Speculation: Roster Building Thread - Part XXXVII

[Lays]

Islanders were the 19th best team in the league going by points percentage in the 2nd half, 10th in the East.

The road trip excuse is bull shit. The Rangers had to deal with similar shit in 2012 and 2014. 2012 came with a trip across Europe. It's unconventional and the covid stuff they had to deal with wasn't ideal either, but good teams find away to navigate through that. The Isles are old and untalented. Lambert isn't Trotz.

This is a team that went to the ECF back to back and gave Tampa a harder time than we did. Rough year, they’ll be back in the playoffs next season

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Everything in me says that Kakko and Nils get traded this summer.

It's going to suck watching Kakko put it together somewhere else.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

This is a team that went to the ECF back to back and gave Tampa a harder time than we did. Rough year, they’ll be back in the playoffs next season

What 2 years ago?

Half of their roster basically got really old overnight this year and have zero farm to speak of. I don't know how they're making these big additions some have hinted at, they literally have next to nothing of any value to move.

Even if they played at the same clip that they did in their "great 2nd half" they would have still missed the playoffs. It's only going to get worse for them next year.

I'd bet on Buffalo taking the playoff spot that is vacated by Boston next year. The rest of the teams likely remain the same.

 

[fm]

the islanders are dinosaur shit. expect a dead cat bounce with the new coach but they are certainly in our rear view mirror.

 

[CLW]

I don't think we imposed our will. I think we have a resilient group....

Maybe fatigue played a role but we have key guys that just play too 'respectful' or as other would call it, 'soft'. Kreider should be steamrolling everyone and anyone. Set the tone.

I think we in the end kind of yielded to the Lightning, the way the Canes yielded to us. It was mental more than physical. The team kind of lost belief for no good reason it seemed to me.

 

[NoQuitInNewMexico]

Much more worried about the Devils than I am about the Islanders.

 

[fm]

they were gassed. tampa was fresh. we ran out of gas and our banged up guys had no time to rest

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

I think we in the end kind of yielded to the Lightning, the way the Canes yielded to us. It was mental more than physical. The team kind of lost belief for no good reason it seemed to me.

How much does that narrative change if Rooney doesn't play and Strome doesn't whiff on an empty net? Neither of those things really had to do with physicality.

I don't disagree with the idea that we should be looking to add a bit more bite (good bite... Not Tanner Glass/Ryan Reaves/Cody McCleod bite) but it needs to be added higher in the lineup. More minutes for Laf is a start.

 

[bigdog16]

I think to some extent you are right, but in the Rangers defense, they intimidated a lot of teams physically this year, Including Pittsburgh & Carolina in the playoffs. It needs to jump to another level though, because to beat Tampa (and the Islanders) in next years playoffs you need to match their intensity.

I don’t think Tampa was all that intense. It came down to their star players produced like star players and ours didn’t. Go up and down the lineup and Im not sure there is 1 Ranger who played better than their counterpart other than Igor.

Be honest with our team - without Igor we don’t make it past round 1. Its not “more intensity” or “more grit” that we need. We just need our guys to not disappear when it gets tough. I didnt see Stamkos or Kucherov disappear when it got tough.

 

[Mac n Gs]

I still see Chytil as Lars Eller in his prime. Offensive 3C that can step in at 2C for a stretch and be solid but ultimately need 2 better centers. 35-45 points a season

Idk if I necessarily agree with the comp/projection, but Eller is the sane comparison Gallant made when discussing Chytil early in the season

 

[Off Sides]

I don't think they win with Panarin, and the way he wants to play.

I will run away and hide after saying that, but unless they can get him to buy into some 5on5 system it's always going to be a line where only 2/3rd, maximum, are going to play behind the other teams goal line, or come back hard into their own zone.

 

[duhmetreE]

Unless I am missing something, I don't see the Islanders getting back without Trotz.

They have some similarities to their forward group with Tampa minus the top end talent.... kind of important.

Their defense is nothing special. A good goalie can only do so much.

