Didn't disagree with that.
Then why draw a contrast between those teams not trading elite players for futures and trading a DeAngelo?
Well, Adam Fox, for one, but even setting him aside, I'm not saying Lundkvist looks like they can replicate what DeAngelo is doing.
I'm saying Lundkvist + Byfield might be better than DeAngelo + (whatever you get by trading Lundkvist).
The chances of Adam Fox hitting 60 points is slim. Can we first see how his season goes next year? He COULD take a step back, you know.
So you are burning 3 years off of Kreider, Panarin and ZBad and waiting until they are all over 30 to compete? Because if the thought is that Lundkvist + Byfield will do better than 60 points, you may well be waiting around that time line to find out. That's if one of them does not bust or at least does not play to expectations. Teams that are looking to compete do not make these types of trades.
That is not "trading for futures." That's basically a trade for Byfield, or, if you like Stutzle better than Byfield.
What are they if not futures? Chances of Stutzle starting in the NHL next year, I do not think are great. Same goes for Byfield. None of which changes that as they are not NHL players, but prospects not yet drafted by any team, they are futures.
I don't care about next year (and the Rangers shouldn't either).
But I assure you, they do.
Not that this would ever happen, but if someone offered us Lafreniere for ADA, we'd be crazy to say no.
Why? Where is there even a spot for him to play next year? And let's forget about all that, what are the chances that he can replace DeAngelo's production for the next several years?
My hypothetical was never about, for example, the 7th overall pick. It was about if you can get a Kakk0-level prospect, and what's more, a center... a position that we pretty desperately need a future stud at, if we have plans on competing long term. Mika will not keep up his production for a decade..... we need that insulation from an 18-22 year old type prospect.
So you trade away young players with elite level production for nothing but futures because you are worried about the production of your 26 year old elite center down the line?
Isn't adding an Alexis Lafreniere or Quentin Byfield an example of a perpetual rebuild? No, it is not, it is an example of putting the final pieces rebuilt core of forwards to match our exemplary depth of defensive prospects.
It would be rebuild over at that point. Not "rebuild continue indefinitely."
Of course it is. You are robbing Peter to pay Paul by severely weakening your team in order to hope that a kid that is not yet drafted in the NHL in hopes that they will be meaningful contributors in a few years.
We'd have every piece we need with the possible exception of top pair LD.
Then why not make efforts to trade DeAngelo for that instead of the promise of a good player?
Because we aren't winning any Stanley Cups in the next 2 years anyway. This team lacks the necessary forward components in terms of depth and quality to truly compete for a Cup with teams like the Bruins. Two forwards are basically carrying us right now and that's not good enough for a long playoff run.
They are definitely not winning the Cup next year. And there is no definite about any of them. But looking at that the young defensemen has done this year, it is not hard to imagine them from competing for the Cup in the non too distant future.
As for the forwards, what they need is better depth. Not top-6 players. Your opening is who plays RW with Panarin and Strome. You hope that Kakko can step into that role. Then you need better support players on the bottom 6. The forward components are not as bereft as you are making it sound.
Their years are getting burned one way or the other. What do I care if it's missing the playoffs next year, versus getting bounced in the first or second round?
Your view of waste is not shared by many. One could make a point that for this young team, the experience of making a playoff run would be fantastic. Or do you envision your propects coming over and the team magically goes on a run in 3 years after missing the playoffs?
And again, I'm not talking about stockpiling late-selected Filip Chytils who are good prospects but take a half decade to arrive. I'm talking about a known Kakko-level prospect who arrives in the NHL next season or the year after, and is contributing quality middle-6 minutes or better the year or so after that. Like we expect with Kakko.
Even prospects like Kakko can take a few years to develop.
That's how you make a contender for 2022 while Panarin and Mika are still playing well, and you have quality and quantity in the forward pipeline.
And if your prospects take longer than that to develop? Or do not make it at all?
Do you really think that Gorton and JD signed Panarin with the thought of treading water with him for 3 years before becoming contenders?
I'm basically implying, if I could clone Kakko and trade ADA for that clone, would I do it? I think there's a good argument to be made for 'yes.'
And I am saying "no". And believe that Rangers management is thinking the same
