Speculation: Who Will the Rangers Target At the Center Position this Summer?

[Doctyl]

The teams who are always in contention.. draft very well.. that's one thing that sets them apart from the Rangers..

Lundqvist Staal Stepan Kreider Hagelin and Moore were all drafted by the rangers. Best goalie in the world, 1C, promising PWF, fastest player in the league and one of the best depth guys in the league. Half of our top 6 is made of our draft picks. A top 3 player in franchise history was our draft pick. And a guy who could be a legit #1 on some teams was drafted by us. How the hell is that poor drafting?

 

[SA16]

Where do you get your controlled substances, I want some

Feel free to research it on google if you doubt.

Let me make myself slightly clearer. When I said "on google" I meant go to your web browser and type "google.com" When you get to that page you will see a search box. In that box type in something along the lines of "sports drafting luck skill" Ignore anything that refers to "andrew luck" Click on some of the links and read. Here is one of them http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/no-team-can-beat-the-draft/ Here is another http://www.footballperspective.com/are-certain-teams-better-at-drafting-than-others/ Here is a third http://www.advancedfootballanalytics.com/2013/04/cade-massey-on-flipping-coins-and-nfl.html

The teams who are always in contention.. draft very well.. that's one thing that sets them apart from the Rangers..

I would rephrase this is "The teams who are always in contention...HAVE DRAFTED very well." But it's not something that's really repeatable (see above links and more). Drafting well in the past does not imply drafting well in the future. It's basically randomness. As one guy said there if you have 31 fans and 1 GM drafting years on end for sure the GM will crush long term but when you put 32 guys all on similar levels all with huge scouting departments the skill difference between them is minimal and they all have essentially the same information.

 

[Elevate]

The guy i keep mentioning is exactly this. And adds size, strength, some leadership qualities, and can distribute the puck well enough to play with skilled wingers.

Colin Wilson isn't a good faceoff man. He has shown some talent but probably won't be more than a 35-40 point guy at most. Might as well give Miller a shot imo.

 

[silverfish]

Dubinsky centered Jagr, playing with a rookie didn't stop him from scoring. If Miller can keep up with St. Louis and Hagelin I think that line would be just dandy. Hopefully Miller is invited to spend some time with St. Louis up in CT this summer, that way he'll come into camp in much better shape.

Yeah, that, or maybe he'll show up to camp two weeks early like the rest of his teammates this year?

 

[BobMarleyNYR]

This post is so pathetically misinformed it doesn't deserve a thought out response.

You think Zuccarello is spectacular and Kreider isn't/won't be. Tells me all I need to know.


They aren't the Rangers so it doesn't count.

Wow, what a *******...

Kreider is looking good, I'm just not sure he threw up any blinders that he's gonna be a 40 goal guy... MZA was our best forward for most of the season.

I'll maintain, we draft average, but you can only draft well or poorly. Average = poorly.

 

[BobMarleyNYR]

Lundqvist Staal Stepan Kreider Hagelin and Moore were all drafted by the rangers. Best goalie in the world, 1C, promising PWF, fastest player in the league and one of the best depth guys in the league. Half of our top 6 is made of our draft picks. A top 3 player in franchise history was our draft pick. And a guy who could be a legit #1 on some teams was drafted by us. How the hell is that poor drafting?

Stepan is not a 1C at this point. I'll give you Lundqvist, bur he's no longer the best. Top 3-5, easily. You're right on Kreider, Hagelin. Drafting a good depth guy isn't good drafting, plus that was like 14 years ago. Our top-six, sum of all parts, is not good enough offensively (subject to change).

Leetch? He was drafted in like '89... Talbot could be a good pick.

You're not making your case. We haven't drafted well enough for 3 decades. Plain and simple.

 

[JESSEWENEEDTOCOOK]

Wow, what a *******...

Kreider is looking good, I'm just not sure he threw up any blinders that he's gonna be a 40 goal guy... MZA was our best forward for most of the season.

I'll maintain, we draft average, but you can only draft well or poorly. Average = poorly.

that makes no sense but k

 

[Raspewtin]

Wow, what a *******...

