Re-Tool or full on Rebuild?

[periferal]

The Rangers already traded all of the prospects and futures to win now. Where have you been?

exactly. weve gone for it. its over. the window is closed. Go get me some top 5 draft picks and let's let Gordie work his magic.

They've traded a lot of futures, but not ALL futures. There's more blood to get form the stone. If you don't believe that then you should be advocating trading Lunqvist and also not complaining when it happens.

 

[Vinny DeAngelo]

NYR said it best themselves... It's not a rebuild or retool. It's an infusion of youth... Aka Moore and Boyle out and more of mcilrath Lindberg buch and hrivik

 

[ltrangerfan]

Here's my view:

For the time being....The Rangers are not rebuilding but will simply attempt to go back few years in time.

Bring in some youth on D.

Move anyone that can't play a Defensive first game.

I suspect the goal will be to go back to 2-2 games and hope Lundy can win more than his share. The uptempo will vanish.

Can this be done with an aging D?

I'll probably change my mind after the next move but that's how I feel as of now.

 

[Brooklyn Rangers Fan]

They've traded a lot of futures, but not ALL futures. There's more blood to get form the stone. If you don't believe that then you should be advocating trading Lunqvist and also not complaining when it happens.

People say this as if it's some kind of threat to those of us in the rebuild camp. Just for the record, in case it wasn't clear, I would have NO problem trading Hank for a decent return now that I see a true rebuild is necessary.

I've been a Rangers fan for over 30 years now, and I learned long ago that it's about the name on the front of the sweater not the name on the back. Honestly, I was a lot more heartsick seeing guys like James Patrick and Darren Turcotte moved than I ever have been about anyone since. I mean, ****, I saw this team trade Brian Leetch, and you know what my thought was about THAT deal? It was several years too late. Had they only moved him earlier, a) they could've gotten a LOT more for him, and b) poor Brian might have had a real shot to win a cup. But no, as always, they (and by they, in this case I mean Slats), held on to him waaay too long, making more and more desperate ill-considered Hail Marys until it finally fell apart on an epic scale that took damn near a decade to recover from.

Unfortunately, it now looks like that recovery fell just a few games short. And now it's over. Time to rebuild before we wind up losing ANOTHER ten years.

And if Hank goes as part of that effort, God bless him - I hope he wins a cup wherever he goes and then comes back home to NYC after he retires, grateful for his career here AND the fact that the organization sent him where he could finally win before it was all said and done, just like the B's and Ray Borque.

 

[Inferno]

Same here..im totally fine with trading henrik

 

[KreiderHouseRules*]

A) Henrik would never waive his NMC/NTC.

B) NYR would never ask him to waive it, unless it's his final year and there's some Cup favorite that needs a goalie, and even then, see: A.

C) The trade value of goalies is putrid comparatively to their value to their respective teams. Especially nearly 9M dollar goalies.

There will be no fire sale rebuild. You can bank on that. It's simply not worth discussing. It's more likely that we re-sign Eric Staal than go full fire-sale (btw, the last fire-sale we had wasn't as successful as some "rebuilders" like to pretend most rebuilds are (truth: most are unsuccessful).

This is the last time I'm saying it:

This team has a good core and is much closer to getting back to the SCF than being a basement-dweller lottery team. A few smart moves brings us right back. Not "go for it - all in" moves; moves that DO get us younger and faster, but not in terms of gutting a core that's won more playoff games than any team in the last four seasons except Chicago.

A few smart moves.

Pittsburgh literally JUST did that exact thing. They lost in 5 games in round 1 just like we did. They made a few tweaks, got younger, eventually fired their coach and brought in Hagelin, committed to the team philosophy and kickstarted an incredible run.

It's possible.

 

[Ori]

I agree, we can`t sell away our core players - too much talent in my opinion.

 

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

I agree, we can`t sell away our core players - too much talent in my opinion.

If you're not selling (trading?) core players, you're really not changing anything....

 

[Off Sides]

Rangers core group does not include talents like Crosby, Malkin, Letang, Kessel. They also do not have the graduating prospects the Pens have who all took big steps recently.

Rangers may currently be closer to being the 3rd or 4th best team in the East than they are to the worst, but it's slipping.

 

[Edge]

At this point I don't think it's a question of whether the Rangers trade a few core players, as much as it's a question of which core players they end up moving.

In my mind, the only player has a zero percent chance of being moved is Lundqvist.

Everyone else remains a possibility --- even if it's remote.

 

[Tawnos]

Rangers core group does not include talents like Crosby, Malkin, Letang, Kessel. They also do not have the graduating prospects the Pens have who all took big steps recently.

Rangers may currently be closer to being the 3rd or 4th best team in the East than they are to the worst, but it's slipping.

While you're right about the elite talent, they don't really need the graduating prospects. There are 6 sure top-6 forwards on the team with the potential of having two more (Hayes and Buchnevich) depending on how things go this year. You have 10 forwards who can legitimately play in the top 9. Of those 10 players, only 3 are over the age of 26. The Rangers forward group is actually pretty young.

The two things that need to happen are addressing the mobility on defense and changing the MAKEUP of the forward group.

 

[True Blue]

One season of losing in the first round, after making the ECF three of four seasons prior.

To me that is what happens when a team comes to the other side of the bell curve. And if they are there, then it is very hard to get back up.

And we lost to the hottest team in the NHL and eventual cup champions.

That is true. However, the Rangers looked BAD. And they looked bad for most of the year. The opponent made no difference to that.

 

[True Blue]

Unfortunately, it now looks like that recovery fell just a few games short. And now it's over. Time to rebuild before we wind up losing ANOTHER ten years.

