Speculation: Roster Building Thread XXXVIII - Dust in the wind…

[mas0764]

Reading between the lines, I think this situation is a lot more nuanced than one side or the other deserving the blame and it’s really difficult for any of us to do anything other than speculate about what happened.

The Rangers now have somewhat of a recent track record of having issues with top prospects (Andersson and now Kravs) and Kravs also seems to have some entitlement/maturity issues.

It could just be bad luck drafting 2 kids who had higher expectations about their roles than they were ultimately given. Or it could be that the organization has the wrong approach. Most likely, it’s a little of both. Lias and Krav probably weren’t given the opportunities they maybe deserved and definitely expected. But at the same time, guys like Chytil, Lundkvist, Jones, Schneider, Barron, Shesterkin, all took their medicine and played in the AHL before being given a real NHL opportunity.

I agree.

But even if it is organizational bad luck, the organization can't just take the position that the best way to run your team is to set hard and fast rules with no exceptions ever made. First of all, that's not how Gen Z kids respond anymore. That's not to say there shouldn't be rules that are maintained, but professional athletes in the 21st century do not respond to this kind of tough love as well as prior generations did, and wishing that they did won't change it.

Second of all, that's not the best way to run a team, ie, they are just wrong. These are professionals being paid millions of dollars. They don't all have to love each other in the locker room. You can't have Georgiev sucker punching Tony DeAngelo, but if some of them think Kravtsov is a spoiled brat being shown some favoritism, too f***ing bad, they'll get over it. Kakko and Lafreniere aren't losing their spots to him. And I could care less how Dryden Hunt feels if he gets demoted because of Kravtsov.

Third of all, the team has to think about more than this year's locker room and regular season outcome. In this, too many fans are lapping up the 'win now' kool-aid with the owner, apparently, being the biggest buffoon of all. The most successful organizations in pro sports have proven to be the ones that can take advantage of the other teams by playing the systems in their favor. That means asset management is literally more important to year-over-year success than anything else. The Rangers turned Kravtsov into an asset of zero value with their reaction, so they are flat wrong there in their stewardship of the franchise's assets as a duty to the fans to put out a winning product every year. They chose the "this year," over the "all years," and that's the cumulative low-value choice that makes any other year harder as has been proven again and again with all their win-now moves over the decades. They've learned nothing, which isn't surprising given it's still the same owner.

in b4 someone says "you must not manage people in a group," -- because I do.

 

[Shesterkybomb]

Drury has in house options, to fix this team, he has to do some relationship fixing, he has to admit some players aren't useful and he has to fill in one spot

1. No matter who's fault it was he should extend an olive branch to Kravtsov, he's a free player we really need, no draft picks, no high salary, nothing, all he needs to do is have a conversation with him and see if its repairable, i never would have thought Puijujarvi would have joined edmonton so anything is possible.

2. McKegg isn't better than Barron, he isn't even better than Gettinger. Baron takes McKeggs spot until Kakko and Kravtsov are in the lineup.

3. Nemeth isn't helping, and if he doesn't trust Jones then ship Nemeth to Arizona who in fact need contracts for next year and find someone who fills that role.

You are left with this

Kreider Zib Laf
Panarin Strome kakko
Goodrow Chytil kravtsov
Hunt Rooney Reaves

Lindgren Fox
Miller-Trouba
???? Schneider

 

[CLW]

Huh? If his prices were low than everyone would be trading with him.

It's kind of a syllogism: Francis is afraid/dislikes to deal, therefore he asks for the moon, making sure there are no deals.

 

[SA16]

How do you think Kravstov will respond if they bring him over and he's a healthy scratch or playing on the 4th line? That's probably a more likely scenario than him immediately jumping into top six minutes.

 

[chosen]

I agree they can win a round or two but that's their limit this year whether they foolishly buy, reasonably buy, or do nothing.

Then they're way ahead of their preseason projections, so I have trouble criticizing them this season. Next season, I'd like to believe that they'll become a Cup contender.