Kreider is looking good, I'm just not sure he threw up any blinders that he's gonna be a 40 goal guy... MZA was our best forward for most of the season.

I'll maintain, we draft average, but you can only draft well or poorly. Average = poorly.

This post made a lot of sense and included plenty of compelling arguments as to why we drafted poorly. Good going.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

Do not want Stastny.

 

[Machinehead]

If we wanna keep this team together I don't see room for any of them. Zuccarello and Stralman need to be signed before we do anything else.

 

[JohnC]

Stepan is not a 1C at this point. I'll give you Lundqvist, bur he's no longer the best. Top 3-5, easily. You're right on Kreider, Hagelin. Drafting a good depth guy isn't good drafting, plus that was like 14 years ago. Our top-six, sum of all parts, is not good enough offensively (subject to change).

Leetch? He was drafted in like '89... Talbot could be a good pick.

You're not making your case. We haven't drafted well enough for 3 decades. Plain and simple.

If you're gonna try to have everyone believe you know what you're talking about you should at least try to get some things right. Talbot wasn't even a draft pick

 

[InHenrikWeTrust]

Theres no way in hell I'm giving Paul Stastny 6.5-7 mil dollars for someone ranked 44th in point production this year.

 

[jerseyjinx94]

Lundqvist Staal Stepan Kreider Hagelin and Moore were all drafted by the rangers. Best goalie in the world, 1C, promising PWF, fastest player in the league and one of the best depth guys in the league. Half of our top 6 is made of our draft picks. A top 3 player in franchise history was our draft pick. And a guy who could be a legit #1 on some teams was drafted by us. How the hell is that poor drafting?

Also Callahan we turned into MSL, Dubinsky/Anisimov into Nash.

People see "oh we acquired them" - yeah, but we had to give value, and that value came from players we drafted, most of them in the middle rounds.

 

[offdacrossbar]

Theres no way in hell I'm giving Paul Stastny 6.5-7 mil dollars for someone ranked 44th in point production this year.

You wouldn't have a shot at him if he were top 10. colo would lock him up long term. Game over.

The other options pretty much either cost too much in terms of players or picks or aren't better than what we have now. Not sure the sabres are willing to just give us grigorenko.

look, we are in a bad place up the middle. We have no true 1c and we have a guy like Nash who's done zero when it counts. Nash needs a real creative centerman to make him effective. Believe what you want but step isn't that guy. Nor is brass. Miller. Nope. Moore didn't work.

guess what. Stasny may well be our only option. He's not perfect. He's not a sniper but he is very smart and has excellent top end skills and he plays very solid defense. His 2 way game is solid and he can put up points while shutting down opposing 1c's and that's saying something. He would be our most creative centerman and best 2 way pivot we've had in a long time.


He would most certainly center Nash and kreider allowing stepan to play with hags and Msl and hopefully we keep the 3rd line in tact.

Nash staz kreider
Hags step Msl
Zuke brash poo

Be real. That's a solid top 9.

 

[Inferno]

Grabovski @ 2 years for 4.2M per Year >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Stastny @ 7 Years for 6.75M per year.

and you know both those are realistic contracts.

 

[Fugazy]

Grabovski @ 2 years for 4.2M per Year >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Stastny @ 7 Years for 6.75M per year.

and you know both those are realistic contracts.

Completely agree. That kind of deal for Stastny would be nothing short of disastrous.

 

[offdacrossbar]

Grabovski @ 2 years for 4.2M per Year >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Stastny @ 7 Years for 6.75M per year.

and you know both those are realistic contracts.

The better player costs more.

6.5x6 see if he bites and a legit chance to hoist a cup next 3 seasons.

 

[SupersonicMonkey*]

The better player costs more.

6.5x6 see if he bites and a legit chance to hoist a cup next 3 seasons.

The only thing is who gets sacrificed.

I hope we don't become a top-heavy team the way we were last year (12-13 season). Not coincidently, we were a deep team in 11-12 and got to the ECF, and a deep team this season and got to the SCF.

