Speculation: Roster Building Thread - Part XXXIV

[rangers1314]

If we’re going crazy, Fox probably makes a better C than Laf would.

Why not see if Gallant can lace 'em up again? He played with some skilled guys during his day.

 

[tlk]

Thinking outside the box.

Waiting to see what's gonna be thrown around here during the pause

 

[Vitto79]

I could see CLB as a trade partner

Roslovic , Domi , Korpisalo, Kukan

could package Chytil , Gauthier , Hajek , Georgiev

not realistic to see this many players in a deal but kinda makes sense to me

 

[Mac n Gs]

What actually irks me for real with the “Laf to C” discussion is that I can’t be certain that Drury and/or Gallant doesn’t sits there thinking ‘oh but you must have size at center to win in the POs’. You hear that from so many still.

Last year, the team with the — by far — smallest group of centers in the entire league won the Cup. With an average size of 5’986.

If someone don’t think Laf should be moved to C, fine. It’s of course not black and white. But should it be contemplated and analyzed in depth by front-office? You bet. Could result in a tremendous upside for this franchise if it works.

Because there’s this insane notion that players can’t play different positions without it being ultimately detrimental to their careers. Most of hockey is postionless now and tactics are derived around where each F should be relative to the puck on the forecheck and backcheck.

Minnesota has turned Ryan Hartman, who’s spent most of his career as a 3RW or 4RW into a 1C between Kaprizov and Zucc. Yes, the linemates help, but Laf would get the same quality of teammate benefit if we used him similarly.

The Rangers are just always scared to be different and trying to make perfect moves.

 

[duhmetreE]

Because there’s this insane notion that players can’t play different positions without it being ultimately detrimental to their careers. Most of hockey is postionless now and tactics are derived around where each F should be relative to the puck on the forecheck and backcheck.

Minnesota has turned Ryan Hartman, who’s spent most of his career as a 3RW or 4RW into a 1C between Kaprizov and Zucc. Yes, the linemates help, but Laf would get the same quality of teammate benefit if we used him similarly.

The Rangers are just always scared to be different and trying to make perfect moves.

Exactly. Although on defense it's still somewhat the same. A good 2way center is needed.

almost like our team's play.

 

[savebyrichter94]

Overall I get the feeling Drury makes multiple moves with at least one being something nobody saw coming at all, it’s just a gut feeling but I think he might shock a few people with what he has in mind

 

[duhmetreE]

Chytil is the big letdown of the season. Was hoping for decent strides on defense and the forecheck. Those hopes have crumbled... and his offense has regressed

 

[duhmetreE]

Bread is not getting traded. No big contract is anytime soon.

#1 no one has space or the money for it
#2 he loves and chose New York
#3 he's arguably our best talent to ever wear the uniform

He needs to be reigned in and directed. Problem is the room is still weak and there's no clear voice. Could take a Messier right about now....

 

[Vitto79]

Overall I get the feeling Drury makes multiple moves with at least one being something nobody saw coming at all, it’s just a gut feeling but I think he might shock a few people with what he has in mind

oh probably. It’s hard cause they have to look to next years cap so can’t add much more than say 3 million to that

Georgiev , Nemeth , Chytil seem to be logical cap casualties

 

[TheBloodyNine]

Bread is not getting traded. No big contract is anytime soon.

#1 no one has space or the money for it
#2 he loves and chose New York
#3 he's arguably our best talent to ever wear the uniform

He needs to be reigned in and directed. Problem is the room is still weak and there's no clear voice. Could take a Messier right about now....

Rangers should have never gone for a player's coach

 

[duhmetreE]

Rangers should have never gone for a player's coach

Let us see what adjustments he makes in his approach.

He's at a point where Quinn found himself... and nothing changed.

 

[duhmetreE]

is there a roster freeze or only during ASG festivities?

 

[Boris Zubov]

this team is really going to pay the price for not signing Danault

When I watch them struggle to score, I keep thinking to myself this team is just a Danault away from really getting to that next level.

 

[McRanger92]

I don't think we have the cap space for Garland and Strome long term.

If Vancouver retains they can. Which was the point of the original post I replied to

 

[bleedblue94]

Look I like Rooney a lot, as a 4C but putting him between Lafreniere and Kakko is not how we give those guys a real chance to turn things around.

Rooney, like Hunt, is effective but should never have to be used above the 4th line.

Blais-Goodrow-??? Should be the third line next year.

I dont disagree with you here, but if the two kids struggle playing with the guys in the top 6 and need there own space to grow they need a center to insulate them a little bit that they wont defer to. Chytil isn't that guy. Strome between those two would be a nice thing to try for a few games but turk seems against breaking panarin and strome up for extended periods. So who is left unless we are finally trading for a functional 3c? Unless you want a line of laf goodrow kakko?

 

[bleedblue94]

The simple and logical move is to keep Laffy and Kakko in the top6 after the break. Those lines have shown to work.

The team needs to be balanced out. Build a competent 3rd line and put the kids where they belong. In the top6. Tampa won 2 cups with an outstanding 3rd. Carolina has a great matchup 3rd. We don't have the skill/system to attack like Florida.

