With how stacked next year's draft is...do we tank for one more year or try to make the playoffs?

[FoxyClean]

Looks to be one of the deepest drafts in recent years, adding a guy like Lafreniere, Byfield, Raymond, Lundell, etc. would be the final piece in building a long term contender.

Do you guys support one more season of mediocrity or do you want us to try to make the playoffs?

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[aufheben]

You can be mediocre and make the playoffs. Last season was not mediocre. I enjoyed it, but they finished at the bottom.

 

[FoxyClean]

You can be mediocre and make the playoffs. Last season was not mediocre. I enjoyed it, but they finished at the bottom.

Well then, do we spend one more year embracing the suck, or do we try to build a mediocre playoff team during the summer?

 

[STHLM]

Tank. Finish bottom 6 and draft another franchise player in Holtz/Raymond/Lafreniere/Byfield/Lundell/Gunler

 

[aufheben]

The roster is going to be 98% kids, so no, I don't want them to suck. Kind of defeats the whole purpose of drafting Lewhoever.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Has this team really improved though?

We lost Zuccarello and Hayes. We added Trouba and Kakko. I don't think the upgrade on defense makes up for the glaring holes on offense.

 

[tradenashnow]

Ironic, what's amazing is you completely left out how second year players like DeAngelo, Howden, Chytil, Lemieux and Andersson are likely to improve. I don't put Hayes anywhere near Kakko's talent. Even with Kakko being a rookie. Hayes was not overly impressive in his time here. Inconsistent and consistently passing up high quality shots despite the coach telling him not to do it.

 

[wolfgaze]

Hopefully we can acquire another 2nd rounder or two at the trade deadline... If Kreider is still on the roster, then hopefully a 1st rounder...

 

[darko]

We are still a bottom-10 team next season. Probably closer to 5 than 10.

 

[Machinehead]

It'll be the same as last year.

This team sucks but they won't be a total shitshow to the point where it affects the whole atmosphere of the team.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

It'll be the same as last year.

This team sucks but they won't be a total ****show to the point where it affects the whole atmosphere of the team.

If we lose in regulation a bit more, we are guaranteed a top-5 pick

 

[Uglybstrd]

Like last season I just want them to play relentless hockey. They never gave up and was competative most games, a lot of 1 goal games. Even if they had the least ROW in the league I enjoyed watching them.
Development is the key word next year.
If that results in us making the playoffs then so be it. If not they have a good chance to draft a good player, or be in good position to trade up in the draft (if they finish with a pick in the teens).

 

[tradenashnow]

This team might make the playoffs if they sign Panarin. Don't underestimate what Kakko can do as a rookie. This is not a 160 pound child like Hughes. This kid is a man, physically ready for the NHL. You add 2 guys like that to your roster and get a full, behavioral mature year from DeAngelo, this team can win a lot more than last year. Despite their record last year, they lost a ton of one goal games. Blowing many in the third period.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

This team might make the playoffs if they sign Panarin. Don't underestimate what Kakko can do as a rookie. This is not a 160 pound child like Hughes. This kid is a man, physically ready for the NHL. You add 2 guys like that to your roster and get a full, behavioral mature year from DeAngelo, this team can win a lot more than last year. Despite their record last year, they lost a ton of one goal games. Blowing many in the third period.

We lost 120 points in Zuccarello and Hayes. Can Panarin and Kakko make up for that? If Kakko hits 50 points, sure. Assuming the rookies develop a bit more, we can count on some more points from then there's also the decline of others. I don't think the difference is going to be that noticeable in terms of points because I don't think we will have as many OTL's as last season

 

[Uglybstrd]

We lost 120 points in Zuccarello and Kreider. Can Panarin and Kakko make up for that? If Kakko hits 50 points, sure. Assuming the rookies develop a bit more, we can count on some more points from then there's also the decline of others. I don't think the difference is going to be that noticeable in terms of points because I don't think we will have as many OTL's as last season

Guess you meant Zuccarello and Hayes?

Extracting them and Kreider (if they deal him) is close to 180 pts so even if we add Panarin its gonna be tough to make up for it.

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Guess you meant Zuccarello and Hayes?

Extracting them and Kreider (if they deal him) is close to 180 pts so even if we add Panarin its gonna be tough to make up for it.

