You guys are nuts.
This isn't a bottom 5 team, I'd find it hard to believe this is a bottom 10 team. The Rangers are a bubble team. We will either be just in or just out.
- Rick Nash could bounce back, he just had a killer 40 goal season with us just two seasons ago. If he doesn't, try a move at the deadline. If its the contract we want off the books, I'm sure Vegas could use a face for the franchise.
- Our penalty-killing and speed may very well be improved. Grabner, Gerbe.
- Our power-play will probably be worse.
- If Tanner Glass becomes our 13th, we'd arguably have better forward depth than last season.
- Buchnevich fills the void of Eric Staal, not that this is a hard void to fill.
- McDonagh, barring injury, probably puts up best points total yet this season.
- Girardi and Staal aren't the players we once knew, but they aren't AHL-quality eoither. They will always be overpaid, but they aren't useless.
- No, we do not have a puck moving defenseman, perhaps the biggest void we will miss from this past season.
- As unlikely as it is, Girardi and Staal can still be traded. Somehow. Give it time.
- Jimmy Vesey probably coming to the Northeast if Buffalo doesn't pan out. We got some dollar and room on the depth chart.
- Capitals, Panthers, Penguins, Lightning, and Red Wings only teams probably ahead of us. We are still in the mix with Islanders, Flyers, Devils, Sabres, and Bruins.
- Competing for the Cup at this moment is a pipe dream. But Lundqvist will always give us the chance to make the playoffs. As long as he is our starting goaltender, we will not be far out from the playoffs.
- Can I get a "hell yeah" to Girardi and Staal bouncing back into being Top 4 defenseman!?
- Hayes no longer in sophomore slump. Miller avoids any kind of slump.
Nash - 68 Points
Stepan - 62 Points
Brassard - 55 Points
Zuccarello - 54 Points
Kreider - 47 Points
McDonagh - 45 Points
Miller - 43 Points
Hayes - 43 Points
Buchnevich - 41 Points
Grabner - 38 Points
Fast - 33 Points
Klein - 31 Points
Lindberg - 28 Points
Gerbe - 26 Points
Girardi - 24 Points
Staal - 20 Points
Holden - 17 Points
Jensen, Skjei, Hrivik, McIlrath, Glass, Clendening, Paliotta, Summers all rotating through the season for injuries and lineup changes.
Lets have a fun season here. Watch the recent graduates of Miller, Fast, Lindberg, Buchnevich, Skjei, McIlrath, Jensen continue to progress. I think we often forget these are all guys that just graduated to NHL within just 2-3 seasons.
Not trade away a first round pick.
Keep pushing for a Girardi/Staal move.