Gallant struggles to give kids extended looks and always reverts back to the vets. Gettinger and Barron should be playing right now.

Gettinger isnt an nhl player (have no idea why people are fixated on him), and barron is a case of is he better playing reg mins in the ahl or playing sheltered mins in the nhl?

We dont have the personnel of the teams you listed to have that depth on the 3rd line, especially with brain dead chytil, so they need to trade for depth to do what you said. Kakko needs to evolve his game bc he doesnt mesh with the panarin/strome pair and he didnt do much with zib.

Ideally I would like to see this coming out of the break if we have our full team:

20 93 72
10 16 ??
13 21 24
29 17 75

I would like to see chytil on the wing with zib and ck.

Wanna get crazy, put barron up with the twins and see how it goes, not much worse than hunt up there.

 

[TheBloodyNine]

is there a roster freeze or only during ASG festivities?

I don't think so but nobody is getting traded until March anyway.

 

[Lindberg Cheese]

Any progress on getting that cheap, young, awesome 2C?

 

[Groo]

If that's true, then Drury is a moron, I'm sorry. I'm one of Chytil's biggest boosters here, but the only way he should have been moved off that line, the way he was playing, was if they wanted to put Kakko back there (Kakko is a higher value prospect). Hunt? Dryden f***ing Hunt?! I've tried to look at that move a dozen different ways, and it never makes sense.

Granted, I also don't understand all the Rangers fans who want to throw a ton of assets at Hertl either. For a "first line center" you'd think he would have broken 50 points more than once in his career. He's a slightly rich-man's Derek Stepan with crumbling knees and what is soon to be a horrible contract.

Too funny

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

Any progress on getting that cheap, young, awesome 2C?

need to draft those but the Rongos absolutely refuse

 

[rangers1314]

Are the Rangers legitimate Stanley Cup contenders?

 

[tomobson]

Gettinger isnt an nhl player (have no idea why people are fixated on him), and barron is a case of is he better playing reg mins in the ahl or playing sheltered mins in the nhl?

We dont have the personnel of the teams you listed to have that depth on the 3rd line, especially with brain dead chytil, so they need to trade for depth to do what you said. Kakko needs to evolve his game bc he doesnt mesh with the panarin/strome pair and he didnt do much with zib.

Ideally I would like to see this coming out of the break if we have our full team:

20 93 72
10 16 ??
13 21 24
29 17 75

I would like to see chytil on the wing with zib and ck.

Wanna get crazy, put barron up with the twins and see how it goes, not much worse than hunt up there.

If the problem with Laf is that Chytil is not a good center for him then I'm not sure that problem is solved by putting him on a line with Goodrow on it. Goodrow and Chytil look very similar in the offensive zone at center. They are going to want to work the boards and puck hound. Obviously, Kakko can work the boards much better than Goat can so maybe that opens up enough space for Laf. I wouldn't be opposed to it if GG actually plays the third line more than 8 minutes a game.

 

[haohmaru]

Are the Rangers legitimate Stanley Cup contenders?

Paywall. Got Cliff Notes?

 

[TheBloodyNine]

Are the Rangers legitimate Stanley Cup contenders?

"Panarin has contributed 20 points to that power play and has 1.20 points per game this season. That's a dip from his average over the previous two seasons (1.38), and that has Younggren somewhat concerned.
"He's declined drastically over the last one or two seasons and continues to struggle, especially defensively," Younggren said. "Getting Panarin back on track is maybe their biggest non-systems-based issue.""

Giant issue.

 

[TheDirtyH]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure somebody along the way thought of LaF as a "C" and gave it a go. Probably in Pee Wee and a dozen times afterwards.

If we want a C, we should f***ing draft one.

Gretzky compared him to Messier and Perrault, saying he thought his tools would fit at center in the NHL.

Also Brooks had this tidbit back in November:

I wonder, with Lafreniere’s ongoing issues and Filip Chytil’s generally blah work, would it make sense to move No. 13 into the middle, which is where many personnel people believe he’s belonged from the start?

Because there’s this insane notion that players can’t play different positions without it being ultimately detrimental to their careers. Most of hockey is postionless now and tactics are derived around where each F should be relative to the puck on the forecheck and backcheck.

Minnesota has turned Ryan Hartman, who’s spent most of his career as a 3RW or 4RW into a 1C between Kaprizov and Zucc. Yes, the linemates help, but Laf would get the same quality of teammate benefit if we used him similarly.

The Rangers are just always scared to be different and trying to make perfect moves.

Rangers hockey is very rigid in exactly this way, and it's to their detriment. Attacking and defending in the NHL now have so much to do with which players don't have the puck. Part of why Schnieder has been so impressive is that he's out there playing like he did for Hockey Canada which understands this. Ok you're a 'stay-at-home' defensemen--but today, that means that when the lane is there in the O-zone cut through the slot and drag defenders with you. There is no 'stay at home' anymore. If players only play in their specific positional zones on the ice, you end up a stationary, slow, and reactive team.