Where do the Rangers go from here?

[AfroThunder396]

Wait, you're telling me that being PP merchants who are consistently outplayed at ES and relying on your goalie to steal every game ISN'T a sustainable winning strategy?

 

[WarriorofTime]

Wait, you're telling me that being PP merchants who are consistently outplayed at ES and relying on your goalie to steal every game ISN'T a sustainable winning strategy?

If you point this out to Ranger fans during the season they get weirdly defensive and try and claim the Rangers are uniquely qualified compared to every other team in nhl history to be a “meh” 5 on 5 team.

 

[Little Bobby Boo]

Most of the Rangers core is taking justified flack for this.

I don't see enough people talking about how bad K'andre Miller for a good chunk of the series. I get that Trouba is the bggest problem on that blueline, but Miller routinely failed to clear the puck. Coughed it up a ton under pressure. He looked really outmatched for a lot of the series.

 

[Score08]

They should blow it up and rebuild around Trouba .

 

[Zats Muccarello]

As long as Trouba is gone, they'll be better.

 

[Oneiro]

Miller is pretty young and already gotten 40+ games of playoffs experience. He'll be better in the long run. Also gotta think guys like Othmann and Sykora will add a shot in the arm.

So they'll run it back with some new blood from within but I'm not sure they really get too far. But a lot of teams in the conference are going to look pretty different next year.

 

[Lt Dan]

It takes several cracks at it to win

This is not true.

The Chicago team that won 3 cups in 5 years
Hadn't made the playoffs for years, then went to then CF and then won the cup.

The Kings team that won 2 cups in 3 years , hadn't made the playoffs in years lost twice in the first round ( and handnt won a playoff round since 2001) and then won the cup

 

[Hockeyholic]

I don't think the score sheet really shows how much better Florida was. They were more physical. Hustled to pucks more.

Rangers need way more toughness and more mobile D.

They got the goalie. But it's not enough

 

[GCK]

More offence from the Left side D would help.

 

[Nyr88nyg]

Get a real 1C is the only way. Right now we have a great 2C in Tro and a power play merchant in 1C that sucks donkey dong 5v5.

 

[Roo Returns]

For the main boards: remember Drury became GM in 2021. His draft picks are just starting to become pros. Him and Lilley have drafted a lot of gritty players/water bugs/piss and vinegar players.

His picks are also a lot like his personality: not style but substance.

There's going to be a very slow shift from a mostly inherited to a Drury built team over the next 1-3 years. Mostly the same group will be back this fall (minus the TDL acqus, UFAs, Kakko, and probably one of Trouba/Lindgren), but with some buzzsaw rookies mucking it up in MSG.

 

[Charlie Conway]

Most of the Rangers core is taking justified flack for this.

I don't see enough people talking about how bad K'andre Miller for a good chunk of the series. I get that Trouba is the bggest problem on that blueline, but Miller routinely failed to clear the puck. Coughed it up a ton under pressure. He looked really outmatched for a lot of the series.

If you stop by the Rangers board. there's a ton of talk about it.

Fox hurt, Lindgren playing like his usual crash test dummy self, Trouba playing so bad it forced Schneider into a top-4 role... I think there are other storylines that were focused on, but Miller is being talked about.

No surprise the guys willing to play physical looked better this series--Trocheck, Goodrow, Lafreniere. Panarin and Zibanejad were too tentative and tried to avoid contact. Not enough bringing the puck to the net.

There was also a real problem with finishing checks. The Panthers hit everything they could, and the Rangers gave them too much respect in return. They cruised by a lot of checks they should have finished.

 

[Voight]

Move mountains to get rid of Trouba

Guy is a flat out terrible defenceman
High cap hit
Attrocious underlying numbers
Complete liability

Brutal combination

If he refuses to waive his NTC contract plant drugs in his locker and terminate his contract

Bolded are exactly why he won't be traded. Their only hope is to pay a rebuilding team like San Jose or Chicago to take him, providing they aren't one of the 15 teams on his NTC.

 

[Voight]

This guys makes $8.5 million

Get him outta here
View attachment 878670

Hilarious cause even tho defensemen salaries have exploded in the years since he signed his contract, hes still one of the highest paid d-men in the league... ouch

Juice is probably not worth the squeeze, but if they can get something good...

I'd shoot for an Eichel trade if I were them. Keep Zib, but give up quite a bit of futures to bring in a true #1C and bump Zibanejad down two 2C, where he's a lot scarier.

