Speculation: Speculation: Roster Building Thread - Part XXIV

[Avery16]

Blais is totally a middle 6 player. He played half the season on STL's 2nd line. you are really underestimating him. Having him on our 3rd line is not going to tank us.

Blais spent just over 20% of his TOI last season on a top-six line. That’s not a knock on him, but it’s closer to a fifth of *his* season (20% of his TOI in 36 games Blais suited up of the available 56) than ‘half of the season’.

 

[duhmetreE]

The thing about people having both Blais and Goodrow in the top 9 is that it only works if Kravtsov is in the AHL.

Lafreniere, Kreider, Kakko, Panarin, Kravtsov will all be in the top 9 if they are in the NHL.

well that's what I've been saying for a while now. It doesn't add up

 

[Tob]

I think these pieces were supposed to be involved in a quantity and young players package for a bonafide C but it never materialized. We will have to wiffle waffle until the deadline and try and swing for a rental with an extension or a guy with term. the NYC attraction will help with extensions I'd reckon.

 

[Kaapo Cabana]

Chytil: Every day is leg day at gym.

View attachment 464083

Jesus Christ you gotta be Paul Bunyan to knock him off the puck

 

[jay from jersey]

If Strome is still on the roster come start of the season, which is looking pretty likely, Blais is likely on the 4th line and Hunt is the 13th forward with Barron in Hartford. I dont think it makes sense to keep Barron with the big club if he won't see games.

Laff - Zib - Kakko
Panarin - Strome - Kravstov
Kreider - Chytil - Goodrow
Blais - Rooney - Reeves
Hunt

agree Barron should be in top 9 role or Hartford over 4th line duty. Disagree that it’s a clear cut decision that he doesn’t win a spot coming right out of camp.Don’t think they envision Blais on 4th line though.
Not sure kreider-chytil-Goodrow is the best option. All 3 are left hand shots.

from a pure talent perspective; this is what the line up would look like to any outsider. I’m not sure the chemistry of these lines is ideal. Don’t be surprised to see Gallant do a lot of mixing and matching until he finds the the right ingredients to each line.
Chytil and Kakko played pretty well together. LaF moving to first line RW is a possibility as well.
Really doubt that the brought Blais in to be a 4th liner. Same with Goodrow.

 

[Synergy27]

I hate the Buch trade as much as the next guy but the anti Blais rhetoric around here is really over the top. The kid is certainly more than a typical fourth line and can certainly end up being exactly the grinding, dirty work presence we’ve been clamoring for. Give the guy a chance for f***s sake.

 

[RGY]

I wish I could "dislike" a post.

Why? Because he showed so much to easily determine he has a shot at the middle 6 this season? The 2nd line?

Yeah, youre right, I wish I could dislike a post as well.

 

[RGY]

ROFL. I'm sorry, but what Barron did in his total of 5 NHL games last season is absolutely meaningless. He played in 5 games. And he did score 1 goal. Which is actually better than Kravtsov showed in his 20 NHL games scoring 2 goals and 2 assists. Or at least, Barron and Kravtsov put up an equivalent rate of points, 1 per 5 games played. And I don't see anyone saying things like that about Kravtsov. Or for that matter, Kakko in his rookie year, who wasn't exactly better. Or even Laf.

If Barron isn't ready for anything other than a 4th line role, then simply put, he won't be with the Rangers, he will be in the AHL. The Rangers don't need any more 4th liners for this season and it would be a complete waste to keep Barron on the team if that was his only role. But furthermore, what he did in his total of 5 NHL appearances is absolutely meaningless in terms of what he has the potential to do and what he might do in preseason. Preseason, which will be the real testing ground and showcase for the upcoming season. And he did score at a PPG pace in an all be it depleted AHL last season. Which is something, not a ton of something, but something.

If Barron makes the team though, it will be because he can at least play on the 3rd line or better. It's absolutely hysterical that anyone would use a 5 game sample size at the end of the season to make such a determination. Yet I'm sure you think Kravtsov showed "a lot of promise" or something to where he should be on the 2nd or 3rd line automatically. Just a ridiculous take.

Sorry, nothing personal.

As I asked the other gentleman,

What outstanding work did he do (and lets change this to the AHL because it still doesn’t matter) that would make anyone think this Kid could be a middle 6 forward this year? I think im the one “ROFL” at these ridiculously high expectations some of you come up with. You either are unrealistic or you simply havent been around long enough to have experienced countless prospects not go from being studs in the AHL to even an everyday NHLer, let alone a guaranteed middle 6 forward or higher. And Barron hasn’t even been a “stud” at the AHL.

Don’t worry I know what you’re going to say, ‘he was a PPG player last year blah blah blah’ — what, against the same 4 teams on the schedule in a shortened season? I mean cmon, I hope Barron becomes a serious player as much as the next fan here, but to pencil him as a real possibility for anything more than a 4th line role to start the season (and quite frankly it could last all season) is just setting yourself up for unnecessary disappointment. He may not even make the team out of camp because the organization would rather him get 1st line minutes in Hartford, aka because he wasnt going to get anything more than 4th line minutes at the NHL level.

