Speculation: Roster Building Thread V (2019/2020)

[bobbop]

Hell, if he’s 75 percent of Couturier that’s a big win.

Agree with that sentiment today but two years ago, Couturier was considered a disappointment in some corners.

 

[duhmetreE]

IMO Lias will never be a 'top talent/driver' but he could be a great compliment piece.

He can find success playing with skilled wingers. Staying with the Couturier reference, I'm sure it helped when he played with Giroux and/or Voracek. He may also find a home in front of the net on the PP; as a 2nd option or as a potential 1st if Kreider is moved.

 

[Rangers in 7]

I really wish we could just fast forward 3 years to discuss this, some of these hot takes suck

 

[Fugazy]

IMO Lias will never be a 'top talent/driver' but he could be a great compliment piece.

He can find success playing with skilled wingers. Staying with the Couturier reference, I'm sure it helped when he played with Giroux and/or Voracek. He may also find a home in front of the net on the PP; as a 2nd option or as a potential 1st if Kreider is moved.

And to me that’s pretty damn good value considering he came from a relatively weak draft class.

 

[Edge]

Agree with that sentiment today but two years ago, Couturier was considered a disappointment in some corners.

Which would be a similar storyline if Andersson develops.

 

[Ola]

And to me that’s pretty damn good value considering he came from a relatively weak draft class.

I think its very hard to speculate on how good Lias will become down the road. I object to people both capping his potential too low or his floor to high so to speak. So much is up to him and how he handles the challenges he will face, and maybe that is the biggest reason for why you draft "character" to start with.

But -- you underline the most important factor on this topic, which is perspective. It wouldn't be unheard of that a 4th liner picked in a 1st round ends up being in the top 3rd of all players picked in that 1st round. There is no point in expecting a 1st round pick to become a big star just because he was a high pick.

 

[RangersFan1994]

Alex Steen 2.0 a complimentary piece that helps teams win. Average 50 pt player with intangibles

 

[Kendo]

After finally watching the Islanders game, gotta say that I'm pretty impressed with how NHL-ready Fox appears to be.

Also, if you told me two years ago that our right side would be 10x better than our left side on D in 2019, I would've said that you're high. But, here we are.

But, I AM high...

 

[Kendo]

The guy I thought Lias reminded me of a lot in Steve Rucchin wasn't even in the NHL until 23, and had a great career as a 1/2C.

I know the instinct is to freak out about the center situation, but there's actually no big issue here. We just need to find the right combinations. Lias can start as a 4th liner and work up, just like Anisimov did.

Good call. We were absolutely bereft of a 2C option when we brought Rucchin in, and while not stellar, he was EXACTLY what we needed in that slot.

Anisimov also blossomed into a perennial 40ish point guy after a disappointing age 22 season.

If Lias can turn into a "30+ point guy that can take some 2C shifts here and there throughout a 12 year career," then it's a great pick. "A poor man's Anisimov," is his floor, imo. Although some pessimists would say that's his ceiling.

 

[Kendo]

It may take a few more years, but I believe Lias is going to develop into a very valuable Ranger. A 2nd or 3rd line forward, who contributes 40-55 points. and is an absolute beast on the PK and in protecting leads late game.

We need to temper our expectations a little bit here. A solid 40 points, 0.5 P/G is a solid 2nd liner. "30-45 points" would more accurately denote a 2nd or 3rd liner.

 

[BKGooner]

Good call. We were absolutely bereft of a 2C option when we brought Rucchin in, and while not stellar, he was EXACTLY what we needed in that slot.

Anisimov also blossomed into a perennial 40ish point guy after a disappointing age 22 season.

If Lias can turn into a "30+ point guy that can take some 2C shifts here and there throughout a 12 year career," then it's a great pick. "A poor man's Anisimov," is his floor, imo. Although some pessimists would say that's his ceiling.

Steve Rucchin existed in a slower, more methodical NHL. He might have a tough time breaking in to the league in 2019. Pre- Ranger days, he also benefitted from some ok linemates. Are people shifting toward Malhotra 2.0 as a comp for Lias? Good pk'er, great at face-offs, 10-15 goals? I don't mean that comp as a put down either...People weren't looking at Bob Gainey and Guy Carbonneau to be 50 point players.

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

Steve Rucchin existed in a slower, more methodical NHL. He might have a tough time breaking in to the league in 2019. Pre- Ranger days, he also benefitted from some ok linemates. Are people shifting toward Malhotra 2.0 as a comp for Lias? Good pk'er, great at face-offs, 10-15 goals? I don't mean that comp as a put down either...People weren't looking at Bob Gainey and Guy Carbonneau to be 50 point players.

