To quote JD. This team needs to get tougher

[usekakkorightquinn]

Always posters here complaining about posters stating we draft too many soft euro's. Fine. We draft too many soft players. First thing JD said was this team needs to get tougher. It was obvious watching the Blues we are soft as a team. Size does matter on defense. Look at the Blues. I am confident that Gorton and JD will use players like DeAngelo, Buchnevich, Georgiev and perhaps Fast to upgrade our pansy forward unit and start building a legit bottom 6 forward unit as well as perhaps adding a top 6 forward.

Good thing is that this team has players that teams already with size and toughness could use because they need a little more offensive skill. As well as a goalie in Georgiev. This loyalty to Staal needs to stop. He makes ZERO sense here. From all reports Rykov is playing very well. Bring him up. Put Staal in the stands.

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[egelband]

I do agree that the team needs some more “sandpaper”. My hypothesis is that a “critical mass” of “toughness” is required to infect the whole team with a winning attitude. (I know it’s vague, it’s just a hypothesis )
I think the Rangers are close when Lemieux is healthy along with ADA, Trouba, Lindgren. I’d like to see a couple more such forwards added as we proceed. Not goons, but guys who make space and stick up for teammates.

 

[usekakkorightquinn]

TDA blows defensively. He's tough for his size but the reality is what I've said all along. We don't need him with Fox. Fox should be a real good, defensive defenseman as well down the line. If Buchnevich is on this team after the deadline I will be ticked. For the love of God. Stop playing Smith, Fogarty, McKegg, Haley, etc.... Gettinger seems to be doing well now down there. Lettieri looked better his last call up his last few games. Put those guys on the roster. Smith adds absolutely nothing to this team as does McKegg and neither has any upside. Hopefully, Gorton will add some legit, tough, young 4th line types at the deadline. Our 4th line completely sucks in every way.

 

[NYRFANMANI]

Look! It's Sherlock f***ing Holmes! gfy OP, this board has been on the tuffness issue for almost a decade now.

Lindgren and Lemmy are the only true, tough sobs on this team. Trouba is big, but not mean enough by far. Lindgren is perfect, imo.

We need more, it got absolutely clear with the Blues, who practically played cat and mouse with us yesterday.

 

[IronBloodedLion]

We could definitely use more toughness in the lineup. I like where the skill players are headed, but we need some guys that can play hard and physical to go along with them. I think it would be a big help to our younger skills players too.

Getting Lemieux back will help in a big way. I love what Lindgren brings to table too.

 

[Bring Back Avery]

A big part of it is all the kids on the team. How many players are 24 or younger? They don't even have their man muscles yet. That should rectify itself in a couple of years.

 

[Oscar Lindberg]

Truly the Rangers lost last night because they were not tough enough

 

[MyLoveIsBlue]

I have seen a few people ask why not give ADA a trial as a winger. Is there a reason we have not tried him at wing? His offense talent is undeniable.

 

[Sayba]

Let's look at our RW position. Fast, Buch, Kakko and Kratvsov in waiting. It doesn't get softer than that, Fast is willing to go to the dirty areas but he isn't a physical force. I've been saying it since Kakko was drafted. One of Buch / Kratvsov needs to be moved.

 

[The S5]

Team could use more energy guys. You need players outside of your top liners who a coach can put out to change the tenor of a game. They don't necessarily have to be fighters, but they need to go out every shift and go hard on the forecheck, finish checks and wear the other team down.

This team is the youngest in the league. We are still early in the rebuild. A few older guys will be moved out over the next couple of years, freeing up a ton of cap space. Then, its up to management to bring in the right guys.

It's hard to deny that, although not yet a playoff team, this team is far more entertaining to watch versus teams of the last 5 years. Just be patient and let the team learn how to play consistently at this level. If after another two years, they are still not a playoff team, then start to bitch and moan.

 

[CommaSynapse]

Let's look at our RW position. Fast, Buch, Kakko and Kratvsov in waiting. It doesn't get softer than that, Fast is willing to go to the dirty areas but he isn't a physical force. I've been saying it since Kakko was drafted. One of Buch / Kratvsov needs to be moved.

Who would be the target?

With Rantanen, Nichuskin, Calvert, and Compher, COL can use a RW upgrade for offense. Question is how much would Buchnevich help them, and if they'd be willing to meet that cost. Fortifying goaltending would also be helpful for them.

Other teams have spent money and/or gone after vets like Richardson, Matt Martin, Reaves, etc. to fill a fourth line. Do we want to pay those guys to play those roles? Fogarty and Nieves might have tools, but they are not quite adequate for the NHL game, and Gettinger wouldn't be helped much playing with Smith and Haley.