Nope its not personal, I am just not the one who said this kid could be a middle 6 option out of the gate. Be realistic.

 

[EdJovanovski]

I hate the Buch trade as much as the next guy but the anti Blais rhetoric around here is really over the top. The kid is certainly more than a typical fourth line and can certainly end up being exactly the grinding, dirty work presence we’ve been clamoring for. Give the guy a chance for f***s sake.

This reeks of cope, if we’re being honest Blais is a dime a dozen 4th liner (well, when he was even able to crack the lineup that is) that wasn’t on ANY of our radars before this trade

 

[Doctyl]

This reeks of cope, if we’re being honest Blais is a dime a dozen 4th liner (well, when he was even able to crack the lineup that is) that wasn’t on ANY of our radars before this trade

This reeks of throwing a tantrum over your favorite player being traded

 

[Avery16]

I hate the Buch trade as much as the next guy but the anti Blais rhetoric around here is really over the top. The kid is certainly more than a typical fourth line and can certainly end up being exactly the grinding, dirty work presence we’ve been clamoring for. Give the guy a chance for f***s sake.

Lol here we go. Anyone that claims Blais isn’t more than F depth is personally against him. This is the HFBoards I am here for.

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

Buch was notorious for making the lazy pass

Well the thoughtless pass. I don’t think I’d quantify anything in his game as lazy.

he was also at the bottom of our team in retrievals.

 

[Tob]

Buchnevichs defense was overrated and he has a weird face.

 

[Avery16]

This reeks of throwing a tantrum over your favorite player being traded

Is it possible to not approve of the trade, to independently and objectively assess Blais to be a 4th liner, *and* simultaneously value him in that role?

 

[Kaapo Cabana]

Lol here we go. Anyone that claims Blais isn’t more than F depth is personally against him. This is the HFBoards I am here for.

Blais may very well be just more F depth, but is that a bad thing? At this point, take away the fact that he was the lopsided return for a fan favorite, and his constant dismissal on this board looks silly.

This may be unpopular, and in a vaccuum Buch is absolutely the better player, but with Kakko and Kravtsov needing more minutes he would be pretty redundant on this roster. With how terrible our bottom 6 has been in the last few years, F depth is a need, and Blais is a pretty good bottom 6 forward.

I am not delusional, I know we lost the trade, but its not like we don't have a bit of silver lining

 

[Shesterkybomb]

hot take....

Blais Chytil Goodrow will be the effective Rangers version of TB's 3rd line.

I like it but I'm pencilling in Kreider and not Blais imo. I think Blais Rooney Barron/Reaves is a tough out too. I dont think it does Kakko, Kravtsov, or Lafreniere any good to be outside of the top six, i think Kreider has the make up to be effective there and he's already gotten his contract so he can focus on smart hockey.

 

[RangersFan1994]

 

[Shesterkybomb]

Regarding Blais, if he can stay healthy he can be a very effective player, the health part is always the problem, its for that reason I'm not that happy with the trade, id have probably rathered another pick than Blais considering his injury history but who knows maybe he's turned a corner on that.

 

[Shesterkybomb]

Good to see, he was alright last year but his speed is declining, hopefully he makes it but I'm not sold for Colorado, MTL maybe.

 

[Shesterkybomb]

Im still pumped for this season, can't wait to see how Lafreniere, Kakko, Kravtsov, Miller and Chytil have improved after a proper offseason.

 

[Shesterkybomb]

Unpopular take but Kravtsov gets more points than Kakko this season. I hope I'm right, it means we have two awesome Rw's.

 

[EdJovanovski]

This reeks of throwing a tantrum over your favorite player being traded

If we traded Buchnevich for Horvat I wouldn’t be calling Horvat a 4th liner, we traded a 1st liner for a 4th liner & a 2nd. This is a fact lol. This was a tantrum worthy trade

 

[Tob]

If we traded Buchnevich for Horvat I wouldn’t be calling Horvat a 4th liner, we traded a 1st liner for a 4th liner & a 2nd. This is a fact lol. This was a tantrum worthy trade

Buch is a 10 point guy away from Mika, tops.

 

[n8]

Blais spent just over 20% of his TOI last season on a top-six line. That’s not a knock on him, but it’s closer to a fifth of *his* season (20% of his TOI in 36 games Blais suited up of the available 56) than ‘half of the season’.

eh, thanks for looking it up. 20% it is. That is still pretty good for those who are declaring him a 4th liner.

 

[Alluckks]

Blais metrics has him closer to becoming a 2nd liner than a 4th liner. Really, he is a solid 3rd liner. His health has been his biggest detriment. He will open up on the 4th line because of the depth we have. Also, if Kravstov starts with another 4 pts in 20 games then we may see Blais fill in for his spot for some games, similar to how Fast was used.