2021-2022 Around The League - Part VII

[avalanche_country]

Thanks goodness Joe didn’t land him. That domino affect seems huge.

 

[Balthazar]

Thanks goodness Joe didn’t land him. That domino affect seems huge.

Like I said the other day...

Panarin, Tavares, Pietrangelo...

As much as this board wants all the big names, history shows time and time again that it's best to stay away from big name UFA's.

 

[Pokecheque]

Drudy unhappy with Panarin according to Staple

Rangers offseason roster decisions: Who stays and who goes?

With a cap crunch coming, the Rangers won't be able to keep the Eastern Conference final band together this offseason. What do they do?

theathletic.com

That'll be hilarious if this ends in a messy divorce.

At some point they need to realize there's only so much a winger can do, even one as elite as Panarin. You cannot continue to have a glorified 3C as your 2C (and a good, but not great 1C in front of him) and expect to be a legit contender.

Also, I don't necessarily blame the Rangers for signing him since they were his first and really ONLY choice, but they had to know they ran the risk of him being in a decline once they were truly ready to contend. I've said before I didn't like Gorton's rebuild, and I stand by that. They signed two veteran wingers long-term, tanked it for two MORE wingers, and still have one of the weakest center corps in the league. They gotta do something drastic to get that fixed.

 

[Balthazar]

That'll be hilarious if this ends in a messy divorce.

At some point they need to realize there's only so much a winger can do, even one as elite as Panarin. You cannot continue to have a glorified 3C as your 2C (and a good, but not great 1C in front of him) and expect to be a legit contender.

Also, I don't necessarily blame the Rangers for signing him since they were his first and really ONLY choice, but they had to know they ran the risk of him being in a decline once they were truly ready to contend. I've said before I didn't like Gorton's rebuild, and I stand by that. They signed two veteran wingers long-term, tanked it for two MORE wingers, and still have one of the weakest center corps in the league. They gotta do something drastic to get that fixed.

I think it's more some kind of weird (bad?) luck than bad planning from Gorton.

He re-upped Kreider then Kakko fell on his lap (draft lottery). Then Panarin only wanted to go there (wasn't going to say no) and Laffy also fell on his lap (also draft lottery).

If all this happened in a different order it probably would have been different.

Laffy and Kakko were regarded as BPA and with the hype around these two players in their respective draft classes he couldn't really trade them.

 

[S E P H]

The problem I had with Panarin wasn't that he played bad, but that his skating was a noticeable step behind everyone else. I am not sure if he was injured or got a major injury in the past, but he looked more like a powerplay specialist for Rags playoff run than a supremely good 5v5 player (which he was with the Blackhawks).

 

[Pokecheque]

I think it's more some kind of weird (bad?) luck than bad planning from Gorton.

He re-upped Kreider then Kakko fell on his lap (draft lottery). Then Panarin only wanted to go there (wasn't going to say no) and Laffy also fell on his lap (also draft lottery).

If all this happened in a different order it probably would have been different.

Laffy and Kakko were regarded as BPA and with the hype around these two players in their respective draft classes he couldn't really trade them.

I never have and never will buy that getting the first and second overall picks in the draft is "bad luck". It's literally good luck, the best kind of luck because it's the f***ing lottery. You can pick literally ANY player you want, just because the consensus says this or that you are not locked in or obligated to take a certain player.

The consensus picks in 2017 were Hischier and Patrick. Who would you say is the best player in that particular draft? Jarmo had the third overall pick in 2016 and he said "Vittu konsensus!" Obviously things didn't work out with Dubois but he still has a far better talent on his roster as a result of that pick than he would have if he had gone with Poolparty.

Also, even if you choose not to pick a different player, you can trade the pick, or you can draft the player and trade the rights afterward. Plenty of options. So, no...there's no excuse there. Obviously retaining Kreider looks great now, but once they retained him there should have been serious thought toward trading one of those two picks/prospects to get a center. Now I think Kakko's value has taken a serious hit.

 

[Balthazar]

I never have and never will buy that getting the first and second overall picks in the draft is "bad luck". It's literally good luck, the best kind of luck because it's the f***ing lottery. You can pick literally ANY player you want, just because the consensus says this or that you are not locked in or obligated to take a certain player.

The consensus picks in 2017 were Hischier and Patrick. Who would you say is the best player in that particular draft? Jarmo had the third overall pick in 2016 and he said "Vittu konsensus!" Obviously things didn't work out with Dubois but he still has a far better talent on his roster as a result of that pick than he would have if he had gone with Poolparty.

Also, even if you choose not to pick a different player, you can trade the pick, or you can draft the player and trade the rights afterward. Plenty of options. So, no...there's no excuse there. Obviously retaining Kreider looks great now, but once they retained him there should have been serious thought toward trading one of those two picks/prospects to get a center. Now I think Kakko's value has taken a serious hit.

