Speculation: Trade Rumors/Speculation Part X: Sather Falls Asleep on the Phone

[BarbaraAlphanse]

It's been discussed but I would love to get Zack Smith on this team somehow.

He'd be an upgrade over Moore next year. Other than that I don't see how he'd fit. He seems like a 3rd line center that would be better suited on our team as a 4th line center. Would it make sense to trade for him if his price was higher than a 4th line player? I don't think so.

 

[Raspewtin]

He'd be an upgrade over Moore next year. Other than that I don't see how he'd fit. He seems like a 3rd line center that would be better suited on our team as a 4th line center. Would it make sense to trade for him if his price was higher than a 4th line player? I don't think so.

He's a good 3rd line center. We don't have one. I'd definitely like to think Lindberg can take the reigns soon, but we've all seen how penciling someone into the team over the summer works. He's more of what we need, multidimensional players that actually give a ****, and play hard every night. Brings size and skating ability to the center position (which absolutely doesn't exist). I'd trade DZ for him, just cause his value is non-existent at this point.

A 3rd line center is an important role. You need a guy that can handle defensive responsibilities and still contribute, we don't have that. We thought we can run a three line, one dimensional offensive attack and it failed.

 

[BarbaraAlphanse]

He's a good 3rd line center. We don't have one. I'd definitely like to think Lindberg can take the reigns soon, but we've all seen how penciling someone into the team over the summer works. He's more of what we need, multidimensional players that actually give a ****, and play hard every night. Brings size and skating ability to the center position (which absolutely doesn't exist). I'd trade DZ for him, just cause his value is non-existent at this point.

A 3rd line center is an important role. You need a guy that can handle defensive responsibilities and still contribute, we don't have that. We thought we can run a three line, one dimensional offensive attack and it failed.

Why trade for a 3rd line center when we already have Miller doing that?

We need a 2nd line center. That's more important. Is Smith that? No? Is Miller that? Maybe, but not for a few years. Is Lindberg that?

I like Smith. Tough. Defensive. Checks well. It would work if we have him start as the 4th line center and if Miller moves up/Lindberg can't come in slot him down. But we should be looking to acquire that 2nd line center now.

I sure hope we don't sign Vanek to a contract this offseason. Screams Ranger move.

 

[I Eat Crow]

The Sather move would be to go hard for Jumbo Joe so him and Stepan platoon the 1/2 center role. Personally I would go for Stastny instead or wait out for Stamkos in 2015.

 

[Raspewtin]

Why trade for a 3rd line center when we already have Miller doing that?

We need a 2nd line center. That's more important. Is Smith that? No? Is Miller that? Maybe, but not for a few years. Is Lindberg that?

I like Smith. Tough. Defensive. Checks well. It would work if we have him start as the 4th line center and if Miller moves up/Lindberg can't come in slot him down. But we should be looking to acquire that 2nd line center now.

I sure hope we don't sign Vanek to a contract this offseason. Screams Ranger move.

Miller shouldn't be at the 3C position though. He should be in Hartford developing, his defensive game is not up to par yet to take on that responsibility (though I have minimal complaints about his play lately). And if Miller/Lindberg do stick to the 3C position? Move Smith to wing. He's an asset either way.

2nd line center is tough......because to come anywhere near contending, we need to have a GOOD 2C to go with Stepan. I'm talking O'Reilly, Krejci, Dubinsky good. I'd rather just get a 1st line center and slot Stepan down, if the opportunity presents itself. A center I really like is Michael Dal Colle, size and speed he brings which we REALLY need, and he's having a tremendous year with Oshawa. Though I doubt we'd be able to draft him.

 

[Raspewtin]

The Sather move would be to go hard for Jumbo Joe so him and Stepan platoon the 1/2 center role. Personally I would go for Stastny instead or wait out for Stamkos in 2015.

I thought about it and don't like it.

Stastny will command 6 mill +, and he brings more of the same problems to the center position. Bad skater and not big. If those weren't an issue I'd maybe sign him.

 

[I Eat Crow]

I thought about it and don't like it.

Stastny will command 6 mill +, and he brings more of the same problems to the center position. Bad skater and not big. If those weren't an issue I'd maybe sign him.

