Speculation: Roster Building Thread Part XI: We can read between the lines

[kovazub94]

Nash for SJs 1st.

Zucc to Ottawa for their 1st and 18’ + 19’ 3rd.

Grabner, Jimmy Vesey and Tony DeAngelo for Jesse Puljujarvi.

Smith to Winnipeg for

Buy-out Staal.

Sign Tavares, Atkinson and Gryba

Trade our three 2018 1st and 2019 1st for a top 5 pick in 18’. Draft Brady Tkachuk.

Kreider-Tavares-Buch //Top line.
Ziba-Lias-Puljujarvi //Laine (Ziba)-Aho (Lias)-Pulju
Miller-Chytil-Atkinson //Chytil with two strong 2-way guys.
B Tkachuk-Hayes-Fast //Best 4th on a contender since Anaheim had young Getzlad-Perry on the 4th.
McD-Gryba
Skjei-Shatty
Graves-Pionk
Kampfer
Hank

Thoughts? Bern?

Definitely Bern! ; )

 

[Savant]

Yes. Starting to feel the same. Lock up Grabner with a 1 or 2 year deal.

No problem with that at all if his contract demands are reasonable. It’s entirely possible that he is a late bloomer as well.

 

[Savant]

With losing Rick Nash and Grabner most likely this offseason, any interest in Ilya Kovalchuk?

Not a lot.

Rangers need to resign their RFAs with the Nash money (and other UFAs expiring; maybe Staal buyout) and see what is left over. I doubt it’s enough for Kovalchuk though. Especially if the Rangers need to replace Nash and Staal in the lineup. Graves might be able to play third pairing but Graves is the only remotely NHL ready LHD that they have However the Rangers have no wingers in the pipeline that can step up to Nash’s role.

 

[Mac n Gs]

Spezza is great so yes I would do that. Can't imagine Dallas even considering it though.

What’s with the Spezza hate going on lately? He’s in a scoring slump, but still playing good hockey. I’d take him for one more year as a vet presence that can slot in at 2 or 3C. He’d be the righty option for the 2nd powerplay unit that you mentioned yesterday

 

[SA16]

What’s with the Spezza hate going on lately? He’s in a scoring slump, but still playing good hockey. I’d take him for one more year as a vet presence that can slot in at 2 or 3C. He’d be the righty option for the 2nd powerplay unit that you mentioned yesterday

The coach for some reason gives him 13 mins a game and plays Devin Shore on the top PP unit over him. He's always been an extremely elite possession player (and remains that way this year with a 58 CF% to lead the team) and is still a great scorer with 63 points two years ago and 50 in 68 games last year. If Spezza was on this team he would quite possible be the best forward we have.

And as you say he would be a huge help to get another righty on the 2nd PP unit (and he's really good on the PP)

 

[RGY]

I’d be ok with Spezza too

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Well if you trade our entire team for him what kind of talent are you going to put around him? You couldn't do it anyway they couldn't handle all the extra contracts or the cap.

Seriously though I think it would cost us two of these three guys--Buchnevich, Skjei, Chytil + at least one first rounder and maybe a couple more assets beyond--maybe Shesterkin or maybe Buffalo would swap out one of Buchnevich, Skjei and Chytil for Zibanejad. Which is to say expect 3--maybe 4 of our best younger assets to go the other way.

That was an exaggeration. I'd trade any 2 or 3 pieces they want. Very good but not great players aren't easy to replace but teams can do it, acquiring franchise players is a different story. Teams rarely can do that.

 

[Mac n Gs]

While the hot button item has been the Finn taken at the beginning of round 1 of the 2016 draft, how can we get the other Finn taken at the end of the first round?

Henrik Borgstrom is off to another sick start for Denver with 17 points in 9 games. Only 20 years old with size and unbelievable skill. 6’3 and 190 now. He’s been putting on mass year by year

 

[haohmaru]

With losing Rick Nash and Grabner most likely this offseason, any interest in Ilya Kovalchuk?

I'd rather keep Nash and Grabner > Kovalsuck

 

[Fitzy]

Kovalchuk, and his likely price/risk, really only make sense if we didn't already have Mika and Shattenkirk's hammer-time RHS on the power play.

Otherwise, the guy doesn't offer much, and if we were planning on bending the cap to bring back an aging star in their 30's I'd just as soon it be a more complete player in Nash.

6 mil for a one-way player who might top out at 25-30 goals isn't a great investment.

 

[I Eat Crow]

While the hot button item has been the Finn taken at the beginning of round 1 of the 2016 draft, how can we get the other Finn taken at the end of the first round?

