Speculation: Roster Building Thread XXXVI: The End (The Apocalypse Is Now)

[eco's bones]

Few years ago there were ad nauseam discussions of what’s more important top quality or depth. In reality you need both. In this regard it’s not only your top line, not only top two lines but quality that even spills into the third line is needed. Today it looks like the Rangers figured out their top line and LW on the second. The rest are up and comers with a very good shot based on glimpses that we’ve seen. Fast forward two years from now, if the development continues as expected for some of our top prospects, the Rangers could be able to go with

Kreider - Zibanejad - Buchnevich
Panarin - Strome - Kakko
Gauthier - Chytil - Kravtsov
Lemieux - Barron - Howden

Depth of quality.

I'm kind of thinking that Chytil eventually will be a 2nd liner too. I see similarities between him and Zibanejad. I like Strome mind you but depending on our cap situation going into next year he might be the odd man out but also being RFA we should get something pretty good back for him. Between him and DeAngelo which look to be the two biggest contracts to work out I'm choosing to keep Tony--though depending on return values of course. The Rangers do like Strome though--he does play well with Panarin.

 

[rangersfansince08]

I see the ceiling as 2nd line 50 pt guy, though I could be wrong. Probably take a couple of seasons to get there. Power forwards seem to take that little bit extra time to season.

That seems a bit high to me. If this is the case though JG robbed the Candy Canes.

 

[Matt Rentfree]

Strome seems like a great teammate, and his production would be missed, but giving him a new contract would be a serious error. Are we really going to pay him almost as much as Kreider just to ride shotgun with Panarin? If he was going to get paid like a #3C that’d be one thing. Sell high and trade him for like Radek Faksa or something.

It's a tough call. As some posters pointed out, yes, he's benefitting from playing with Panarin this season (you can certainly see that in the jump in his avg. assists per game compared to last season) but not any old center/wing will mesh with Panarin just because Panarin is a star player and like him or not, Strome meshes well with Panarin. I'm not for or against keeping him, but I would be a lot more for keeping him if he was better defensively.

 

[rangersfansince08]

In his 3rd full pro season, if Chytil is far from -45 pt., he might always be. Kravtsov, no expectations. Kakko will put up 2nd line numbers.

I hope they end up being more than this. I hope Chytil and Kravstov end up being 60 pt players and for Kakko to be an 80 pt player.

 

[duhmetreE]

Strome seems like a great teammate, and his production would be missed, but giving him a new contract would be a serious error. Are we really going to pay him almost as much as Kreider just to ride shotgun with Panarin? If he was going to get paid like a #3C that’d be one thing. Sell high and trade him for like Radek Faksa or something.

With the emergence of Hintz, Faksa may be available.

 

[kovazub94]

I'm kind of thinking that Chytil eventually will be a 2nd liner too. I see similarities between him and Zibanejad. I like Strome mind you but depending on our cap situation going into next year he might be the odd man out but also being RFA we should get something pretty good back for him. Between him and DeAngelo which look to be the two biggest contracts to work out I'm choosing to keep Tony--though depending on return values of course. The Rangers do like Strome though--he does play well with Panarin.

Oh, I agree that Chytil will take over as 2C over Strome sometime next year and a year after he should get closer to Zibanejad. I was just hoping that we'd be able to keep Strome at least for another year or hopefully two and run top-9 full of talent with little drop in quality 1 to 2 to 3.

 

[duhmetreE]

In his 3rd full pro season, if Chytil is far from -45 pt., he might always be. Kravtsov, no expectations. Kakko will put up 2nd line numbers.

Points mean nothing in some regard.

Is he getting top6 minutes and opportunities. It's very hard to get 45+pts on a 3rd line and at even-strength..

If he's playing with Panarin, his point total would go up. I dont see him getting PP1 time though.