I'm all for building a responsible 4th line who can take assignments. Guys who fill that role and can add points and throw out hits (guys like Carrier, Coleman) aren't often readily available, though you'd love to have them.

 

[egelband]

I have seen a few people ask why not give ADA a trial as a winger. Is there a reason we have not tried him at wing? His offense talent is undeniable.

if you ask me, i'd say first of all, wingers have to play defense too. i think it sounds good in theory, but in practice, it's just not that easy for a pro who has been a defenseman all his career to change roles and be just as good. also he has more value as a defenseman.

 

[will1066]

A big part of it is all the kids on the team. How many players are 24 or younger? They don't even have their man muscles yet. That should rectify itself in a couple of years.

But if they're not being bred to play a bit of physical style now, it will be much tougher later to influence into their games.

 

[will1066]

if you ask me, i'd say first of all, wingers have to play defense too. i think it sounds good in theory, but in practice, it's just not that easy for a pro who has been a defenseman all his career to change roles and be just as good. also he has more value as a defenseman.

I just don't think the forwards back check hard enough and give the dmen some support in the neutral zone. A lot of times, they're caught on transition. Even if we see them come back, a lot of times they're just kinda mild shadowing and not checking hard. A lot of reaching and poke checking.

 

[egelband]

I just don't think the forwards back check hard enough and give the dmen some support in the neutral zone. A lot of times, they're caught on transition. Even if we see them come back, a lot of times they're just kinda mild shadowing and not checking hard. A lot of reaching and poke checking.

good point. too much poke checking. i've noticed some better backchecking lately though. guys actually skating through the offensive player rather than that stupid useless stop-n-reach. but they need to be more consistent.

 

[LORDE]

Most of the answers to many questions about this team are the same answer:

Every player on this team not named Zbad, Trouba or Panarin is either young or done.

When u have a team in limbo like that, a lot will be wrong. Some of it will get better with time. Some by trades. But either option isn’t going to happen to salvage this season or the next one.

The folks who yearn for that are going to be VERY disappointed.

 

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

Putting Staal in the press box will solve everything. Like it did last night.

 

[ReggieDunlop68]

Look! It's Sherlock ****ing Holmes! gfy OP, this board has been on the tuffness issue for almost a decade now.

Lindgren and Lemmy are the only true, tough sobs on this team. Trouba is big, but not mean enough by far. Lindgren is perfect, imo.

We need more, it got absolutely clear with the Blues, who practically played cat and mouse with us yesterday.

Really ?

More than half the board is annoyed the Rangers don't just have a candlelight vigil at center ice to discuss #Tuffnezz and how it effects their inner child yearning to be free.

 

[Crease]

I wouldn't be surprised if there are a lot of changes this offseason, when JD has had a full season to digest state of affairs.

 

[ReggieDunlop68]

A big part of it is all the kids on the team. How many players are 24 or younger? They don't even have their man muscles yet. That should rectify itself in a couple of years.

Oh please...

You act as if the Rangers sans the early 90s haven't had a long, long term issue of pretty faces and clean play.

If we didn't have such garbage prospects, the Rangers would win more Lady Byngs, but you have to be good like Paul Kariya to get those.

 

[McRanger]

Putting Staal in the press box will solve everything. Like it did last night.

Have we progressed from pretending Staal doesn’t suck to pretending people think he’s the only problem?

Yay.

 

[ReggieDunlop68]

I wouldn't be surprised if there are a lot of changes this offseason, when JD has had a full season to digest state of affairs.

I thought JD was here to schmooze free agents and upper echelon suite purchasers.

 

[ReggieDunlop68]

Have we progressed from pretending Staal doesn’t suck to pretending people think he’s the only problem?

Yay.

Oh a bunch of regulars were fairly adamant that he is THE problem

 

[SnowFort]

I think better defensive structure should be higher on the list than “toughness”.

 

[Lion Hound]

Age old argument. I’m on the side of the fence that believes and have believed that they need to get tougher for decades. The game has changed however. Tougher doesn’t mean they need to add Joey Kocur or Darren Langdon.

Tougher to me is adding players that can play a heavy game when it matters. Division rivalries, the stretch of games after the trade deadline, ultimately the playoffs.

To dive deeper, adding the type players that can do it while in a larger role. Top 6 players that can bang, and play physical but also have the skill set to produce both offensively and not be a liability defensively. Same for top pairing defenseman.