Speculation: Roster Building Thread XXXVII: It's the Final Countdown

[NYSPORTS]

Kakko has flashes of brilliance, but he also has large stretches where he's even worse than Howden. I don't think he's a good fit for the primary matchup line with Zibanejad.

Kakko is young yet, IMO, if this perimeter game isn’t working he has to start taking on the role of a Kreider in front of the net. No, likely isn’t as strong as Kreider yet Kakko is a big body. Take your big body with good hands and park your tail in front of the net. Start deflecting pucks and driving the goalie nuts. This perimeter game isn’t working so try something else. Can always go back to the perimeter but I think his role should change until the rest develops.

As far as Howden, my concern is his passing is awful. He’s actually inaccurate.

 

[RGY]

Panarin-Strome-Kakko line? Do we want to bleed more goals. Smh...

 

[NYSPORTS]

And by the way I don’t think Strome is a bad player. He’s obviously talented.

he’s a teaser. Not looking good then “oh he’s coming around”, “oh gee, he should be more selfish and shoot rather than always pass”, “ugh, what’s he thinking?”

He can’t get over hump and remain there. He’s a teaser.

 

[Blue Blooded]

Panarin-Strome-Kakko line? Do we want to bleed more goals. Smh...

They didn't when they played together though.

 

[Kovalev27]

Kakko has really come a long way defensively if you watch his shifts he’s hardly a liability out there. Makes a lot of good plays along the wall to get pucks out. He back checks hard. He can get twisted by talented Dmen up high he’s not going to be blocking shots but generally he’s been night and day better defensively to the point that I think he’ll be one of our better two way guys next year.

 

[DutchShamrock]

Why does everything have to be binary around here?

Strome does not suck. Players getting his point totals don't "suck". He has issues and he benefits from an elite wing. The question is if we have an alternative in the system, i.e. Chytil, or a viable option elsewhere.

If strome is overpaid a million too much, he isn't unmoveable. But we don't really have breathing room to overpay marginal players. Personally I'd like to see him moved for help on left d and go with Chytil there.

Quinn isn't terrible, but he has areas to question. I love the compete level this season. I love that they finally funnel pucks into high danger areas instead of passing around the perimeter looking for the perfect pass and shot. They have their moments of overpassing, but the amount of plays getting into the slot has improved. I wish Quinn wasn't inconsistent with his benchings and scratches. I would like to see more opportunities to younger guys just to see if there is a fit, like Kakko in the top 6, or Gauthier getting better options, or Chytil with Panarin instead of Howden. I try to realize that Quinn isn't in his final form and has improved a lot in 2 seasons.

 

[Crease]

Why does everything have to be binary around here?

Because flamingos and HOT TAEKS get the likes.

 

[RGY]

Kakko has really come a long way defensively if you watch his shifts he’s hardly a liability out there. Makes a lot of good plays along the wall to get pucks out. He back checks hard. He can get twisted by talented Dmen up high he’s not going to be blocking shots but generally he’s been night and day better defensively to the point that I think he’ll be one of our better two way guys next year.

I dont know about that. I still see deficiencies. I see poor decisions with the puck at times where he just bangs it to the wrong spot keeping the play alive. Panics. He is still slow reacting in getting to the boards when pucks are coming around. Slow to the point man.


All of this is normal for an 18 year old. He will get better. He has indeed “improved” from where he was at in the beginning of the season but I would not be comfortable with him getting prime minutes in the top 6.

 

[Kovalev27]

I dont know about that. I still see deficiencies. I see poor decisions with the puck at times where he just bangs it to the wrong spot keeping the play alive. Panics. He is still slow reacting in getting to the boards when pucks are coming around. Slow to the point man.


All of this is normal for an 18 year old. He will get better. He has indeed “improved” from where he was at in the beginning of the season but I would not be comfortable with him getting prime minutes in the top 6.

in fairness everything you said in your first paragraph could be said of any of our forwards. I didn’t say he was a selke candidate. I’m saying at barely 19 he’s come a very long way defensively to the point I think he’ll be one of our better defensive guys next season.

 

[NYR Viper]

		Points	GP
2019-2020	Ryan Strome	73	82
2018-2019	Mike Zibanejad	74	82
2017-2018	Mats Zuccarelo	53	80
2016-2017	Mats Zuccarello	59	80
2015-2016	Mats Zuccarello	61	81
2014-2015	Rick Nash	69	79
2013-2014	Mats Zuccarello	59	77

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Just going to leave this here. I'm not saying Strome should be re-signed at all costs, but these are the Rangers point leaders over the last 6 years previous to this one. Yes he is playing with Panarin. But for a team who's highest scoring forward before Zibanejad had 69 points in 2014-2015, it may be worthwhile to keep him around for secondary scoring.