Teams don't trade top 2 picks nor trade their freshly drafted top 2 players.

 

[Pokecheque]

Teams don't trade top 2 picks nor trade their freshly drafted top 2 players.

But there's nothing stopping them from doing so. You act as if they can't. They most certainly can. They have the leverage. They haven't been pigeonholed into anything.

I actually wish the NHL would make like the NBA and trade draft rights and high picks all the time. The notion that these high picks are the most valuable thing on the market is hogwash--Philly had the 2nd overall pick in 2017 and ended up with literally nothing. The pick, whether it's 31st overall or 1st overall, is there to make your team better. Use it however you can to reach that goal.

 

[Freudian]

Rangers have a bright future but at the same time they are locked in for over 50% of the cap to Panarin, Zibanejad, Kreider, Trouba and Fox. Shesterkin is on a steal of a contract through. It's their MacKinnon type of contract where you get so much extra value from the player.

 

[Colorado Avalanche]

Rangers have a bright future but at the same time they are locked in for over 50% of the cap to Panarin, Zibanejad, Kreider, Trouba and Fox. Shesterkin is on a steal of a contract through. It's their MacKinnon type of contract where you get so much extra value from the player.

Yeah, if you want long-term success you really need to tie the best players to good contracts.

Chicago is a great example. Chicago signing Kane and Toews to those monster contracts back then really handicapped them. They lost all the depth.

The second thing to avoid:

Pay mediocre players A LOT OF MONEY, I am talking players like Kerfoot, Bura (who is still way better than Kerfoot, but also way more expensive), these add up sooooo fast! Just pay a few guys an extra mil or two and you are in cap trouble.

 

[PAZ]

Like I said the other day...

Panarin, Tavares, Pietrangelo...

As much as this board wants all the big names, history shows time and time again that it's best to stay away from big name UFA's.

Even most trades for big names tend to end poorly. Duchene, Karlsson, hell even Stone is starting to look iffy with his injuries. Shouldn't affect his skating, but there comes a point where it doesn't matter how well you think the game, if you can't keep up with the pace you won't be effective... and Stone has never been a great skater.

 

[Pokecheque]

Literally forgot that Cody Glass was in the Nashville system.

What happened there? Sure seemed like he was a pretty decent prospect at the least.

 

[Pokecheque]

Even most trades for big names tend to end poorly. Duchene, Karlsson, hell even Stone is starting to look iffy with his injuries. Shouldn't affect his skating, but there comes a point where it doesn't matter how well you think the game, if you can't keep up with the pace you won't be effective... and Stone has never been a great skater.

I'd say the thing that hampers the impact Stone brings is that he's not a center. Also the fact he's not an elite finisher but the former is a bigger deal.

In all honesty I think all of Eichel, Stone, AND Pacioretty are as brittle as a stale cracker but that's my opinion. I'll be very surprised if they're all able to stay healthy enough to make a deep playoff run.

Their bottom six is going to get absolutely destroyed every night. Like, ten times worse than anything the Oilers rolled out this year.

 

[Bill Peckerskull]

 

[Balthazar]

I know that players and management loved him in Montreal. Big loss for MSL, good for Luke though.

 

[Balthazar]

 

[UncleRisto]

Literally forgot that Cody Glass was in the Nashville system.

What happened there? Sure seemed like he was a pretty decent prospect at the least.

As far as I'm concerned, the trade was Patrick for Ellis 1 for 1.

 

[Pokecheque]

I know that players and management loved him in Montreal. Big loss for MSL, good for Luke though.

Richardson is a good guy who took an unimaginable loss and turned it into something that helps people in need. As others said online, he brings integrity to an organization that has absolutely none. I'd wish him well in his on-ice pursuits but...f*** the Hawks.

 

[Bill Peckerskull]

 

[AllAboutAvs]

I'd say the thing that hampers the impact Stone brings is that he's not a center. Also the fact he's not an elite finisher but the former is a bigger deal.

In all honesty I think all of Eichel, Stone, AND Pacioretty are as brittle as a stale cracker but that's my opinion. I'll be very surprised if they're all able to stay healthy enough to make a deep playoff run.

Their bottom six is going to get absolutely destroyed every night. Like, ten times worse than anything the Oilers rolled out this year.

Orrrrrrrrr...they could just put all three on LTIR until the playoffs start......Profit!!!!!!!!!!

 

[sethro109]

Wow he kinda f***ed over the Jets by taking so much time to make that decision while stringing them along. The Jets might end up with a few years of Tortorella at this pace.

 

[Pokecheque]

Orrrrrrrrr...they could just put all three on LTIR until the playoffs start......Profit!!!!!!!!!!

That backfired on them big time this year. If they want to do that again I’m all for it!

 

[Northern Avs Fan]

 

[Bill Peckerskull]

 

[MarkT]

Boston fans are mad.