 

[McRanger92]

It would be nice if one of the beat writers could ask why Barron is here if he isn’t going to ever play

 

[mas0764]

How do you think Kravstov will respond if they bring him over and he's a healthy scratch or playing on the 4th line? That's probably a more likely scenario than him immediately jumping into top six minutes.

Lafreniere - Zibanejad - Kreider
Panarin - Strome - Kakko
Chytil - Goodrow - Kravtsov
Gauthier/Hunt - Rooney - Reaves

 

[Thirty One]

How do you think Kravstov will respond if they bring him over and he's a healthy scratch or playing on the 4th line? That's probably a more likely scenario than him immediately jumping into top six minutes.

He'd be cool about it. Is there something in his history that makes you think he wouldn't?

 

[mas0764]

Then they're way ahead of their preseason projections, so I have trouble criticizing them this season.

I'm not criticizing their record, per se.

I do see major problems in how they are deploying 5v5. I don't agree with their personnel choices. I'm also not smart enough to dissect all their Xs and Os for scheme but I highly, highly suspect Gallant is utilizing a very David Quinn-like approach of defensive responsibility over creative offense generation which is also a huge mistake in my opinion.

 

[chosen]

2019:
Drury, GM in Hartford at the time, calls Kravtsov a quitter for exercising his right to go back to the KHL

2021:
March: Comes back from Russia and plays in the NHL without being sent down. Gets 4 points in 20 games to end the season.

May: Gorton, the GM who drafted him, is fired and is replaced by Drury.

July: Drury trades Buchnevich away and it was stated in the media it was in part to give Kakko and Kravtsov more minutes

August: Drury tells Kravtsov to skip prospect camp and report straight to the main team

September: Kravtsov plays well in pre-season, scores some goals but he then suffers a groin injury and isn't invited to a team building event in Rhode Island

October: Kravtsov is assigned to Hartford while Hunt and Gauthier stay with the team

Yeah, I still don't like how Kravtsov responded, but I get it. It may not have been said with words, but I can understand why Kravtsov felt he made the team only to be excluded from a team building event and then being sent down a week later.

You left out that management said Kravtsov's conditioning was not up to NHL standards when they sent him down.

That, to me, is the most important point as to why this is overwhelmingly Kravtsov's fault and is way too important to not be included your timeline..

 

[Machinehead]

It would be nice if one of the beat writers could ask why Barron is here if he isn’t going to ever play

This is a legitimate concern.

Again, the short answer is that they think McKegg is currently a better NHL player and again, I'm sorry.

But even then, it would stand to reason that Barron be in the minors actually playing.

 

[Fitzy]

There's been about 3k posts in these threads about Kravtsov and like 15 about the fact that Morgan Barron, a very legitimate NHL prospect, is 23 and is stuck in purgatory between the NHL and AHL at a time when our forward depth is really being tested.

What's the plan?

 

[mas0764]

There's been about 3k posts in these threads about Kravtsov and like 15 about the fact that Morgan Barron, a very legitimate NHL prospect, is 23 and is stuck in purgatory between the NHL and AHL at a time when our forward depth is really being tested.

What's the plan?

Fire the GM?

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

There's been about 3k posts in these threads about Kravtsov and like 15 about the fact that Morgan Barron, a very legitimate NHL prospect, is 23 and is stuck in purgatory between the NHL and AHL at a time when our forward depth is really being tested.

What's the plan?

Fire Quinn, obviously

 

[savebyrichter94]

There's been about 3k posts in these threads about Kravtsov and like 15 about the fact that Morgan Barron, a very legitimate NHL prospect, is 23 and is stuck in purgatory between the NHL and AHL at a time when our forward depth is really being tested.

What's the plan?

I would’ve given him a few games in the top six on the wing most likely with Strome and Bread instead of Hunt, he’s a big body and can shoot and take draws as well

 

[tomobson]

With Goodrow on the fourth line that third line is going to get 2 minutes a game. Drury needs to do something here.

