Training Camp and Preseason thread 2023

[McRanger92]

Dryden Hunt says hello

He spent the whole season on waivers for 3 different teams.

 

[bleedblue94]

then why did Drury drag him around?

He's a cheap 7D with potential and can play both sides.

He can't play both sides, that's why he won't be a top 6 guy here, and hajek was kept around because internally who did they have that would fill the 7d role better at the time, obviously not jones? He was so far gone there was nothing better to do with him. Ahl would gain him nothing, he was cheap and he knew the guys so management just let him fill the 7d role rather than deal with optics of having no NHL pieces from that disaster of a trade. Is he still here?

He spent the whole season on waivers for 3 different teams.

I know, but you said Drury won't give anyone away, yet he did. That's all I'm saying. I don't know how they handle Jones but I don't think it's automatic that they keep him up bc of waivers. In the end the best thing for him is going somewhere like San Jose where he can get a chance to run their pp and develop a niche.

 

[McRanger92]

He can't play both sides, that's why he won't be a top 6 guy here, and hajek was kept around because internally who did they have that would fill the 7d role better at the time, obviously not jones? He was so far gone there was nothing better to do with him. Ahl would gain him nothing, he was cheap and he knew the guys so management just let him fill the 7d role rather than deal with optics of having no NHL pieces from that disaster of a trade. Is he still here?


I know, but you said Drury won't give anyone away, yet he did. That's all I'm saying. I don't know how they handle Jones but I don't think it's automatic that they keep him up bc of waivers. In the end the best thing for him is going somewhere like San Jose where he can get a chance to run their pp and develop a niche.

Jones is on a 2 year deal he's not being waived. It's not like the Rangers have a veteran 7D they'd want to keep over him. Harpoon had some moments last year but he's a plug who wont get claimed.

 

[NYR Viper]

Jones is on a 2 year deal he's not being waived. It's not like the Rangers have a veteran 7D they'd want to keep over him. Harpoon had some moments last year but he's a plug who wont get claimed.

We said the same thing about Tinordi...

 

[McRanger92]

We said the same thing about Tinordi...

Similar to that instance, I wouldnt be too broken up if I'm wrong about Harpur

 

[bleedblue94]

Jones is on a 2 year deal he's not being waived. It's not like the Rangers have a veteran 7D they'd want to keep over him. Harpoon had some moments last year but he's a plug who wont get claimed.

If your d is
Lindy Fox
Miller trouba
Gusto schneds

How is Jones inserting if trouba or Lindy goes down? Are you really rolling gusto and Jones together?? Or Jones and Fox??

Think this through a little bit.

The only way he stays in this situation is if they run 8 d and he only goes in for injuries to fox or gusto. This would be stupid and repeating the hajek mistake of keeping a guy with no future here bc you're afraid you might lose him on waivers and you let it eat away cap space that you need for the deadline.

Also Jones was signed weeks prior to gusto, does he actually sign if gusto is already here and blocking him from his one possible role to make the team? One is an NHL d man and the other is trying to be one but may just be an ahl+ level guy.

 

[will1066]

Yeahhhh I don't usually understand the love affair some have with Brodz but he was awesome last night. Easily the best forward out there.

From what I've seen so far, his pace and reads are better than in the past.

 

[Kendo]

If your d is
Lindy Fox
Miller trouba
Gusto schneds

How is Jones inserting if trouba or Lindy goes down? Are you really rolling gusto and Jones together?? Or Jones and Fox??

Miller Fox
Gusto Troubs
Jones Schneids

Or

Miller Fox
Lindy Gusto
Jones Schneids

You can insert Jones without either of those pairings you spitballed.

 

[bleedblue94]

Miller Fox
Gusto Troubs
Jones Schneids

Or

Miller Fox
Lindy Gusto
Jones Schneids

You can insert Jones without either of those pairings you spitballed.

Both are based on Miller Fox being a thing which it isn't at this time and it wasnt in my original post. If you're going to disrupt all three pairings to accommodate inserting one sub into your lineup for an injury then your roster construction is flawed...

 

[LaffyTaffy13]

After a few preseason games these are probably my top thoughts

1) laff- I had high expectations for laff but honestly if i didnt know who he was and never watched the nhl before id think 13 was a minor league plug. Hes been so irrelevant.