 

[CLW]

How much does that narrative change if Rooney doesn't play and Strome doesn't whiff on an empty net? Neither of those things really had to do with physicality.

I don't disagree with the idea that we should be looking to add a bit more bite (good bite... Not Tanner Glass/Ryan Reaves/Cody McCleod bite) but it needs to be added higher in the lineup. More minutes for Laf is a start.

I like the idea of mean Kreider too. The others will follow.

 

[pld459666]

I brought that exact point up in a GDT. McDonagh as an Ranger was pretty f***ing soft. Not saying he wouldn't take the body, but he NEVER shoved any players or engaged after the whistle, even if they were in Hanks kitchen.

Fast forward to today & he was crosschecking anyone near Vasy, involved in a bunch of scrums & overall really abrasive to play against. It's a wolf pack mentality (pardon the pun) that Tampa plays with, & we need to learn it. Every single one of their players does it & we need to mimic it.

This is what happens when you understand that you should have won when you lost which is EXACTLY what happened after Columbus swept Tampa.

While it is a wolfpack mentality, it's born out of failure. Failure that we have not yet experienced as a team. Will choking away a 2-0 series lead be the bell that rings for the Rangers the same way the sweep at Columbus hands was for Tampa? we have a year to find out.

And another poster mentioned that our defence intimidated other teams physically? Yeah, that's a no for me. Outside of Trouba and Lindgren, we have a very soft D group. Schneider will develope that, but he's years away, Miller is not an intimidating player at all, neither is Fox (physically).

It will be nice to have a team where four of the top six are take no shit type of players.

Trouba and Miller are beasts

Miller is 6'5" and 210, he should probably add an additional 10lbs and look to play a meaner game. I think that this should come in time.

Trouba is 6'3" and 209. Miller should do everything he can to mirror the style that Trouba plays.

If Miller becomes Trouba 2.0 (better) that's a scary proposition for the rest of the division.

Schneider is another hard nosed player and while he's just 6'2", he's already got a bit of that PITA mentality to his game and when he fully matures, he's going to turn some heads, or remove them completely.

 

[Vakarte]

So people are kinda complaining this team isn't mentally tough enough despite employing Goodrow, Reeves, Blias, Nemeth, and Trouba??

Or am I missing something from this conversation?

 

[McRanger92]

I don’t think Tampa was all that intense. It came down to their star players produced like star players and ours didn’t. Go up and down the lineup and Im not sure there is 1 Ranger who played better than their counterpart other than Igor.

Be honest with our team - without Igor we don’t make it past round 1. Its not “more intensity” or “more grit” that we need. We just need our guys to not disappear when it gets tough. I didnt see Stamkos or Kucherov disappear when it got tough.

Did Mika Fox & Kreider disappear late in the Pittsburgh series or against Carolina. The Rangers shouldnt be apologizing for having Igor. You think Tampa has 2 Cups (soon to be 3) without Vasilevsky?

 

[pld459666]

I don't think we imposed our will. I think we have a resilient group....

Maybe fatigue played a role but we have key guys that just play too 'respectful' or as other would call it, 'soft'. Kreider should be steamrolling everyone and anyone. Set the tone.

This is the one aspect of his game that I completely despise.

He either peels off hits completely or he eases up right before contact.

I do not recall seeing opposing teams ease up on the Rangers, ever.

 

[bhamill]

Panarin-Mika-Krieder
Lafreniere-Chytil-Kravtsov
Motte-Stastny-Kakko
Blais-Goodrow-Hunt/Reaves

Lindgren-Fox
Miller-Trouba
Braun/Z.Jones-Schneider

Igor
Charlie Lindgren

Continue to bank on internal improvement. We have our stars in place and locked up long term. Drury & Gallant now need to put everyone in a position to better succeed. Part of that is building a bottom 6 that plays defense and can shutdown opponents. Laf on PP1, KAM taking Trouba's spot on PP2. See if Chytil or Kakko can handle PK time. With rough estimates, the roster above has about ~2mil in cap space. Gives us deadline flexibility & flexibility for the summer of 2023.