Henrik Borgstrom is off to another sick start for Denver with 17 points in 9 games. Only 20 years old with size and unbelievable skill. 6’3 and 190 now. He’s been putting on mass year by year

I've been on the Borgstrom train since last year. Wanted him if we dealt Nash to Florida. Still do, but it's unlikely that they'll deal him now.

It's funny, because the Rangers taking Chytil reminds me of Florida picking him. Looked like a reach on draft day, but not so much a few months after the draft.

 

[Beacon]

I just called the police to report Bern hacking into Ola's HF account.

Ok I’ll re do it.

Trade this season:
Grabner, Vesey and Tony DeAngelo for Puljujarvi

EDM get a PPQB, and two wingers that helps them now.

Sell before the deadline:
Nash for a 1st
Zucc for a 1st and two 3rds
Smith for anything

Buy-out:
Marc Staal

Trade at draft:
Our 3x1sts in 2018 plus 1st in 19’ for a top 5 1st in 2018. Draft Bradley Tkachuk.

UFA signings:
John Tavares 7x13
Cam Atkinson 6x6
Eric Gryba 2.5m per 3 years

RFAs
Miller 5.5
Skjei 5.5
Hayes 4.5

Lineup:
Kreider-Tavares-Buch
Ziba-Lias-Puljujarvi
Miller-Chytil-Atkinson
Tkachuk-Hayes-Fast
McD-Gryba
Skjei-Shatty
Graves-Pionk

1 mil in capspace

 

[Oscar Lindberg]

While the hot button item has been the Finn taken at the beginning of round 1 of the 2016 draft, how can we get the other Finn taken at the end of the first round?

Henrik Borgstrom is off to another sick start for Denver with 17 points in 9 games. Only 20 years old with size and unbelievable skill. 6’3 and 190 now. He’s been putting on mass year by year

100% down for this

Borgstrom is gonna be a solid NHLer. Not sure what Florida would want though

 

[Beacon]

According to our favorite NYR news aggregate, SNY, the team has told Zucc he isn't going anywhere.

https://www.sny.tv/rangers/news/mats-zuccarello-has-been-told-he-isnt-going-anywhere/261694298

The day the Rangers traded Norstrom, I received the Blueshirt Bulletin. I listened to 20/20 sports and found out he was just traded along with Ferraro for Kurri, McSorley and Churla. Then I picked up the Blueshirt Bulletin which discussed with Norstrom the fact that Neil Smith just told him he'll never be traded and Norstrom was saying he looks forward to spending many years in New York. So much for GM's promises.

 

[kovazub94]

Not a lot.

Rangers need to resign their RFAs with the Nash money (and other UFAs expiring; maybe Staal buyout) and see what is left over. I doubt it’s enough for Kovalchuk though. Especially if the Rangers need to replace Nash and Staal in the lineup. Graves might be able to play third pairing but Graves is the only remotely NHL ready LHD that they have However the Rangers have no wingers in the pipeline that can step up to Nash’s role.

Kovalchuk has been putting up great numbers this season. Renaissance or a swan song? Assuming the former and that he's earned a ton of money in his career already, would you rather give a $4+ mil per deal to him or Nash? Again, assuming both would agree to a contract?

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

Basic offseason:

What I'd like to see happen is trade Nash, Grabner, Holden, Vesey for starters. That much seems simple and obvious. The first three UFA's, the last one an RFA I wouldn't want to pay anything more than rookie minimum.

That leaves us with a foundation of this for next season

KZB
Chytil-Miller-Zucc
?-Hayes-?
?-Nieves-Fast

I think the bottom 6 is set. I think one of those Q's is going to need to be a UFA. We can't rely on three more rookies. Chytil should be here next season, the others, whether its Andersson, Virta, Lettieri, Gettinger, Gropp, I think we'll be lucky if two of them are ready for next season. And thats okay, we can sign a UFA or two for the bottom six. Is it possible that we get someone who can fill either a 3rd or 4th line from one of those trades? Maybe.

McD-Staal
Skjei-Shatty
Smith-DeAngelo
Graves

This is assuming that Staal continues to play well enough. If so, he's a good defensive option, doesn't need big minutes, but can play defensive situations and an ideal partner for McD. Skjei-Shatty seems to work very well. Smith needs to get his game together, give him a smaller role and see if he can find some consistency. DeAngelo should be a good partner for him. Graves needs to clear waivers next season, there probably isn't a spot for him in the lineup, but he'll get some games on that defense as a 7D. Bereglazov is gone, I don't at all buy the logic that he'll come back next year and compete for a spot. Maybe he'll come back, but I don't think he has any chance to compete for a spot. Pionk is waiting in the wings on the right side, but two years in Hartford wouldn't be terrible for him, even though he'll probably be ready after one.

Hank
Pavelec

This could be more complicated, but lets just assume this stays the same.