2) Zac Jones- 110% an NHL dman. Great with the puck, heavy shot, good at breaking out and has even been pretty good in his own end. IMO should split time with gustaffaon this year as gust has looked very good too

3) Will Cuylle- hes ready. He was everywhere last night and looked better than alot of the nhl regulars. Net front presence, good skater, good wrister that hit the crossbar, good forechecker. Its gonna be very tough to send him to hartford

4) Othmann- kids got an edge. Definitely a future middle 6 winger but I think best served with a year in hartford

5) Brodzinski is an nhl 4th liner no doubt. But I just dont think we have room for him. Great call up option to have.

Jones will be our 7th dman to start imo but then the question is, if cuylle makes the roster who is getting bumped from the lineup? Do Bonino Vesey and Pitlick just rotate as 13th forward with each playing about 55 games? Thats what id do personally and id start the season like this

Kreider-Mika-Kakko
Panarin-Chytil-Laff
Cuylle-Trocheck-Wheeler
Goodrow-Bonino-Vesey
Pitlick

Lindgren-Fox
Miller-Trouba
Gustaffson-Schneider
Jones

Igor
Quick

 

[McRanger92]

If your d is
Lindy Fox
Miller trouba
Gusto schneds

How is Jones inserting if trouba or Lindy goes down? Are you really rolling gusto and Jones together?? Or Jones and Fox??

Think this through a little bit.

The only way he stays in this situation is if they run 8 d and he only goes in for injuries to fox or gusto. This would be stupid and repeating the hajek mistake of keeping a guy with no future here bc you're afraid you might lose him on waivers and you let it eat away cap space that you need for the deadline.

Also Jones was signed weeks prior to gusto, does he actually sign if gusto is already here and blocking him from his one possible role to make the team? One is an NHL d man and the other is trying to be one but may just be an ahl+ level guy.

If Trouba or Lindgren goes down you just bump up Schneider or Miller. Can Gustafsson play both sides? He's been around the block in the league and is a good puckmover. I have some confidence he could play his off-side in a pinch. Odds are we make a move for another veteran d-man at the deadline for depth anyway. There's definitely a chance Jones gets waived though, especially after Ty Smith just did and hes a former first. I just dont think it fits Drury's MO

After a few preseason games these are probably my top thoughts

1) laff- I had high expectations for laff but honestly if i didnt know who he was and never watched the nhl before id think 13 was a minor league plug. Hes been so irrelevant.

2) Zac Jones- 110% an NHL dman. Great with the puck, heavy shot, good at breaking out and has even been pretty good in his own end. IMO should split time with gustaffaon this year as gust has looked very good too

3) Will Cuylle- hes ready. He was everywhere last night and looked better than alot of the nhl regulars. Net front presence, good skater, good wrister that hit the crossbar, good forechecker. Its gonna be very tough to send him to hartford

4) Othmann- kids got an edge. Definitely a future middle 6 winger but I think best served with a year in hartford

5) Brodzinski is an nhl 4th liner no doubt. But I just dont think we have room for him. Great call up option to have.

Jones will be our 7th dman to start imo but then the question is, if cuylle makes the roster who is getting bumped from the lineup? Do Bonino Vesey and Pitlick just rotate as 13th forward with each playing about 55 games? Thats what id do personally and id start the season like this

Kreider-Mika-Kakko
Panarin-Chytil-Laff
Cuylle-Trocheck-Wheeler
Goodrow-Bonino-Vesey
Pitlick

Lindgren-Fox
Miller-Trouba
Gustaffson-Schneider
Jones

Igor
Quick

I f***ing love that 3rd line.

 

[mas0764]

We have already added more talent, but we have to let them cook. In a video game, I'd run with Othmann and Cuylle on the 3rd and 4th lines, but in reality those two are our "deadline acquisitions." Going forward, you still have Perreault, Sykora, BMB, and Berard incubating.

Yeah but again, at this slow burn, Kreider, Panarin, Trochek and Zibanejad will all be aging and decreasing in effectiveness.

So add four more prime pieces to the need list then.