Bergeron and Krejci are very similar but Boston seems to be doing ok. Both are small, not excellent skaters, but are very smart. Stepan and Stastny aren't exactly big, aren't excellent skaters, but are very smart players. Fill the bottom 6 with good two way play mixed with a little skill. Miller is the perfect 3rd line center going forward, but he's not there yet. Fill out the rest of the top 6 with size and goal scorers. Kreider is a good piece. Nash should be effective for another couple years if he ever gets his head out of his ass. Tarasenko could've been another, but lets not go there. Even with Stastny, the Rangers are still short a sniper and a good, big two way player. Hagelin is a 3rd liner. Callahan's status is in limbo. We'll see what happens.

 

[Leetch3]

The Sather move would be to go hard for Jumbo Joe so him and Stepan platoon the 1/2 center role. Personally I would go for Stastny instead or wait out for Stamkos in 2015.

zero chance stamkos becomes a UFA...7/1/15 the first day he can sign an extension tb will announce an 8 year extension.

 

[Raspewtin]

Bergeron and Krejci are very similar but Boston seems to be doing ok. Both are small, not excellent skaters, but are very smart. Stepan and Stastny aren't exactly big, aren't excellent skaters, but are very smart players. Fill the bottom 6 with good two way play mixed with a little skill. Miller is the perfect 3rd line center going forward, but he's not there yet. Fill out the rest of the top 6 with size and goal scorers. Kreider is a good piece. Nash should be effective for another couple years if he ever gets his head out of his ass. Tarasenko could've been another, but lets not go there. Even with Stastny, the Rangers are still short a sniper and a good, big two way player. Hagelin is a 3rd liner. Callahan's status is in limbo. We'll see what happens.

Bergeron and Krejci are both superior to Stastny, in every facet of their games. I really think we should just trade up in the draft and snag the best center available. I already mentioned it but I'd LOVE Michael Dal Colle. With a real #1 center we can finally get away with mediocre play from our wingers, we haven't been able to in years. I don't know, if we do sign another center that's like Bergeron we need to have a lot of damn good wingers.

Don't even start with Tarasenko.

I hope Callahan is traded.

 

[RangersHank*]

The Sather move would be to go hard for Jumbo Joe so him and Stepan platoon the 1/2 center role. Personally I would go for Stastny instead or wait out for Stamkos in 2015.

Stamkoa is never gonna hit free agency. Never

 

[I Eat Crow]

Bergeron and Krejci are both superior to Stastny, in every facet of their games. I really think we should just trade up in the draft and snag the best center available. I already mentioned it but I'd LOVE Michael Dal Colle. With a real #1 center we can finally get away with mediocre play from our wingers, we haven't been able to in years. I don't know, if we do sign another center that's like Bergeron we need to have a lot of damn good wingers.

Don't even start with Tarasenko.

I hope Callahan is traded.

I don't disagree, but it appears now we're heading back to mediocre pick territory between 10-14. Dal Colle would be long gone by then. Don't worry though, we'll be right in it for a lottery pick next 3 game losing streak.

Respectfully disagree on Stastny not being on Krejci's level. Bergeron is one of the best two way centers in the game, no argument there. Look at the numbers though. Not much difference between Stastny and Krejci. Both are good in their own end, Stastny had one off year. He's on pace for 65-70 points again this year. Trust me, Stastny would get the hype Krejci gets if they switched teams today.

 

[Raspewtin]

I don't disagree, but it appears now we're heading back to mediocre pick territory between 10-14. Dal Colle would be long gone by then. Don't worry though, we'll be right in it for a lottery pick next 3 game losing streak.

Respectfully disagree on Stastny not being on Krejci's level. Bergeron is one of the best two way centers in the game, no argument there. Look at the numbers though. Not much difference between Stastny and Krejci. Both are good in their own end, Stastny had one off year. He's on pace for 65-70 points again this year. Trust me, Stastny would get the hype Krejci gets if they switched teams today.

Stastny is on pace for just over 50 points on a stacked Colorado team....lol.

Stastny hasn't been that good since 2010. Not saying he's a ****** player but his offensive prowess has seemingly vanished.

I hope we trade all the UFAs so we can suck at the end of the year. I just rooted against my own team there, but I don't care because I'm sick of the mediocrity.

 

[BBKers]

What about trading Girardi and Callahan (Boyle too) close to the deadline to real contenders and getting a bunch of longer term assets. Then try hard to resign them all at UfA if price is not ridiculous?

