, Mats Zuccarello, Michael Grabner and Adam McQuaid were traded as rental properties. J.T. Miller was dealt while an impending Group II free agent. Ryan McDonagh was traded before the captain could enter the final year of his deal preceding unrestricted free agency.

Now Kreider is in McDonagh’s situation, either a couple of months away from a lucrative contract extension — figure, conservatively, six years at $6.5 million per for the winger who will turn 28 on April 30 — or a trade in which he would be exchanged for a package of draft picks and prospects/young NHL-ready players.

This is an either/or that will be settled reasonably early. There is not even the slightest chance Kreider will be back for training camp without an extension.

If management believes it is multiple years away from being a legit playoff team, never mind Cup contender, then it may not make sense to lock up Kreider into his mid-30s. Then, too, moving yet another substantial marquee guy for future commodities kind of ensures the Rangers would indeed be multiple years away from presenting an authentic tournament team.

Even with Kreider on the team, the Rangers are multiple years from presenting an authentic tournament team.

The defense corps is awful. The goaltender is 37 with his best days behind him. Good luck.

Gorton would be insane to give Kreider a 6 year/$39M contract at minimum. Just using the numbers quoted in the story. He will be 29 when the extension starts. Kreider is a "substantial marquee guy". WTF.

Now the Rangers say Kreider had a hamstring issue. He was healthy enough to play. He wasn't hurt that bad at all. He still played major minutes in those games after the injury. Look at the game log.

What Messier used to say all of the time? If you're hurt and able to play, then you are not injured. If you are injured, then you can't play. He battled all of those rib cage muscle injuries. 1992 playoffs against Jersey and Pittsburgh. At the end of the 1992-93 season. At the end of the 1995-96 season and into the early part of the Montreal series. He played hurt. No excuses were made.

Kreider hit the 20 goal mark on December 30 in game #37. He has 6 goals in the last 35 games. Even before Kreider got hurt against Tampa three weeks ago. He had 6 goals in 25 games. He is the same inconsistent player. He disappears for too many long stretches.

- TheHockeyNews

Kreider is the only player with value left from the 2015-16 team who hasn't been traded. Remember Gorton was looking to make changes and Kreider's name was in the rumor mill. There was one rumor of Kreider to the Blues for Shattenkirk. Gorton tried to trade McDonagh to Edmonton. He traded Brassard. Gorton tried to trade Stepan to Minnesota or Arizona for the #7 pick overall(Keller selection). Stepan went to Arizona the following year. Nash was mentioned. Klein. Yandle was not re-signed. His rights were traded to Florida.

Moving Ryan Strome out of the middle and onto the right side will allow Lias Andersson and Boo Nieves to both line up at their natural center position for Tuesday night’s Garden match against the Red Wings.

Strome, who has played 32 straight at center since last playing the wing on Jan. 4 in Colorado, will fill out the first line beside Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider. That unit has been used once before, in a 3-0 defeat in Ottawa on Nov. 29.

Brett Howden is slated to move up to the second line between Vladislav Namestnikov and Pavel Buchnevich while Andersson will be flanked by Jimmy Vesey and Brendan Lemieux and Nieves should skate on a unit with Brendan Smith and Jesper Fast.

https://nypost.com/2019/03/19/rangers-duo-should-see-more-ice-time-with-ryan-strome-move/

What took so long? The Rangers have so many young centers and Quinn is playing Strome in the middle.

Did Gorton & Drury say something to Quinn?

Too bad Chytil has the flu because the Rangers should give him a run at center too.

 

[Oscar Lindberg]

I mean honestly, why do they continue to let these guys play while injured?

Like if you’re going for a playoff spot? Fine, I can understand the reasoning

But they’re not. Fast has been injured like half the season, hasn’t practiced in months and he plays every game. Like why?

Kreider is/was injured, why have him play right now? There’s no point

 

[Irishguy42]

I mean honestly, why do they continue to let these guys play while injured?

Like if you’re going for a playoff spot? Fine, I can understand the reasoning

But they’re not. Fast has been injured like half the season, hasn’t practiced in months and he plays every game. Like why?

Kreider is/was injured, why have him play right now? There’s no point

Because this team has been garbage at medical evaluation for years.

 

[Larrybiv]

We should get some better defensive coaching. Quinn is fine with big picture and stuff, but Ruff is a disaster.

Coaching can make such a difference even with an underwhelming D corps.

Not saying I expect the Rangers to be the best D team in the league next year with the same players, but the Islanders are perfect example of how much a difference coaching can make. Ruff is a disaster.

He really is. I see little improvement from our d corps. Staal , Shatty and Claesson are the exceptions. They are what they are, but the younger d, haven't grasped what it takes to play good defense. Tony has his ways of doing what he does, Brady has had his down time minimized and is back to playing like he was when we signed him. They have been "better" in giving up less grade "A" chances, but still need to be better in retrieving and distributing pucks to each other, and moving it up ice. They need to be better. How? How the hell should I know. That is Ruff's job. In my eyes Ruff is rough.
Who makes that decision in replacing him? Gorton? Or, does Quinn suggest that? Hope that isn't the case, Quinn probably wouldn't want that responsibility of someone losing their job.
Despite what I may think Ruff, I suppose is well respected. But he is an old horse, in a pony league. Need younger thinking.

 

[Oscar Lindberg]

Ruff was kept around for experience for these first year coaches

He should be gone after the season

Because this team has been garbage at medical evaluation for years.

Clearly something isn’t right.

McDonagh played injured like the entire year last year, Shattenkirk with his knee issue

Like wtf

 

[East Coast Bias]

Because this team has been garbage at medical evaluation for years.

Yup. There's very clearly an issue here. A very Mets-esque medical staff.

 

[Larrybiv]

The Islanders are an average defensive team getting elite level goaltending out of nowhere. That's still a lot better than they were last year though.

This "may be true", but elite level goaltending isn't THAT ELITE without some really good defensive play, and forwards coming back to cover players. Their "average" defense must be better than that. If the goaltender doesn't trust his dmen to do some things, he cannot be as agressive as he wants to be, OR as passive as he wants to be. On a 2 on 1, does he TRUST his dman will cover the open man? OR, does he have to worry about both?