 

[Jim Ramsay]

After a few preseason games these are probably my top thoughts

1) laff- I had high expectations for laff but honestly if i didnt know who he was and never watched the nhl before id think 13 was a minor league plug. Hes been so irrelevant.

2) Zac Jones- 110% an NHL dman. Great with the puck, heavy shot, good at breaking out and has even been pretty good in his own end. IMO should split time with gustaffaon this year as gust has looked very good too

3) Will Cuylle- hes ready. He was everywhere last night and looked better than alot of the nhl regulars. Net front presence, good skater, good wrister that hit the crossbar, good forechecker. Its gonna be very tough to send him to hartford

4) Othmann- kids got an edge. Definitely a future middle 6 winger but I think best served with a year in hartford

5) Brodzinski is an nhl 4th liner no doubt. But I just dont think we have room for him. Great call up option to have.

Jones will be our 7th dman to start imo but then the question is, if cuylle makes the roster who is getting bumped from the lineup? Do Bonino Vesey and Pitlick just rotate as 13th forward with each playing about 55 games? Thats what id do personally and id start the season like this

Kreider-Mika-Kakko
Panarin-Chytil-Laff
Cuylle-Trocheck-Wheeler
Goodrow-Bonino-Vesey
Pitlick

Lindgren-Fox
Miller-Trouba
Gustaffson-Schneider
Jones

Igor
Quick

Those would probably be my lines as well

 

[TGWL]

Lafreniere wasn't very good last night but I'm not sure that's going to work with Zibanejad. The second goal, although a bit of a breakdown, came because Zibanejad was so weak on the puck when it seemed highly likely he was beating the defender to keep the puck in play by boards. Laf isn't going to fight through players. So if Zibanejad can't do that or at least be strong on his stick, it's not going to work.

Wheeler was very strong with the puck on his stick. He took it to the net and protected the puck on the boards/around the net. If he were a center, he'd be a better fit for Lafreniere, minus the slow line. It buys Lafreniere a lot more space.

Schneider broke up a lot of plays, but boy (or kid), work on your pivots. Miller had that problem year 1 and got beat wide often. Schneider hasn't figured it out yet. If the gap control is gone, he's getting beat.

 

[duhmetreE]

After a few preseason games these are probably my top thoughts

1) laff- I had high expectations for laff but honestly if i didnt know who he was and never watched the nhl before id think 13 was a minor league plug. Hes been so irrelevant.

2) Zac Jones- 110% an NHL dman. Great with the puck, heavy shot, good at breaking out and has even been pretty good in his own end. IMO should split time with gustaffaon this year as gust has looked very good too

3) Will Cuylle- hes ready. He was everywhere last night and looked better than alot of the nhl regulars. Net front presence, good skater, good wrister that hit the crossbar, good forechecker. Its gonna be very tough to send him to hartford

4) Othmann- kids got an edge. Definitely a future middle 6 winger but I think best served with a year in hartford

5) Brodzinski is an nhl 4th liner no doubt. But I just dont think we have room for him. Great call up option to have.

Jones will be our 7th dman to start imo but then the question is, if cuylle makes the roster who is getting bumped from the lineup? Do Bonino Vesey and Pitlick just rotate as 13th forward with each playing about 55 games? Thats what id do personally and id start the season like this

Kreider-Mika-Kakko
Panarin-Chytil-Laff
Cuylle-Trocheck-Wheeler
Goodrow-Bonino-Vesey
Pitlick

Lindgren-Fox
Miller-Trouba
Gustaffson-Schneider
Jones

Igor
Quick

I think Brodz will be taken if waived.

I'd rather keep Brofz as the extra than Pitlick tbh

 

[McRanger92]

Yeah but again, at this slow burn, Kreider, Panarin, Trochek and Zibanejad will all be aging and decreasing in effectiveness.

So add four more prime pieces to the need list then.

Why do you keep citing "decreased effectiveness" when Zibanejad had a career year last year, Trocheck had his most productive season since 2017 and Kreider has scored a third of his career goals in the last 2 seasons lol? Even Panarin who everyone is annoyed with is a lock for 90 plus points.

You're like my wife getting upset about problems that don't even exist yet.