We stand to benefit if he has a 40pts season. Lock him up long term then place him next to Panarin. good value.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

I'm kind of thinking that Chytil eventually will be a 2nd liner too. I see similarities between him and Zibanejad. I like Strome mind you but depending on our cap situation going into next year he might be the odd man out but also being RFA we should get something pretty good back for him. Between him and DeAngelo which look to be the two biggest contracts to work out I'm choosing to keep Tony--though depending on return values of course. The Rangers do like Strome though--he does play well with Panarin.

You might be right, but this is also the kind of thing that concerns me moving forward. The forwards all can't be 1st/2nd liners. And the ones that aren't are going to have to take pride in the differing roles the bottom 6 has to offer.

Hopefully Andersson was the last of the players who go haywire when confronted with this reality. It will be critical to successfully building depth.

 

[RGY]

I was in the 'keep Strome camp' ( albeit for a year or two ) but the lack of checking center has become glaring.

Lias was suppose to be that guy. Howden was and still is suppose to be that guy. A plug until he's ready would help.

Losing Fast hurts our defense/PK even more.

Bump up Chytil and replace Strome with a Bonino type.

Kreider Mika Buch
Panarin Chytil Kakko
Lemieux Bonino Kravtsov
Barron Howden Gauthier

'Bonino type' doesn't mean it has to Bonino. Who PKs? I wouldn't mind seeing Gauthier get some PK time.

This is all dependent on what the Salary cap is next season and what HL does. If he retires, we're gucci.

Ok looking at a move of Strome + maybe one of the 1sts to move up. OR Strome + for a LD.

Then signing a checking center like a Bonino.

I would prefer to have Barron start in Hartford and explore re-signing both Fast and DiGuiseppe, or at least one. If both, DiGi is the 13th forward that could slot in if Kravtsov cant make the team out of camp.

Also, who knows we may get lucky with the draft again

 

[nyrage]

Next year

Kreider Mika Buchy
Panarin Strome Kakko
Kravtsov Chytil Gauthier
Lemieux Howden DiGi
McKegg (maybe)

on D some combo of 7 plenty of options here all should be in camp:

Lindgren Trouba Fox DeAngelo
Smith Hajek Lundkvist Miller Rykov Staal Reuanen Robertson

Shesterkin
Georgiev

Hank bought out along with Fast leaving leaves plenty of money to get everyone signed.

we shouldn’t be adding anything. Plenty of internal options ready to take next steps.

Any chance Barron makes the team next year if he turns pro?

 

[Kovalev27]

I can absolutely see the Rangers keeping Strome on a 2 year deal. They aren’t going to commit to him past Mika’s ufa year. That insulates Chytil to an extent who at that point crazy enough will only be 22.

we don’t have a lot of options at center behind them at this point although I expect us to draft some this summer. But I absolutely can see Strome sign a two year bridge deal then cutting him loose when you have to pay Mika and promote Chytil


I’d like Chytil promoted now but it’s not gonna happen

 

[kovazub94]

You might be right, but this is also the kind of thing that concerns me moving forward. The forwards all can't be 1st/2nd liners. And the ones that aren't are going to have to take pride in the differing roles the bottom 6 has to offer.

Hopefully Andersson was the last of the players who go haywire when confronted with this reality. It will be critical to successfully building depth.

I might be off but it seems that the top tier in the NHL is moving toward only one line having a specifically defensive designation and in the playoffs EVERYONE has to play on both sides of the puck at all times regardless of offensive or defensive designation.

 

[TheBloodyNine]

Any chance Barron makes the team next year if he turns pro?

I think he's gonna need some AHL seasoning

 

[Synergy27]

I hope they end up being more than this. I hope Chytil and Kravstov end up being 60 pt players and for Kakko to be an 80 pt player.

I’m finally coming around to the idea that we might already have (most of) the horses in the stable to do this, but a lot still has to go right to go all the way. Here’s what I see needing to happen:

Kakko needs to become a Mika/Panarin level player, or very close to it, no later than the 21-22 season. That gives us three elite forwards, able to go toe to toe with any team on talent. Note that this assumes that Mika/Panarin are who they are and will continue to be for the foreseeable future.