So the team's core has proven that if it has enough built around it, they can get far.

 

[offdacrossbar]

Completely agree. That kind of deal for Stastny would be nothing short of disastrous.

Some numbers

2013 numbers So before his very strong 2014 season but career ppg

.852

That's a very good number.

And Hes a very strong defensive player and can shut down opposing 1c's while centering the first line. Very valuable talent there.

Like I said, I'm waiting for options that make us better and make rick Nash better other than sign a cheaper and worse player who's not much better than what we have now.

We have no brad Richards anymore.

 

[Inferno]

The better player costs more.

6.5x6 see if he bites and a legit chance to hoist a cup next 3 seasons.

personally i think hes marginally better.

 

[offdacrossbar]

The only thing is who gets sacrificed.

I hope we don't become a top-heavy team the way we were last year (12-13 season). Not coincidently, we were a deep team in 11-12 and got to the ECF, and a deep team this season and got to the SCF.

So the team's core has proven that if it has enough built around it, they can get far.

3 yr window.

Hanks got 3 more yrs.

We were close last year. Our 1c was demoted to the 4th line. Our 2c played 1c kinda. Our 4c tried to play 1c.

We are a mess up the middle. Options aren't plentiful. Love jt miller but is he ready ? Let him play wing on the 4th line ?

We need more offense for the 1c and a better 2 way player. Excellent face off guy. Stasny

We need better balance up the pipe. Step to the 2 and brash stays with the 3. Stasny.

We need to get Rick Nash rolling. Stasny.

 

[Tawnos]

Some numbers

2013 numbers So before his very strong 2014 season but career ppg

.852

That's a very good number.

And Hes a very strong defensive player and can shut down opposing 1c's while centering the first line. Very valuable talent there.

Like I said, I'm waiting for options that make us better and make rick Nash better other than sign a cheaper and worse player who's not much better than what we have now.

We have no brad Richards anymore.

I take issue with your presentation of those numbers. It's more important to look at it this way.

First 4 years: 0.963 PPG
Last 4 years: 0.734 PPG

Your post presents him as a somewhat consistent 70 point guy, when the reality is that he was an 80 point guy and is now a 60 point guy.

 

[Inferno]

I take issue with your presentation of those numbers. It's more important to look at it this way.

First 4 years: 0.963 PPG
Last 4 years: 0.734 PPG

Your post presents him as a somewhat consistent 70 point guy, when the reality is that he was an 80 point guy and is now a 60 point guy.

and arguably playing with MUCH better talent now than before.

he looked awful in the olympics.
havent been impressed with him at all.

Grabo is essentially a 50 point player...and you can get him MUCH cheaper, with giving him fewer years. i wish we signed him last year.

 

[offdacrossbar]

I take issue with your presentation of those numbers. It's more important to look at it this way.

First 4 years: 0.963 PPG
Last 4 years: 0.734 PPG

Your post presents him as a somewhat consistent 70 point guy, when the reality is that he was an 80 point guy and is now a 60 point guy.

Body of work.

Look who he played with 3 seasons ago. Stiffs. Colo was a bad team.

Last year he had talent with him and was rock solid. Had a productive season in all scoring numbers and played a shutdown role. Solid playoffs.

Corsi off the charts.

Add him to Nash and kreider and both those guys run wild. He can take d zone face offs, play the pk and pp as well.

He's expensive but so are maseratis.

And again, do we like step, brash and miller as the 1 2 and 3?

 

[Tawnos]

and arguably playing with MUCH better talent now than before.

he looked awful in the olympics.
havent been impressed with him at all.

Grabo is essentially a 50 point player...and you can get him MUCH cheaper, with giving him fewer years. i wish we signed him last year.

I mean, to be fair, his drop in production did coincide with the arrival of Matt Duchene, first, and the development of Ryan O'Reilly, second. His ice time has definitely been diminished.

I worry about signing a guy on the cusp of 30 (he'll be 29 in December) to a long term deal when he's already not a great skater and already seen a production dip.