The Rangers aversion to the basement

[GoAwayPanarin]

Are we sure we are worse?

We are short Grabner, Nash, Miller and McDonagh, but we return Shattenkirk, we may add Chytil and Andersson for part or all of the season, we possibly return a rejuvenated (slightly) Brendan Smith. We get possible improvement from ADA and Pionk.

And everyone thought that AV lost the team, so if Quinn comes in and gets them playing hard.... I mean, if Buch, Vesey, Zibanejad, Hayes and Shattenkirk all have banner production years, they could easily be better than last year.

And I say that as a bad thing because I actually do want this team to tank. But it may be too talented.

You're banking on a bunch of things to go right, it usually never plays out that way.

Our offense isn't terrible I'll give you that, but the defense is bad. Plus I doubt we score as much as we have in past seasons. AV sucked, but his system was pretty much predicated on sacrificing defense while waiting for the other team to f*** up so you could take it the other way with numbers. We don't really have the roster to play an effective, north south pressure game.

If they're serious about working in youth, mistakes are going to happen and happen pretty regularly. We also don't know what we're going to get from Hank next year, it's probably safe to say that this team's performance (as far as either being a bottom feeder or being slightly better) will really hinge on his performance.

 

[PlamsUnlimited]

I think Buffalo is going to climb a bit this season. The Habs might be marginally better with a healthy Carey Price.

But other teams figure to be awful.

I think Hank, at this point, doesn't steal nearly as many games as we think he will. I'll also go on record as saying that I have my doubts that he doesn't have a meltdown because of this defense at some point.

I think we'll finish in the bottom 10. Getting into the bottom 5 might prove difficult.

I have little faith in Buffalo. They have not done very much outside of drafting Dahlin and trading ROR for an overall kind of meh package. I think they will be slightly better but still last in their division.

You figure we may finish 2nd last or last in our division which I think is reasonable barring a Cinderella run and our defense suddenly being competent, but not bottom 5 overall because of the Atlantic teams that are tire fires, and the wild cards of the Canes/Isles, then the Coyotes/Oil/Canucks. I don't think that's a bad thing all the time though. We need a game changer/breaker though... the good thing is that we do have a chance to hit the top picks even if we miss or are just outside of that bottom 5 still.

 

[Edge]

I think the forwards will be somewhat competitive, though a lot really depends on whether Kreider and Zibanejad pick up where they left off, and which rookies emerge.

The defense, on the other hand, is probably going to struggle a bit.

They have guys who can move the puck, but whose a guy you can throw out there in hopes of slowing down the better competition in the league --- Shattenkirk? Pionk? ADA? Staal? Smith?

Maybe Skjei takes the next step in his development, but we also have to be careful not to heap the weight of the entire back end on his ability to become that guy.

 

[Ghost of jas]

You're banking on a bunch of things to go right, it usually never plays out that way.

Our offense isn't terrible I'll give you that, but the defense is bad. Plus I doubt we score as much as we have in past seasons. AV sucked, but his system was pretty much predicated on sacrificing defense while waiting for the other team to **** up so you could take it the other way with numbers. We don't really have the roster to play an effective, north south pressure game.

If they're serious about working in youth, mistakes are going to happen and happen pretty regularly. We also don't know what we're going to get from Hank next year, it's probably safe to say that this team's performance (as far as either being a bottom feeder or being slightly better) will really hinge on his performance.

That’s what I keep saying... too many things have to go right.

 

[Edge]

I have little faith in Buffalo. They have not done very much outside of drafting Dahlin and trading ROR for an overall kind of meh package. I think they will be slightly better but still last in their division.

You figure we may finish 2nd last or last in our division which I think is reasonable barring a Cinderella run and our defense suddenly being competent, but not bottom 5 overall because of the Atlantic teams that are tire fires, and the wild cards of the Canes/Isles, then the Coyotes/Oil/Canucks. I don't think that's a bad thing all the time though. We need a game changer/breaker though... the good thing is that we do have a chance to hit the top picks even if we miss or are just outside of that bottom 5 still.

I don't know, a team with Eichel, Dahlin, Mittelstadt, Ristolainen and Reinhart has some potential to move the needle a bit. They're weak on the wings and in net, but I don't think they're completely out to lunch either.

 

[Off Sides]

I think Lundqvist if he plays well will mask much of the defensive issues.

On top of that if coaching is not spending countless hours figuring out how to overload and still not win the puck, the forwards may be more helpful on the defensive side of the puck especially right in front of their own net.

 

[PlamsUnlimited]

I don't know, a team with Eichel, Dahlin, Mittelstadt, Ristolainen and Reinhart has some potential to move the needle a bit. They're weak on the wings and in net, but I don't think they're completely out to lunch either.

Might be my bias living here. I just expect the worst all the time. They SHOULD move the needle but I feel like they are under-performing/not really achieving what they should be at this time. They just look so far gone and I really pray, that even though the Sabres are my adopted local team, we never end up like that; mired in the lowest floor of a subterranean hell spinning the wheels and not getting anywhere. Though with Hutton I feel like they will move a little bit forward.

I think another thing too is that we seem to have a good European scout team or individuals, etc. And development staff seems to be better than other teams mired in the basement.

 

[Edge]

Might be my bias living here. I just expect the worst all the time. They SHOULD move the needle but I feel like they are under-performing/not really achieving what they should be at this time. They just look so far gone and I really pray, that even though the Sabres are my adopted local team, we never end up like that; mired in the lowest floor of a subterranean hell spinning the wheels and not getting anywhere. Though with Hutton I feel like they will move a little bit forward.

I think another thing too is that we seem to have a good European scout team or individuals, etc. And development staff seems to be better than other teams mired in the basement.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think they're a cup a contender. But that's a roster that has some underrated depth at center, two guys who should be able to eat minutes on defense and some potential.

I think they can do better than last year. It's just a matter of how much better.

 

[Rangers in 7]

I think we will definitely be one of the worst 10 teams in the nhl next season. I personally think we will finish in the bottom 5

 

[n8]

yeah, Hank is why we are never that far down.

 

[ETTER DE]

Can`t see Rangers being any better than Colorado 2 seasons ago. 48 points. At least if they continue to trade players for picks and prospects. But I guess this is the plan. Lose for Hughes.

 

[smoneil]

I think we will definitely be one of the worst 10 teams in the nhl next season. I personally think we will finish in the bottom 5

That would, historically speaking, make this roster the worst Rangers team of all time. I'm not even convinced that this is the worst Rangers team of the last 15 years (some of those Renney and early Torts d-corps were putrid, and we currently have more forward depth than those teams as well). They'll miss the playoffs, but I just don't see them in the bottom 5 at all.

 

[RangerBlues]

We won 34 last season and we will be a worse team. I'm not sure how much worse b/c I see the following teams also being lousy: AZ, VAN, NYI, OTT, BUFF, MON.

All those teams currently have an equal or better roster than the Rangers.
Ottawa is just an all around dumpster fire. Hockey is different in Montreal and Vancouver . Buffalo is in rebuild V2. And the Yotes have no money.
The Rangers are a bottom 5 team but the future is better than any of those other teams.

 

[BroadwayStorm]

I just really want Jack Hughes.