Kreider needs to repeat this season’s impact and production for at least 4-5 years of his contract.

Shesty has to not be Jim Carey. He looks like the real deal. We need him to be the real deal. We also need to win before he gets paid.

Kravtsov. Still the tipping point of the rebuild in my eyes. If he turns into a 1st liner, that means we have two legit first lines. We’ve always been a team whose first line was actually a really good second line. It would be nice to flip that script.

1LD. We need to find that guy. It might be Deangelo but I have my doubts. I think assets will be packaged to acquire this player sooner rather than later.

Depth. If all of the above comes to fruition, depth should not be an issue. We have plenty of middle 6/bottom 4 types ready to go and able to fill those roles at a much higher level than Smith, Staal, Howden, Haley etc. If the guys above do their job, that frees up the lesser talented guys to fill roles that they are suited for.

This can all absolutely happen. Definitely within the range of expected outcomes.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

This draft is 60 deep.

I think people get carried away with how deep this draft is. The real value in this year's draft is the top-15. Franchise-potential players up to the 15th spot is huge! But after that, the draft isn't really better than for instance the 15-30 spots in 2015

 

[duhmetreE]

I think people get carried away with how deep this draft is. The real value in this year's draft is the top-15. Franchise-potential players up to the 15th spot is huge! But after that, the draft isn't really better than for instance the 15-30 spots in 2015

So, we got a potential Franchise player for Skjei?

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

I think people get carried away with how deep this draft is. The real value in this year's draft is the top-15. Franchise-potential players up to the 15th spot is huge! But after that, the draft isn't really better than for instance the 15-30 spots in 2015

2015 is one of the best drafts ever.

Most people who follow this stuff and do this for a living would disagree with you though.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

So, we got a potential Franchise player for Skjei?

Potentially, every pick is. The odds are a lot higher, the earlier you pick though

 

[eco's bones]

Oh, I agree that Chytil will take over as 2C over Strome sometime next year and a year after he should get closer to Zibanejad. I was just hoping that we'd be able to keep Strome at least for another year or hopefully two and run top-9 full of talent with little drop in quality 1 to 2 to 3.

If at all possible I would like that too. Chytil needs IMO a bit more time anyway---he's still figuring things out.

 

[duhmetreE]

2015 is one of the best drafts ever.

Most people who follow this stuff and do this for a living would disagree with you though.

Nothing comes close to 2003 and the Huge Specimen memory.

Wow, I really dont miss Sather AT ALL

 

[Ghost of jas]

Nothing comes close to 2003 and the Huge Specimen memory.

Wow, I really dont miss Sather AT ALL

Pretty sure the 2003 and 2004 drafts can be laid at the feet of Don Maloney.

 

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

So, we got a potential Franchise player for Skjei?

I'd call it a draft pick right now.

 

[eco's bones]

You might be right, but this is also the kind of thing that concerns me moving forward. The forwards all can't be 1st/2nd liners. And the ones that aren't are going to have to take pride in the differing roles the bottom 6 has to offer.

Hopefully Andersson was the last of the players who go haywire when confronted with this reality. It will be critical to successfully building depth.

Looking at what the Rangers have in their organization apart from Kakko, Chytil and Kravtsov I don't see anyone who has top 6 potential really. I guess someone like Barron might make it but right now I think even that's kind of a reach--that much more likely he'll be bottom 6 if he makes it too. Guys like Howden and Lemieux I don't see becoming top 6 forwards either.

Kravtsov seems to be slowly getting it since his return to Hartford. He's going to need at least another half year (best case scenario) if not more in Hartford. That said he is making plays and lately he's getting more shots on net. I think those are good signs. Offensive wingers need to get pucks to the net. IMO he'll need to get stronger--that's typical though of players his age.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Pretty sure the 2003 and 2004 drafts can be laid at the feet of Don Maloney.

And Tom Renney.

At least 2003.

 

[FIRE DRURY]

And Tom Renney.

At least 2003.

#FireRenney!



Oh, shit, never mind......