That's the frustration, BRF. Had they looked in the mirror, the Staal trade did not need to be made. Yandle could have been moved for a bevy of prospects and picks. Maybe Nash too. This team could have been in the same exact position that they are in RIGHT NOW and have restocked the system to a degree.

 

[Off Sides]

While you're right about the elite talent, they don't really need the graduating prospects. There are 6 sure top-6 forwards on the team with the potential of having two more (Hayes and Buchnevich) depending on how things go this year. You have 10 forwards who can legitimately play in the top 9. Of those 10 players, only 3 are over the age of 26. The Rangers forward group is actually pretty young.

The two things that need to happen are addressing the mobility on defense and changing the MAKEUP of the forward group.

I agree with you in a sense, but without the elite talent nothing else is going to naturally fall into place. (there will always be players playing on roles where other teams have better players playing in those roles, Their 2nd liners are more like what the Rangers are playing on their top line and their 3rd liners are more like what the Rangers are playing on their 2nd line)

 

[Brooklyn Rangers Fan]

That's the frustration, BRF. Had they looked in the mirror, the Staal trade did not need to be made. Yandle could have been moved for a bevy of prospects and picks. Maybe Nash too. This team could have been in the same exact position that they are in RIGHT NOW and have restocked the system to a degree.

Sigh. Yup.

Sunk cost though. And the situation is STILL salvageable with the assets they have, despite those mistakes. For the love of all that's holy, just don't compound the mistake by doing more of the same this season!

On that subject, the Yandle rights trade was a subtle, but good first step. As I've said in the roster building thread, I don't recall the last time the Rangers made a move like that (or even let a high profile, still-in-his-prime player get to UFA); usually they're the team on the other side, bidding on the guy once he gets to UFA. It seems like a sign that they're headed in the right direction. Let's hope it is...

 

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

That's the frustration, BRF. Had they looked in the mirror, the Staal trade did not need to be made. Yandle could have been moved for a bevy of prospects and picks. Maybe Nash too. This team could have been in the same exact position that they are in RIGHT NOW and have restocked the system to a degree.

I could have lived with the "let's give this group another kick at the can" mindset. But that's not what they did by making the Staal trade.

 

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

At this point I don't think it's a question of whether the Rangers trade a few core players, as much as it's a question of which core players they end up moving.

In my mind, the only player has a zero percent chance of being moved is Lundqvist.

Everyone else remains a possibility --- even if it's remote.

I have to wonder what the prevailing feeling is on McDonagh with the powers that be. Yes they gave him the "C", but I also can't think they're 100% with his evolution as a player.

 

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

Pittsburgh literally JUST did that exact thing. They lost in 5 games in round 1 just like we did. They made a few tweaks, got younger, eventually fired their coach and brought in Hagelin, committed to the team philosophy and kickstarted an incredible run.

It's possible.

They also have 2 players who are worlds better than anyone the Rangers have.....

 

[Inferno]

They also have 2 players who are worlds better than anyone the Rangers have.....

Three..I'd definitely include kessel in that group.

Henrik is in the same breath but on the wrong side of 34...

 

[Tawnos]

I have to wonder what the prevailing feeling is on McDonagh with the powers that be. Yes they gave him the "C", but I also can't think they're 100% with his evolution as a player.

I've been thinking the same thing. And truthfully, I'm not thrilled with his performance, independent of his partner, over the last two years. He's been very good, but not the high impact #1 I was hoping he'd be.

Granted, he hasn't always been healthy either.

 

[Off Sides]

Three..I'd definitely include kessel in that group.

Henrik is in the same breath but on the wrong side of 34...

Agreed, which is why no matter what they do short of a true rebuild they will never have the potential to be as good as that team is.

They could maybe have better depth, better at one position here or there, but better overall than a team that has Crosby, Malkin, Kessel, Letang? Or the cores of several other teams?

It's right back to the anything can happen idea should they not be able to find a way to have elite talents and also have impact youth coming up all at the same time so they can fit all that under the cap all at the same time.

 

[TheTakedown]

I could have lived with the "let's give this group another kick at the can" mindset. But that's not what they did by making the Staal trade.

the sad part was that they already had a 3LW in Hagelin, whom the traded for along with a low 2nd for Etem and a high 2nd... They then turned around and traded 2 more 2nds + Sareela for Eric Staal to address not a SINGLE need, who ended up playing in the EXACT same position as Hagelin did--3LW...

In hindsight, it becomes Hagelin + Sareela + 2 2nd rounders for Gropp, Jensen, a 6th, and 3 months of Eric Staal. Lord god, have mercy. That's HORRENDOUS use of assets--this doesn't even begin to scratch how much of a better player Hagelin was compared to Staal

 

[True Blue]

For the love of all that's holy, just don't compound the mistake by doing more of the same this season!

You only say that because we have seen how this plays out before.

On that subject, the Yandle rights trade was a subtle, but good first step.

Agreed. But makes me gnash my teeth when I think of what his level of play at the deadline was and what that could have fetched.

 

[True Blue]

I could have lived with the "let's give this group another kick at the can" mindset. But that's not what they did by making the Staal trade.

Absolutely. To throw a way 2 2nd round picks and another prospect for a 3rd line center is absolutely unforgivable.

 

[NikC]

I could have lived with the "let's give this group another kick at the can" mindset. But that's not what they did by making the Staal trade.

Brian Compton mentioned that E.Staal felt very disenfranchised by the way he was used my the Rangers... as a wing, playing with Hayes. It's one thing to not like the trade, but misusing the acquisition only compounds the problem