Should net us quite the bounty in prospects and picks taking back enough salary in players that might get us squeaking into PO with the obligatory first round exit.
Would be interesting to pick up

2 firsts
1 second
1-2 legit prospects plus cap relief for buyers in UFAs that walk

and then resign the trio at:

Cally 5,6 M (brown money)
Girardi 5-5,5 M (Ericsson +)
Boyle 2,3

Term is of course an issue...

We could also deal MDZ and Brassard for filling need pieces
Buyout Richards

Would be pretty big roster turnover right now that becomes less after UFA
This is one way of taking leaps fwd faster than one might think. And had not been done.
Still icing the same. Core next year.
Having 3 firsts and 2 seconds at the draft is a great start - no?
Would be a pretty nice smokescreen. Cap going up to ~71 M makes this both possible and realistic ( if one wants to keep these three guys to start with).

 

[I Eat Crow]

Stastny is on pace for just over 50 points on a stacked Colorado team....lol.

Stastny hasn't been that good since 2010. Not saying he's a ****** player but his offensive prowess has seemingly vanished.

I hope we trade all the UFAs so we can suck at the end of the year. I just rooted against my own team there, but I don't care because I'm sick of the mediocrity.

Huh? Stastny has 24 points in 36 games. Over 82 games, that's 55-60 points, but we're arguing over semantics.

I'll never root for this team to suck, I always want to win. Realistically though, I only want Girardi and Callahan traded because they'll demand higher contract term and money than they're worth, and because they don't fit the identity Vigneault is trying to establish.

BBKer's, didn't the CBA bar players traded at the deadline from re-signing with their original teams that offseason? I believe that's the Tkachuk rule, when St. Louis traded him at the deadline and Keith re-signed with the Blues in the offseason, twice!

 

[Raspewtin]

Huh? Stastny has 24 points in 36 games. Over 82 games, that's 55-60 points, but we're arguing over semantics.

I'll never root for this team to suck, I always want to win. Realistically though, I only want Girardi and Callahan traded because they'll demand higher contract term and money than they're worth, and because they don't fit the identity Vigneault is trying to establish.

BBKer's, didn't the CBA bar players traded at the deadline from re-signing with their original teams that offseason? I believe that's the Tkachuk rule, when St. Louis traded him at the deadline and Keith re-signed with the Blues in the offseason, twice!

I don't see why a player would ever resign with a team that traded him during the season, anyway .

Just gotta leave it at that, I don't think Stastny's the answer.

 

[I Eat Crow]

Stastny may not be the answer, but who is at this point? Even Nate Mackinnon is only playing 3rd line minutes and he went 1st overall. You can't expect a guy like Draisatl or Dal Colle to come in and play an integral role in our top 6 right out of the draft. You're setting your team and the 18 year old kid up for failure.

Thornton isn't the answer. Brassard isn't the answer. Miller is not the answer. Is the answer Jesus?

 

[Raspewtin]

Stastny may not be the answer, but who is at this point? Even Nate Mackinnon is only playing 3rd line minutes and he went 1st overall. You can't expect a guy like Draisatl or Dal Colle to come in and play an integral role in our top 6 right out of the draft. You're setting your team and the 18 year old kid up for failure.

Thornton isn't the answer. Brassard isn't the answer. Miller is not the answer. Is the answer Jesus?

If we did draft a center really high, I wouldn't put him on the 1st line. The point is there is no immediate answer, I don't want an immediate answer. Groom a good center for the future, put him on the 3rd line if we must.

It's not that I want answers and competitiveness now, I want answers for long term, and the future. I could care less if we draft MDC and he doesn't play in the NHL next year, I just want a plan.

And Jesus is the answer, but he'll cost a fortune in FA.

 

[I Eat Crow]

If we did draft a center really high, I wouldn't put him on the 1st line. The point is there is no immediate answer, I don't want an immediate answer. Groom a good center for the future, put him on the 3rd line if we must.

It's not that I want answers and competitiveness now, I want answers for long term, and the future. I could care less if we draft MDC and he doesn't play in the NHL next year, I just want a plan.

And Jesus is the answer, but he'll cost a fortune in FA.

I agree, sadly this franchise hasn't had any semblance of a plan for the last twenty year except for 2010-2012 when they were the Black and Blue Shirts that out worked you every night

If we want to give AV a shot, this team needs to draft and develop high end skill forwards and big, mobile, puck moving defensemen. Goalie depth will also be a need in the next couple years. Go Ehlers or McCann in round one, draft McKeown, DeAngelo, or Honka if you can get another late 1st. Start there, and keep a really close eye on the development of Skjei, Duclair, and Kristo. Address their weaknesses and make them work on them. They have potential to be very good in today's NHL.