 

[chosen]

I'm not criticizing their record, per se.

I do see major problems in how they are deploying 5v5. I don't agree with their personnel choices. I'm also not smart enough to dissect all their Xs and Os for scheme but I highly, highly suspect Gallant is utilizing a very David Quinn-like approach of defensive responsibility over creative offense generation which is also a huge mistake in my opinion.

If you believe Gallant is copying Quinn and think Quinn is a horrific coach, which was the conventional wisdom here, then using your logic, you have to believe that Gallant is a horrible coach.

That's not the conventional wisdom, here, and I doubt you feel that way.

 

[HatTrick Swayze]

Barron is a really tough one to understand. Not sure why he is up instead of being in Hartford.

Could this be a disagreement between Drury and Gallant? Gallant doesn't like him, Drury thinks he is ready.

 

[DutchNYR]

Fire Quinn, obviously

Speaking of which; I was so shocked when I tuned into the Olympics and saw him coaching the US national men's team.

 

[TheGortonConspiracy]

Phil Kessel rumor mill awfully quiet. I know Phil is the exact type of rental Slats would target. Makes you wonder...

 

[RGY]

Eric Staal on the cheap should be considered. Immediate upgrade. We can see how he does over next few weeks as we approach the deadline. Low cost, low risk.

 

[bhamill]

2019:
Drury, GM in Hartford at the time, calls Kravtsov a quitter for exercising his right to go back to the KHL

2021:
March: Comes back from Russia and plays in the NHL without being sent down. Gets 4 points in 20 games to end the season.

May: Gorton, the GM who drafted him, is fired and is replaced by Drury.

July: Drury trades Buchnevich away and it was stated in the media it was in part to give Kakko and Kravtsov more minutes

August: Drury tells Kravtsov to skip prospect camp and report straight to the main team

September: Kravtsov plays well in pre-season, scores some goals but he then suffers a groin injury and isn't invited to a team building event in Rhode Island

October: Kravtsov is assigned to Hartford while Hunt and Gauthier stay with the team

Yeah, I still don't like how Kravtsov responded, but I get it. It may not have been said with words, but I can understand why Kravtsov felt he made the team only to be excluded from a team building event and then being sent down a week later.

Yeah, I'm not sure about some of this take. What does it matter what "the media take" is? He "wasn't invited" rather than was left in NY with the medical staff to rehabilitate the injury? He was assigned to Hartford but for conditioning, no? I mean you can try to paint it sinister, but really aside from calling Krav a quitter in 2019, none of this stuff is really problematic to me. Even if Krav was just assigned and not for conditioning, which he did need after the injury. Personally I think it was f***ed up for Drury to call him a quitter, but come on.

 

[deathb4disco]

Copp
Rakell
Giordano

As long we do not have to surrender a 1st rounder in any deal. I also would not include Chytil in any of those deals. Only if we are getting a player with term such as Scheifele.

Kreider-Zib-Rakell
Panarin-Strome-Kakko
Chytil-Copp-Lafreniere
Goodrow-Rooney-Hunt
Reavo

This 100% is what we should do this year.

 

[JimmyG89]

Phil Kessel rumor mill awfully quiet. I know Phil is the exact type of rental Slats would target. Makes you wonder...

They basically donated Lybushkin to the Leafs. The reports from way before this was he could be had for a 2nd. I'm guessing now that there are more sellers, it's probably a 3rd, maybe a mid tier prospect.

Kessel is probably someone dealt at 3PM on deadline day. Everyone knows his value, but he's not a team's 1st option. Probably more likely to be 3rd or 4th trade option for teams, so he'll need other names to leave the board either via trade or the selling team keeping a player on term before he is moved.

 

[LORDE]

I don't see Kravtsov as an answer here, even IF we bring him back into the fold.

Obv our right side has taken major hits w out Blais and Kakko but I'm not convinced that Kravtsov would crack the lineup as is.

I think it's an honest assessment.