And yes, I projected Strome's point totals out to 82 games for this year jut as a reference

 

[Crease]

I like Strome on a two year deal in the $3.5-4.5M range. He is what he is but: (1) the Rangers don't have the internal depth to replace him; and (2) it would cost just as much to replace his production in free agency. Take him to arbitration if need be and if they can't get a good deal done trade him for a LHD.

The focus this offseason should be:

• LHD
• Get a real RW for Panarin-Strome
• Get a real LW for Chytil-Kakko

I like the bones of this lineup in 2020-21:

Kreider - Zibanejad - Buchnevich
Panarin - Strome - [TBD]
[TBD] - Chytil - Kakko
Lemieux - Howden - Gauthier

Lindgren - Fox
[TBD] - Trouba
[TBD] - DeAngelo

Shesterkin
[TBD]

 

[Tawnos]

		Points	GP
2019-2020	Ryan Strome	73	82
2018-2019	Mike Zibanejad	74	82
2017-2018	Mats Zuccarelo	53	80
2016-2017	Mats Zuccarello	59	80
2015-2016	Mats Zuccarello	61	81
2014-2015	Rick Nash	69	79
2013-2014	Mats Zuccarello	59	77

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Just going to leave this here. I'm not saying Strome should be re-signed at all costs, but these are the Rangers point leaders over the last 6 years previous to this one. Yes he is playing with Panarin. But for a team who's highest scoring forward before Zibanejad had 69 points in 2014-2015, it may be worthwhile to keep him around for secondary scoring.

And yes, I projected Strome's point totals out to 82 games for this year jut as a reference

I do wonder if moving on from Strome is a similar thing as when we moved on from Nylander. Sure, Strome could be replaced by a better player, but a better player isn’t always a better fit. Maybe Jagr was on the decline anyway, but 07-08 possibly works out better with Nylander than it did with Gomez. To the tune of an ECF appearance.

Something to ponder.

 

[RGY]

in fairness everything you said in your first paragraph could be said of any of our forwards. I didn’t say he was a selke candidate. I’m saying at barely 19 he’s come a very long way defensively to the point I think he’ll be one of our better defensive guys next season.

And in fairness I am not disputing that he could be a much more reliable 2-way player next year. Could be. But right now, he isn’t anywhere close to that. There is still a lot of work to be done.

And no, what I said in my first paragraph cannot be said of just any of our forwards. Fast, Kreider, Panarin, DiGuiseppe, and even Buchnevich more recently, have been reliable wingers defensively to all those points made.

 

[Kovalev27]

Again no one thinks Strome is a bad player. But he better put up 73 pts if he’s going to play as selfish and carelessly as he does otherwise you’d blow him out the door.

 

[Kovalev27]

And in fairness I am not disputing that he could be a much more reliable 2-way player next year. Could be. But right now, he isn’t anywhere close to that. There is still a lot of work to be done.

And no, what I said in my first paragraph cannot be said of just any of our forwards. Fast, Kreider, Panarin, DiGuiseppe, and even Buchnevich more recently, have been reliable wingers defensively to all those points made.

but they all make plenty of mistakes on the wall in any given game. Buchnevich and Panarin more than the others. So my point is yes he’s going to screw up at times but every guy does so not sure why we’d expect him to be perfect to move up when others ahead of him aren’t.

 

[mas0764]

		Points	GP
2019-2020	Ryan Strome	73	82
2018-2019	Mike Zibanejad	74	82
2017-2018	Mats Zuccarelo	53	80
2016-2017	Mats Zuccarello	59	80
2015-2016	Mats Zuccarello	61	81
2014-2015	Rick Nash	69	79
2013-2014	Mats Zuccarello	59	77

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Just going to leave this here. I'm not saying Strome should be re-signed at all costs, but these are the Rangers point leaders over the last 6 years previous to this one. Yes he is playing with Panarin. But for a team who's highest scoring forward before Zibanejad had 69 points in 2014-2015, it may be worthwhile to keep him around for secondary scoring.

And yes, I projected Strome's point totals out to 82 games for this year jut as a reference

To be fair, scoring seems to be up league wide.

 

[NYR Viper]

I like Strome for what he is. He's a good complimentary scorer to an elite level talent. I DO NOT like him at center, although his versatility is a plus. Are there things he can work on? Of course. But while he is playing with an elite level player in Panarin, it's also important to note that Panarin is having his best season of his career also playing with Strome.

I'd consider a 3-4 year deal depending on the cap hit. I've always hoped for something in the realm of $4.5m.