Sorry, yes

 

[RGY]

Hate the idea of Tanking. Hate it.

Ice a competitive team and let the chips fall where they may. Dont throw these kids to the wolves screwing with their development for something that is not a given with the lottery system

 

[Kocur Dill]

I believe Quinn won't let them bottom out on purpose.

I don't think the rebuild is over.

I feel Kreider is in control of his future here. At the right price NYR co signs the contract tomorrow. Keep playing coy, and I think Gorts tries to catch lightning in a bottle like Sakic did and Kreider is gone before camp. That will be where our shot at another potential lotto pick comes from.

 

[Ghost of jas]

This team isn't going to be purposefully tanking. They're just not going to be very good. They're likely to be in the 4-8 range again. Ottawa and Detroit will still suck, but, I could see LA rebounding, and Jersey gets a big boost on D adding Subban, plus a motivated and healthy Hall. Buffalo, who knows? Someone unforeseen will drop...Columbus? Minnesota? People seem to forget that, after the trades os Hayes and Zuccarello, the Rangers were in the running with Buffalo for the worst record over that span. I still think a Panarin signing is at best 40/60, so if he doesn't come here AND Kreider and Vesey are moved, you're talking about another 90 points to replace on top of the loss of Hayes and Zuccarello. But, give Kakko and Kravtsov a year to get acclimated to the NHL, another year of growth from Chytil and year where Buchnevich solidifies his game, and 2020-21 becomes the year this team is ready to hit the ground running.

 

[HFsNumber1Heel]

We often see NHL teams who play more than the sum of their parts with lesser rosters than this squad. Look at the 2010-11 Rangers. That team was carried by a really good second line, an HOF goalie, and two D pairs on which the second paid had one who was playing his first NHL season and the other only called up in January.

It depends on the moves they make come the next few weeks, will Strome be last year's version, and what happens with the D.

 

[Synergy27]

A resounding yes. If not outright tank, avoid a situation in which we are buying at the deadline at all costs.

 

[SML2]

I think this will be a better team than people expect. Tanking implies intentional losses. We didn't even tank last year. We just didn't win a lot. The team battled from the first game to the last. This season is wide open opportunity with young talented players who can seize it. If we wind up in the lottery again, I won't be sad, but if we make the playoffs it would be a good thing. I haven't been this excited for the puck to drop in years.

 

[Doctyl]

We absolutely shouldn’t be buyers or trying to contend this year, but I would really like to avoid an Edmonton culture.

 

[Ghost of jas]

We absolutely shouldn’t be buyers or trying to contend this year, but I would really like to avoid an Edmonton culture.

Between Quinn and the overall approach of management, I just don't that as the case. For one thing, I don't see them having tom overpay people to come here. Based on last alone, you can see that Quinn has kept the team competitive. The problem is that the development stage of the talent level is still very early. And, most of the talent expected to be the core of this rebuild has yet to play a game as a Ranger. It's not an overnight process, but, it's also on schedule, at least with to the talent that's been accumulated.

 

[eco's bones]

The idea of tanking should be antithetical. You always try to win and Quinn certainly looks at it that way. I expect improvement from second year players and I wouildn't overplay the idea that Zucc and Hayes and maybe even Kreider aren't going to be here. Kreider goes if Panarin comes. Panarin's the better player and it's not even close. The thing is that we don't know what the Rangers are going to do in free agency. Last year they did nothing--but last year isn't this year. To me Panarin is the guy but there might be someone else or if we don't get Panarin we'll probably keep Kreider at least until the deadline and maybe (maybe not) add other pieces.

I don't think the Rangers are going to be satisfied not seeing real progress and Trouba should help the D immensely. We have a guy who can take charge of the D now.

I would also say--I've been actively watching the Rangers since the 71-72 (and yeah that kind of dates me) but in all that time I've never seen the Rangers bringing in so much talent in one off season--Kakko, Trouba, Kravtsov, Fox, Shestyorkin, Rykov and who knows maybe even Panarin. Mostly rookies but each one of those pieces is a huge get and the talent of the team has been boosted enormously. So the idea of wanting these guys to lose like last year or worse and gamble on the spin of a ball in a lottery machine is just a bad idea.