Our forward talent has never been optimal, even during that year, but the 2014 Rangers, as a sum of their parts, played my favorite hockey of any team ever. Give them a couple of legit stars like Panarin and Fox and they win back to back Cups.
Zibanejad would change the ingredients too much. I'd prefer to just add a bit to a roster that I know works.
so I'm gonna with the criteria that a player had to play a majority of the season with the team (so not just a deadline acquisition) and using the peak season of that individual player in that time frame.
Zadorov over Girard and Kuemper over Blackwood. For 4th line minutes I'd swap Compher for Calvert, or if we get the luxury of a goon, it has to go to Cody McLeod.
No HMs - no one else sniffs these guys. it's such an obvious D.
Schneider (12-13)
Demko (23-24)
HM: Markstrom (19-20), Miller (one of the seasons).
HM list is much longer for forwards because I think there's arguments to be made about pulling different guys out and putting different guys in. Lindholm over Blueger is a big one, but I don't know, I genuinely think Blueger played better last year. I wanted to ensure there were enough righties. You could maybe make the argument that it would be smart to add one more PKer in there at the expense of Garland in the top nine. I don't think Garland fits with either of the top six lines, and maybe Hansen would be a more versatile option. Just thought his playmaking would be good for that line and that I valued that more than having another PKer.
Dorsett, Roussel as pest options who were genuinely good in those seasons listed. Maybe you roll 11 forwards and have Kuzmenko as a late game + PP option.. he scored 40 goals so not having him as an HM seemed unjust, even though there's no world where I can fit him in unless it's running 11 forwards.
Toffoli was good for us in a small sample, but the team needs speed and there's better scorers available. Richardson was good for us, but Blueger's been good on a good team -- not a fault of Richardson, but just easier to gauge. Motte played at a 3rd line level and got 3rd line results out of a line with Lammikko and Highmore on a really bad team while providing speed and energy. Santorelli was fun during a really not-fun year. Taking the youngest version of Hansen. DeBrusk small sample but is a decent two way guy who can pot some goals.
PK units Kesler - Burrows, Blueger - Sherwood.
PP units would be nuts with the old 17/14/33/22 + Hronek, and then JT, Bo, Brock, EP, and Hughes.
I think the special teams considerations were big for me. Mix of righties, lefties, guys who are actually good at the roles they're in. Faceoffs.
At evens, there's two lines I'd put in more favourable positions and two lines I'd lean towards throwing into the more defensive roles. But the top three lines all capable of dominating in the offensive zone for sustained periods and putting up points at evens.
HM list on defense.. none of the guys I thought of sniff the lineup so there isn't one. Everyone else in the lineup is way better.
HM for goalies... Markstrom was good for us, and Ryan Miller played well for us as well.
Pretty similar to mine. I ended up leaving Kes off because he was injured most of 12-13 and wasn’t quite himself in 13-14. Felt he might have prickled at being lower on the depth chart as well, though he was obviously a top 12 forward still in terms of ability.
Fair point on the righties though and that’s something Kesler adds. I ended up adding Hansen instead. I feel like even with Kes I’d keep Hansen and play Kes and Horvat as the bottom 2 centers over Blueger though. I like Blueger but I think Hansen’s just the better player and also has some chemistry with the Sedins if Burrows is slumping. I was also torn on rookie Boeser or Covid year Boeser. He was a more rounded player in ‘21 but was never the same shooter as he was as a rookie and I like that on the team given there’s a lot of more rounded players here.
For the defense, I think Garrison was really good his first year here and arguably better than Bieksa in this time period. He’s a lefty but played a lot of the right. You might be right to add Juice though as he was a natural righty and had chemistry with Hamhuis. Also had some swagger/toughness otherwise missing on the back end.
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