I don't mind this at all, though I still do hope they can get Copp to sign a bargain deal. Chances are slim I guess. What would you figure they get Stastny for? I assume you think short term/stopgap rather than the term Copp would want?

 

[McRanger92]

I don't mind this at all, though I still do hope they can get Copp to sign a bargain deal. Chances are slim I guess. What would you figure they get Stastny for? I assume you think short term/stopgap rather than the term Copp would want?

Evolving Wild has him at 1 year 3.8 range i think. I dont think their predictions are gospel but its a good ballpark estimate

 

[bhamill]

Trading that 1st (which was only a first if it landed as a pick 29-32) basically bought this young group their playoff lessons at a much younger age than anyone could have expected. Sure you'd love to have the 1st, but what the kids on this team got from the last two months is more valuable than the pick.

And it wasn't really a first it was just an upgrade to 1st from 2nd (that we would have paid if we didnt make Conference Finals).

 

[bleedblue94]

And it wasn't really a first it was just an upgrade to 1st from 2nd (that we would have paid if we didnt make Conference Finals).

Right, realistically at worst it approx 27 draft slots back. Normally that kind of trade back would cost an extra third rounder to be tossed in or something? The cost was nominal and well worth it in the grand scheme regardless of who the jets draft and their career arc

 

[Chalfdiggity3]

Don’t underestimate them. They struggled with injuries and an awful 13 game road streak to start the season. They’re a very good team still and showed it in the second half

As was stated before in someones previous message.

The islanders are old, run down, just lost their identity in trotz. They are not a good team. Your seriously underestimating other teams in the division to get stronger as well. Plus you really think players who are free agents actually want to go to the ISLES?

Also enough with the bad road streak to start the year. Every team has had to deal with adversity in every season. Rule #47 No excuses, Play like a champion

 

[rangers1314]

As was stated before in someones previous message.

The islanders are old, run down, just lost their identity in trotz. They are not a good team. Your seriously underestimating other teams in the division to get stronger as well. Plus you really think players who are free agents actually want to go to the ISLES?

Also enough with the bad road streak to start the year. Every team has had to deal with adversity in every season. Rule #47 No excuses, Play like a champion

As was stated before in someones previous message.

The islanders are old, run down, just lost their identity in trotz. They are not a good team. Your seriously underestimating other teams in the division to get stronger as well. Plus you really think players who are free agents actually want to go to the ISLES?

Also enough with the bad road streak to start the year. Every team has had to deal with adversity in every season. Rule #47 No excuses, Play like a champion

The big issue with free agents and the Islanders was their arena. That's no longer a concern. UBS is great. Living in Nassau County was never the issue, it's a great place to live when you've got money.

I don't see why they can't compete for a playoff spot next season. Columbus and Philly stink, Washington won't have Wilson for at least half the season and Backstrom might be done for good. Boston could go full rebuild. Montreal will be horrid. Buffalo? Detroit? We'll see.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

The big issue with free agents and the Islanders was their arena. That's no longer a concern. UBS is great. Living in Nassau County was never the issue, it's a great place to live when you've got money.

I don't see why they can't compete for a playoff spot next season. Columbus and Philly stink, Washington won't have Wilson for at least half the season and Backstrom might be done for good. Boston could go full rebuild. Montreal will be horrid. Buffalo? Detroit? We'll see.

He'll be back by December.

I don't buy Detroit as a threat to do anything but Buffalo is a team that did actually improve as the season went along. They actually did what Devils fans think their team did last year.

Will Tage Thompson score 36 goals again next year. No, but Jesper Bratt isn't going PPG+ either.

I guess competing for a spot is possible, that lower tier playoff team/bubble team portion of our conference is going to be pretty ass but I there are way too many excuses being made for that team. They really faded down the stretch and this was under Trotz. I'm curious to see how Sorokin and some of those defenders look like under another coach too.

 

[rangers1314]

He'll be back by December.

Wilson had ACL surgery in late May, timetable to return was said to be 6-8 months. 7 months would be the new years return. December is best case scenario.