Continue drafting NCAA guys and Swedes in the middle rounds. Big two ways guys with some skill.

 

[Ail]

Needs more tradez.

Sell before it's too late!

 

[RangerBoy]

Viagneault is using Miller properly. 3rd line center minutes. Let him develop his game. Eventually Miller becomes the 2nd center behind Stepan. Gare Joyce was covering the 2011 NHL draft for ESPN.com. He wrote an article after the U20 in 2011

Jonathan Miller, U.S.

When we last looked at the draft's top prospects, we were getting some negative feedback on Miller and we dropped him from our Top 50. Looks like we'll have to readjust that after this tournament.

"The best U.S. forward late in the season ... He made the transition to the big ice surface look easy," said one scout. "[He] used his wingers, read the play. Made his case for being a top-20 player (in this class). The U.S. has a lot of players whose upside in the league would be third- and fourth-line but Miller looks like he could be a second-line center for a winning team down the line."

http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/nhl...chime-top-performers-u-18-world-championships

He will not be the 2nd line guy this season. Let him gain some experience. Stick with him. 3rd line center. He is a center. It took Vigneault 3 months to figure it out.

 

[Beer League Sniper]

Viagneault is using Miller properly. 3rd line center minutes. Let him develop his game. Eventually Miller becomes the 2nd center behind Stepan. Gare Joyce was covering the 2011 NHL draft for ESPN.com. He wrote an article after the U20 in 2011



http://insider.espn.go.com/blog/nhl...chime-top-performers-u-18-world-championships

He will not be the 2nd line guy this season. Let him gain some experience. Stick with him. 3rd line center. He is a center. It took Vigneault 3 months to figure it out.

Couldn't agree more. Miller has some of the best vision of any prosect in our organization, skates hard, checks hard, and actually cares about defensive responsibility. He belongs at C. He's going to make his mistakes, but he's too good for the AHL at this point. Stick with him through his growing pains, and we will be rewarded.

FWIW, I think he's captain material down the line.

 

[jniklast]

Stamkoa is never gonna hit free agency. Never

I dunno, he might make it in 2025

 

[nikonsniper*]

Bergeron and Krejci are very similar but Boston seems to be doing ok. Both are small, not excellent skaters, but are very smart. Stepan and Stastny aren't exactly big, aren't excellent skaters, but are very smart players. Fill the bottom 6 with good two way play mixed with a little skill. .

Boston also have players on their 4th line that would be on our 2nd. Their roster can hide the deficiencies of their top players. Ours can't.

 

[RangerBoy]

Vigneault on whether he believes playing center accentuates J.T. Miller’s strengths:

“I’ve liked (Miller) better in the middle,” Vigneault said. “I’ve liked his responsibility with the puck and his responsibility without the puck. I’ve liked how he’s created stuff and used his size and his strength. That being said, though, as a player, being able to play more than one position is really important, being versatile is a big bonus for any player.

http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/ra...carello-skip-practice-staal-works-on-conditio

The Rangers scouting staff led by Gorton and Clark feel Miller's game is best suited at center.

The Rangers feel Miller can play in the bottom six and work his way into the top six. The problem was Vigneault wouldn't play Miller at center. Ryan Kesler started out as a bottom six player and worked his way into the top 6 when Vigneault became the Canucks coach. Miller is better than Boyle and Moore.

The Rangers felt Kreider couldn't play in the bottom six and work his way into the top six. He was sent to the AHL and it woke him up.

At the very least this season,the Rangers should try to establish some of their young guys in the NHL. Kreider looks to be on his way. His defensive game is better too. Miller. Too bad McIlrath got hurt. His knee will be reevaluated later this week. Allen. Maybe Lindberg later in the season.

 

[Ghost of jas]

Couldn't agree more. Miller has some of the best vision of any prosect in our organization, skates hard, checks hard, and actually cares about defensive responsibility. He belongs at C. He's going to make his mistakes, but he's too good for the AHL at this point. Stick with him through his growing pains, and we will be rewarded.

FWIW, I think he's captain material down the line.

Much like Kreider, (and, IMO, McIlrath), Miller is a unique combination of size, skating and skill that this organization lacks, which is why I would cringe when I'd see his name tossed about in trade proposals for the latest shiny toy.