 

[mas0764]

Why do you keep citing "decreased effectiveness" when Zibanejad had a career year last year, Trocheck had his most productive season since 2017 and Kreider has scored a third of his career goals in the last 2 seasons lol? Even Panarin who everyone is annoyed with is a lock for 90 plus points.

You're like my wife getting upset about problems that don't even exist yet.

They would be defying historical evidence - in general terms - to continue to produce as they have for much longer.

Almost all players begin a noticeable decline in the quality of their play by around age 30. That doesn't mean they have to be run off the team immediately or can't be useful, but it's not wise to assume that if these are the players carrying us now, that they will also be capable of carrying us at age 33. They'll need to transition into high end support roles and Kakko/Laf should be the drivers.

Since that's not happening, it doesn't look good for us.

 

[bl02]

Would be best to have those two kids in Hartford developing and on standby for call ups as opposed to waiving a pitlick or a Bonino who is a very solid center. Have to be smart with your depth and those two are waiver exempt and should be playing big mins in Hartford. Going to need them this year not necessarily just next week

I think that is the best long term plan. They also have the right attitude unlike other young players who cried about playing in the AHL. Sure it would be nice to see Othmann and Cuylle up with the big club immediately but I still think it would be best for their development for them to get top line minutes in Hartford.

 

[FlyguyOX]

I don't get why Laf is getting force fed line 1 minutes when Kakko has actually shown success with that line in real NHL games.

 

[Bacon Artemi Bravo]

You all know I am a Laffy believer, for better or worse.

That said, Kaapo Kakko is just a better hockey player right now. It's hard to even debate that.

 

[I Eat Crow]

This is my team right now...

Panarin-Zib-Laf
Kreider-Trochek-Kakko
Vesey-Chytil-Wheeler
Goody-Bonino-Pitlick
Belzile

Let Cuylle and Othmann cook in Hartford, first call ups when injuries happen

Miller-Fox
Gustufsson-Trouba
Lindgren-Schneider
Jones

Waive Harpoon

Igor
Spicy Pork

Shoot Quick to the moon and beg Halak to come back.

 

[bl02]

You all know I am a Laffy believer, for better or worse.

That said, Kaapo Kakko is just a better hockey player right now. It's hard to even debate that.

Except for some of the playoffs 2022 Right now the only thing Lafreniere has is that he is a pretty durable player. I guess that counts for something???

 

[Shesterkybomb]

Imo Cullye now and Othmann after Christmas.

 

[McRanger92]

They would be defying historical evidence - in general terms - to continue to produce as they have for much longer.

Almost all players begin a noticeable decline in the quality of their play by around age 30. That doesn't mean they have to be run off the team immediately or can't be useful, but it's not wise to assume that if these are the players carrying us now, that they will also be capable of carrying us at age 33. They'll need to transition into high end support roles and Kakko/Laf should be the drivers.

Since that's not happening, it doesn't look good for us.

Fox, Shesterkin and Zibanejad are the players who carry us. Kreider and Panarin are already in high end support roles. Chytil and Miller are developing great and should be looked at as core guys. I hear you on Kakko but is he not lock for the top 6? What more do you want? They are also giving Lafreniere every opportunity, but he hasn't shown he can carry a line whatsoever to this point in his career, and I'm not a hater of his, I'm just being honest. Bottom line, there is no team in the league that can clearly say they are better than us in goal, at forward and on D. I will gladly take my chances against anyone in 7.

 

[mas0764]

I don't know how you can say "What more do you want?" when we just got run off by a team who is showing us what properly developed star forwards look like. New Jersey's pipeline is kinda frightening, frankly. All they lack is a goalie and they would be head and shoulders above us.

If Laf and Kakko had turned into even a fraction of Hughes we wouldn't be having this conversation.

If the question is "What can we do about it now?" then the answer is not much, because I'm not saying tear it all down and tank.

But please for the love of god no more expensive rentals. They didn't work last year and won't work this year. If we are good enough we are good enough. If not, paying a first or high end prospects isn't going to get us there.

In fact, again, depending on how things shake out I could be convinced to sell at the deadline. If we are a clear third place or like a 7/8 seed at the deadline, I would listen to offers for veterans.