I think Lias is still more in the Kadri top-10 pick category rather than the Schiefele or Malhotra categories

 

[Kendo]

For sure. I think his hockey IQ gave him the career he had. Would be tougher on him now than in his time.

To my point, Rucchin would likely be the "30+ point guy that can take some 2C shifts here and there throughout a 12 year career," if he entered the league recently, as opposed to "guy that sniffed some 1st line time," that he was.

 

[Lindberg Cheese]

Alex Steen 2.0 a complimentary piece that helps teams win. Average 50 pt player with intangibles

And he has problems going to the lanes to get open for passes, his team mates are constantly yelling Come Steen

 

[Deleted member 23124]

But, I AM high...

Hey YOU -- get off of my cloud!!!!

 

[Machinehead]

I would like to posit a question that's going to get me crucified, but someone has to ask it:

Why did the Rangers -a team with the most stacked D pipeline and the worst organizational center depth in the NHL- essentially trade Hayes for Trouba?

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

I would like to posit a question that's going to get me crucified, but someone has to ask it:

Why did the Rangers -a team with the most stacked D pipeline and the worst organizational center depth in the NHL- essentially trade Hayes for Trouba?

Because neither of those things is true

 

[Rangerfan4life90]

I would like to posit a question that's going to get me crucified, but someone has to ask it:

Why did the Rangers -a team with the most stacked D pipeline and the worst organizational center depth in the NHL- essentially trade Hayes for Trouba?

I get what you mean a bit, but it comes down to they didn't want to pay Hayes what he wanted.

As for Trouba, I think they were protecting themselves against ADA not maybe panning out and trading for Fox not being an option. Plus, for what they traded to get Trouba? A steal.

 

[DanielBrassard]

I would like to posit a question that's going to get me crucified, but someone has to ask it:

Why did the Rangers -a team with the most stacked D pipeline and the worst organizational center depth in the NHL- essentially trade Hayes for Trouba?

Because they believe they have the solution for the center in-house, and they weren't willing to pay him long-term for whatever reason. And they think Trouba is a high-end defenseman and they valued that more for 8M which is a risk but that has to be how they viewed it.

 

[Machinehead]

Because they believe they have the solution for the center in-house, and they weren't willing to pay him long-term for whatever reason. And they think Trouba is a high-end defenseman and they valued that more for 8M which is a risk but that has to be how they viewed it.

So they were wrong? Sounds legit.

 

[Machinehead]

Because neither of those things is true

We have one top 9 center.

If Zibanejad gets hurt, this team will have the worst center depth I have ever seen.

I get what you mean a bit, but it comes down to they didn't want to pay Hayes what he wanted.

As for Trouba, I think they were protecting themselves against ADA not maybe panning out and trading for Fox not being an option. Plus, for what they traded to get Trouba? A steal.

What Hayes got paid doesn't really factor in considering what they paid Trouba.

They're both very good but not very high-end.

 

[Machinehead]

While I'm asking the hard hitting questions, can I also wonder out loud why we have an analytics guy doing very proprietary stuff and he's on our intermission show instead of our front office?

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

I would like to posit a question that's going to get me crucified, but someone has to ask it:

Why did the Rangers -a team with the most stacked D pipeline and the worst organizational center depth in the NHL- essentially trade Hayes for Trouba?

I’m not asking this to say you’re wrong or really weigh in, I just have a slight problem with the way you’ve asked it: why do you get to look to the future for the defensemen but look at the right now for centers?

 

[Richard Banger]

I would like to posit a question that's going to get me crucified, but someone has to ask it:

Why did the Rangers -a team with the most stacked D pipeline and the worst organizational center depth in the NHL- essentially trade Hayes for Trouba?

Because there is still a chance that all of those prospect could bust.

Also it's a lot easier to find a 2C than it is to find a top RD.

 

[Machinehead]

I’m not asking this to say you’re wrong or really weigh in, I just have a slight problem with the way you’ve asked it: why do you get to look to the future for the defensemen but look at the right now for centers?

The future isn't any brighter for centers.

We have so many prospects on defense that half of them could die in a fire and we'd still be able to ice a full lineup.

If two of our center prospects fail, it's still Zibanejad and friends. It's Howden, Andersson, and Barron. That's the organization.

Chytil is a good prospect but it's time to admit that he's a science project at center. Kakko or Kravtsov moving there is just as realistic imo. Frankly, they've played center just as much pre-NHL.