Something to consider, Mats Zuccarello was not a superb defensive forward earlier in his career but eventually developed into a good defensive player. Guys with good minds for the game often dominate at lower levels and then can take some time to develop that side of the game. It's very possible Quinn has been working with him on that consistently this season.

 

[NYR Viper]

To be fair, scoring seems to be up league wide.

This is a very fair point. But just wanted to show that people may be taking his point totals a bit for granted.

 

[Tawnos]

To be fair, scoring seems to be up league wide.

It’s up 0.02 goals per game vs last year.

 

[duhmetreE]

This is the pain of having the youngest team in the league. We have major hiccups defensively.

We have no 'checking line.' We have our best defensive forward playing with Panarin.. Zibs is by far our best defensive center. 2 of our best defensive players are playing in the top6. We have a few dinosaurs on defense. Trouba and Staal are brutally slow. Smith has become a borderline NHLer. Suprisingly, Lindgren and Fox have been outstanding.

This is the part of 'patience' in a rebuild. It takes time. It takes tweaking. You re-evaluate continually. It also helps when you have a god-tier goalie to help relieve the mistakes. IMO Hart was the biggest difference. Our PK was very bad and Shesty is our best PKer

 

[Shesterkybomb]

Strome didnt have a good game that's for sure but he isn't near as bad as everyone makes him out to be each and every night. He is our new Pionk, a lot of nitpicking and focusing on every bad play he makes, blaming losses on him and then when he leaves he is all of a sudden "on a better team" or "didnt play like that here" excuses. Meanwhile DeAngelo or Buchnevich can stink up the joint and come out smelling like roses, it is this boards annoying little habit. Until someone shows me a better option with Panarin outside of loading up one line with Mika we may as well learn to like Strome and his deficiencies like we do pretty much everyone else not named Staal, Smith, Howden and Lundqvist. I mean everyone knows his totals are inflated with Panarin, nobody ever says Kreiders are inflated with Mika though, when good players who have a complimentary style play together that's what happens, but contrary to the detractors Strome is helping Panarin as well, both players having career years isn't a coincidence.

 

[Blueshirts777]

Quinn refuses to trust any of the kids in top 6 roles. He just won’t do it. You can’t tell me Kakko shouldn’t be the first option to replace Buchnevich when he went down.

Chytil has yet to play an entire period let alone a game with Panarin as his winger. Why? Why won’t he give that even a look? Chytil is not worse than Strome in his own end and certainly not on the back check. We play Fast on the second line because Quinn knows Strome won’t play a lick of defense and someone has to.

Gauthier is an offensive player he has barely had a sniff off the 4th line. Got a shift with Mika and Panarin and got an assist.

but Quinn rather continue to ride Strome without consequence has DiGi playing top line mins which is absurd. And sticks Howden and Lemieux on the powerplay?


I don’t get it.

Not calling you out or anything but are Chytil and Kakko the only "kids" on this team? Why aren't Howden and Lemieux given the same label being in their young 20's? I get the other two have higher ceilings but i'm not sure saying DQ doesn't play kids while saying he plays Howden too much is appropriate criticism.

 

[charliemurphy]

One of the benefits of a two year contract would be the ability to expose Strome in the expansion draft. If he is worth protecting in a year, fine. If not, he could be traded at the deadline next year. No one is give him a long term extension.

I thought that was the plan for Howden or Hajek

 

[Fitzy]

I do wonder if moving on from Strome is a similar thing as when we moved on from Nylander. Sure, Strome could be replaced by a better player, but a better player isn’t always a better fit. Maybe Jagr was on the decline anyway, but 07-08 possibly works out better with Nylander than it did with Gomez. To the tune of an ECF appearance.

Something to ponder.

This times a thousand. And that's before we even consider that Nylander was 34, Strome only 26.

 

[Avery16]

		Points	GP
2019-2020	Ryan Strome	73	82
2018-2019	Mike Zibanejad	74	82
2017-2018	Mats Zuccarelo	53	80
2016-2017	Mats Zuccarello	59	80
2015-2016	Mats Zuccarello	61	81
2014-2015	Rick Nash	69	79
2013-2014	Mats Zuccarello	59	77

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

Just going to leave this here. I'm not saying Strome should be re-signed at all costs, but these are the Rangers point leaders over the last 6 years previous to this one. Yes he is playing with Panarin. But for a team who's highest scoring forward before Zibanejad had 69 points in 2014-2015, it may be worthwhile to keep him around for secondary scoring.

And yes, I projected Strome's point totals out to 82 games for this year jut as a reference

Yes, you caveated this, but it bears repeating that almost anyone we put on Panarin's line is going to be a scoring leader for the team over the last decade.