Tell me about it.
Kreider Stepan Zuccarello
Nash Zibanejad Buchnevich
Vesey Hayes Miller
Grabner Jooris Fast
Hrivik
Lindberg on IR
would be fun to watch!
I think something very close to that could start the season. Much faster line-up... much deeper and versatile.
I'd go with:
Nash-Stepan-Buch
Kreider-Zibbs-Zucc
Miller-Hayes-Vesey
Grabner-Jooris-Fast
Hrivk-Gerbe
Switch the D-Zone coverage to zone. Rangers only have two great skaters in the back end.
McD-Klein
Staal-Skjei
Holden-McIlrath
Girardi
Clendening
With Clendening mostly playing in HFD/Gerbe getting some time there as well... some 4th line LW.
Rangers then make trades ~30-35 games into the season. This way some salaries are off-set. Teams having all kinds of starts... Teams out West and currently losing teams don't want to keep losing... they want to make the playoffs...
EKane for Staal becomes a package deal involving Lindberg... but the Rangers get a very good piece in Borgen in return... a kid with very low hockey miles on him... and longer track to the NHL... and a veteran 4th line NHLer that BUF signs as a PTO.
EKane gets moved to RW... he's a shot generating machine... but in many is the Vince Carter of the NHL or a Max Afiniginov... a guy that generates a lot of shots... but doesn't finish... Gets moved to the right side... snipes home a few more coming off his off wing.
Nash builds his value potting in 16 goals in at around the 38-42 game mark gets moved to ANA in what becomes a heart wrenching deal from ANA... and a gleefully sweet revisitation of the Gomez for McDonagh deal; except Nash looks filthy next to Getzlaf and Perry. He has fun playing hockey again.
Rangers get Depres who immediately falls into Chateau Doghouse de Carlyle. Shea Theodore... the real star in the deal.... think a young Keith Yandle... 19 Games 3 Goals 5 assists 8 Points Plus 7. ~19 minutes a game... and Cogliano... but the Rangers send back Fast... one of the better AHL rookies in Nieves/Fogarty or Graves... a player with real NHL upside... and perhaps a recently acquired pick... because the Rangers good 3 NHL players on deal cost controlled deals.
Kreider-Stepan-EKane
Miller-Zibbs-Zuc
Vesey-Hayes-Buch
Hrivik\Grabner/4th line vet/Cogliano-Jooris
Gerbe
Glass
McD-Klein
Depre-Skjei
Theodore-McIlrath
Holden-Girardi (IR)
That team is just one really good RD away from a long term contender.....