Why on earth would Vegas trade him? They won the cup a year ago ands are still a cup contender. Unless he wanted out and refused to be traded anywhere but NYC, the bolded is a pipe dream.

 

[DelZottoHitTheNetJK]

Trouba for cap purposes and literally whatever Ottawa wants for Brady Tkachuk to NYR

the next 3 1st round picks, Othmann and whatever other prospect they want not named Perreault

 

[Blackjack]

Why on earth would Vegas trade him? They won the cup a year ago ands are still a cup contender. Unless he wanted out and refused to be traded anywhere but NYC, the bolded is a pipe dream.

Sorry, should have been more clear. I meant they need their version of an Eichel trade. i.e. give up big assets for a bona-fide #1 center.

I doubt that anyone available now is near as good as Eichel, but they should be able to significantly upgrade 1C if they're willing to give up premiere prospects and picks.

 

[Big Daddy Cane]

Sorry, should have been more clear. I meant they need their version of an Eichel trade. i.e. give up big assets for a bona-fide #1 center.

I doubt that anyone available now is near as good as Eichel, but they should be able to significantly upgrade 1C if they're willing to give up premiere prospects and picks.

Not that simple. 14 of the 20 highest paid Cs are still with the teams that drafted them. Of the 6 that moved, 1 was a free agent that wanted to go home (Tavares) and 2 were dealt pre-breakout (Seguin and Zibanejad himself). That leaves Eichel, Horvat and Dubois as established players traded; the latter 2 are no more 1C than Zibanejad is now.

If someone does hit the market, the Rangers will have competition from both teams presently contending and those looking to take a step (which likely have more attractive future assets).

Zibanejad and Trocheck is the Rangers’ 1-2 punch for years to come, most likely.

 

[2ndGenIslander]

stuck with trouba and Zib contracts and then Igor is due a raise of probably 100%

 

[KevinFinnerty]

we need a #1C and to punt Trouba to the moon. he single handedly lost this series.

 

[Mobiandi]

The Rangers front office can pick and choose whoever they want in the league and they still somehow have ended up with multiple bad contracts. If there was ever a team who could and should pick the Vegas model of pumping and dumping, it should be them

 

[Megustaelhockey]

we need a #1C and to punt Trouba to the moon. he single handedly lost this series.

Trouba was his usual level of terrible, but the Rangers also have to direct some of the blame at Kreider, Miller, Zibanejad, Lindgren, Panarin, Kreider, Fox, Gustafsson, and Chris Drury.

 

[KevinFinnerty]

I'd get rid of Kakko Trouba Gus and see if someone offers something for Zib

 

[ijuka]

I'd get rid of Kakko Trouba Gus and see if someone offers something for Zib

You'd get rid of Gustafsson when he for a very tiny salary was providing the second-best 5on5 advanced stats behind Adam Fox? Also the best xGF% out of all defensemen.

NYR's problem was that they were playing Gustafsson too little, not the other way around. No one else on that team can handle the puck apart from Fox, which is what constantly got them into trouble.

 

[Megustaelhockey]

I'd get rid of Kakko Trouba Gus and see if someone offers something for Zib

Those contracts have some NMC/NTCs in them.

 

[SympathyForTheDevils]

The Rangers made it to the ECF twice in 3 years; no reason to blow it all up. Something the best move is to run it back with some tweaks; imagine if Tampa management had listened to HF after 2019 and traded everyone.

IMO, the team has 3 glaring problems that can be addressed:

1- A hole at top 6 RW. They don't need a star there, just a guy who can hang at that level and be a contributor at EV. Ideally with some size and speed; the Rangers top 6 could use an injection of athleticism.

2- The 3rd line. Championship teams can roll at least 3 dangerous, effective lines. The Rangers spent the whole postseason with a 3rd line of JAGs, a zero net-impact line. A healthy Chytil/improved Kakko could solve that problem. If neither of those things happen, Rangers will need to acquire someone; I don't think they have anyone in the AHL who could realistically play that role next year.

3- The D. At the very least, Trouba needs to be shipped out, even if they need to use assets as a sweetener. You can have a bad Dman on your roster, but not a bad Dman paid 8M. The team could use a solid top 4 guy, but then again, so does every single team in the league. They'll probably have to live with promoting Zac Jones and signing a good 3rd pair guy to replace Gustafsson. Which shouldn't be a problem, if they can get rid of Trouba.

The Rangers are in a pretty good spot for a contender. No major cap crunch this offseason, so they still have the cap space and assets to address issues.