Post-Game Talk: #12 - 11/06/21 | RANGERS @ flames | 10:00 - MSG

[tlk]

Oh absolutely. The issue is not Panarin, it's Panarin + Strome.

Heh, honestly can't even tell for sure if you're being sarcastic or not))

Either way, Strome is likely to ask more than we can realistically fit under the cap, so...

 

[Chimpradamus]

Well, for one thing, he's 30 now.

Slowing down after 2 career years would be expected more than not. The question is how much will he slow down and how quickly?

I always projected him being elite for much longer and even when he falls off probably still being a top line or top 6 quality option.

But at the same time, the fanbase (well, management really) needs to realize that you can't count on a 30 year old to be the centerpiece of multiple Cup runs when your team hasn't even made the playoffs yet because your supporting players are still 20 years old.

Panarin is and always has been (or should have been) acquired as a hold-over while our kids develop, to take the pressure off them, to be their set-up man, and to then be an elite complimentary piece once the kids are ready. But instead the organization made the boneheaded decision that Panarin was going to be the leader of Cup runs and we had some sort of mandate to win right this second with him as our ace.

Except he was the best player in Columbus with a star goalie there and that didn't work out so well for them. Not sure why management thought it was a great idea to try to replicate that. Obviously the idea was to have a better supporting cast than Columbus, except WE DON'T HAVE A BETTER SUPPORTING CAST because it's still too young and hasn't developed yet, and by time it does Panarin won't be all-world Panarin anymore most likely.

It's why they NEVER should have rushed to try to "win while Panarin is elite." That won't work here anymore than it worked with Columbus. Every move should have been about bracing up to win more along the lines of Panarin's 5th-6th-7th years of his contract. It's why they should have traded Kreider for Robertson and a first. It's why they should have CONSIDERED trading Zibanejad. It's why Strome should have been moved for a first already, hopefully he will be at this deadline.

They needed to continue to stockpile and go all-in on Panarin plus an eventual core of Fox, Kakko, Laf, Shesterkin, KAM, Lundkvist, Robertson (from Stars), Schneider, and they should have moved heaven and earth to get some centers from their more recent picks... ie what they would have gotten from trading Kreider, what they should have targeted from a Buch trade (as Edge has suggested there were better value offers for Buch except we preferred the win-now acquisition of Blais), the absolute haul they might have been able to get for Zibanejad etc.

Yeah, there'd be no chance they'd be winning the Cup now, but they'd be absolutely loaded for the next decade.

Instead we are sitting here with no clear window for now OR later.

Can't disagree with much of this, an excellent post. I completely agree in your main point, the timing is so off in the integral parts of this team. I even think the timing to call a rebuild was off (Vigneault's system was shit for this team!), but oh well. So yeah, this team won't win a Cup in the near - and probably far - future.

And that will certainly hold true with Drury as the GM. I mean, Drury? Holy hell... not that he's much worse than most other GM clowns, but that doesn't exactly inspire confidence of a guy who knows how to play chess. You need a strategic GM, not a tactical GM, all the time. Drury is NOT strategic, I can guarantee that. He's the top manager, not a leader. He's welcome to prove me wrong.

 

[CLW]

Oh absolutely. The issue is not Panarin, it's Panarin + Strome.

Might as well play Hunt RW with Panarin and Strome. Panarin and Kakko would work with a real center that plays a fast game through the middle, or a heavy game, or a structured gamed, preferably all three. Strome does none of those, so they can't cycle and put physical pressure on the opponents and they can't counter attack or break quickly through the neutral zone. If Panarin wants to play with Strome I can understand why he wants a physical wrecking ball on RW, just send in someone to create havoc so Strome and Panarin can pick up lose pucks and create offense.

Kakko is a thinker who wants to play a structured game but it just doesn't work with Strome as C. Kakko models much of his game on Rantanen, who plays with Landeskog and MacKinnon one of the best cycling, high pressure lines in hockey when they have their game going. Panarin and Strome don't play that kind of game. That's not even saying the Kakko's way is correct and Panarin and Strome's is wrong, it's just different approaches. But trying to mix these different approaches just doesn't work very well.

The third option is if Panarin and Kakko played with a high energy, high speed wrecking ball center to create space for them, but the Rangers doesn't have that type either. So here we are with this strangely mismatched line that the coaches/management insist on playing for whatever reason.

Having said all that, the Panarin - Strome - Kakko line can still be made to work, because they are talented players, but all three of them will have to adapt their games a bit. If the coaches want to go that way we will have to be patient with that line until it finds it's stride.

 

[Shesterkybomb]

I was looking too, and guess what Panarin started to pass more in the Edmonton game. It was much better in the Calgary game, definitely something to build on, but before that in Seattle and Vancouver it was obvious. No doubt Gallant had a few points to make after the Vancouver game.

Thats not true and hasnt been true. When Kakko is open he gets the pass. They arent looking at him like he has no arms. Its stuff like this silly stupid made up stuff that drives me about this board. Theres bound to be games he doesnt get as many passes and most times that will be because he wasnt open or the player thought they had a better play. Its ridiculously dumb to think they wouldn't pass to him on purpose.