Rebuild offseason:

All those names above go, Nash, Holden, Grabner, Vesey, but we also entertain the idea of moving bigger names like McDonagh and Zuccarello, which would mean a complete rebuild. Maybe Kreider's name also comes up, possibly Smith and Shattenkirk are moved one year into their deals, Staal could potentially also be bought on. Could Hank be on the move? That would leave these as the only certainties and a lot of questions.

?-Zibanejad-Buchnevich
Miller-Chytil-?
?-Hayes-?
?-Nieves-Fast

Skjei-?
Graves-DeAngelo
?-Pionk

?
Pavelec

 

[SA16]

The team isn't rebuilding.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

The team isn't rebuilding.

Are you GM?

 

[Savant]

I don’t think Vesey is getting traded @Pavel Buchnevich

I think you are (lines subject to change, listed mostly by seniority) locked into:

20-93-89
10-13-36
26-FC-17
??-LA-??

If no other moves are made. Do I think the Rangers should just sign two 4th liners to play with Andersson, (hypothetically in the scenario of course), Absolutely not. Miller might be better on a third line; same with Hayes, but this is a poor offensive team. The free agent crop isn’t exactly inspiring.

Defensively you are looking (pairs subject to change) at something like this is Staal is bought out.

27-??
76-22
RG-42

A lot depends on Smith returning to his playoff form. The problem is that we don’t know if that player exists on a consistent basis. Luckily the Rangers are deep at RHD, and it may be the team’s strategy to have Skjei and Shattenkirk stick together and hope McDonagh can carry a Pionk/DeAngelo/Kampfer type. But McDonagh’s impending unrestricted free agency can complicate things too. Especially because besides Graves, they have no LHD that can step in.

What I am getting at is that the team is really oddly constructed due to the really odd offseason last summer. They won’t have enough cap to plug their holes but have some pretty obvious weaknesses. It will be interesting to see what they choose to do, especially if they keep playing themselves out of the draft lottery.

 

[I Eat Crow]

Would Dallas be interested in swapping Spezza for Hayes? Hayes is an RFA but will surely come in cheaper than Spezza at 7.5 million for this season and next. Otherwise, I'm not sure if the Rangers should be trading for a 34 year old center. Dallas will need to pay Seguin next year. Does he want to stay in Dallas? They're another team that doesn't have a clear direction. They're built to win now but finished poorly last season. They've made the playoffs twice since 2008. Twice. In ten years. They can go either way this year.

As for a price for Borgstrom, I'm not sure what Florida would want for him. There's no trade for him that makes sense other than keeping him. He would slot in nicely behind Barkov and Trochek next year. Maybe a winger? I'd offer Nash at the deadline if Florida is still in the playoff race. Hayes for Borgstrom and a 3rd? Don't know what Florida would really want

 

[RangerBoy]

Jeff Gorton is interested in getting younger with more prospects and picks and people are proposing trades for Jason Spezza??!!!????!!!!

 

[Vitto79]

Jeff Gorton is interested in getting younger with more prospects and picks and people are proposing trades for Jason Spezza??!!!????!!!!

Sounds about right lol ... it’s the desire for another C. It’s not bad if he’s at 50 percent and a cap move for Dallas . So meaning not for much . 2nd , later pick , our bud Holden

 

[Beacon]

I'd only want Spezza for Staal, and only because his contract ends 2 years earlier. Otherwise, forget it.

 

[mike14]

Assuming that the Oilers have to do something drastic soon, is there anyway we can RNH out of them for some combo of Nash plus CK or Hayes (picks/prospects as required)? Mika and RNH as the top 2 centres while Chytil and Andersson learn around them for the next 3 years would be nice.
It allows gives EDM some depth at centre (they can roll McDavid, Draisitl and Hayes down the middle, and Nash can play with Mcdavid for a season

 

[Savant]

Would Dallas be interested in swapping Spezza for Hayes? Hayes is an RFA but will surely come in cheaper than Spezza at 7.5 million for this season and next. Otherwise, I'm not sure if the Rangers should be trading for a 34 year old center. Dallas will need to pay Seguin next year. Does he want to stay in Dallas? They're another team that doesn't have a clear direction. They're built to win now but finished poorly last season. They've made the playoffs twice since 2008. Twice. In ten years. They can go either way this year.

As for a price for Borgstrom, I'm not sure what Florida would want for him. There's no trade for him that makes sense other than keeping him. He would slot in nicely behind Barkov and Trochek next year. Maybe a winger? I'd offer Nash at the deadline if Florida is still in the playoff race. Hayes for Borgstrom and a 3rd? Don't know what Florida would really want

There is literally no reason to trade Hayes for Spezza. There is no reason to move him to Florida for “a winger” either unless it’s Huberdeau