bernmeister
Registered User
Yours truly, bernmeister, has been pushing Rangers trim to the very bone by moving excess vet depth and if, offers on the table are good enuf, then even also Lias Andersson or Howden. The idea here is not loss or equal value except as strategically may be required but for marginal profit multiple times, mostly going to draft and younger assets. While drafted assets take time to develop, there is enuf to make my premise work; the short term hit will soon enough yield long term gain.
As relates to Fs, a major piece here is the undervalued Boo Nieves. Big, adequately strong, long strides, great reach natural pivot. Above average + silky passer. Does not have elite speed [Kreider, Larkin] but does have superior wheels. Like almost everyone else on NY at present, we do not have snipers or even great shooters to bury setups. Kreider, for example, is an opportunist, using his speed to create space for good percentage shots, or has a knack for tip ins. Most of the rest of the Fs are the same, Nieves is no different there.
NYR was required last year to showcase guys eventually dealt [Zuc, Hayes] or to see what youngsters [Andersson, Howden] had, or see what was there [Strome, Namest.]. Not enuf mins for too many guys, and not enough for my experiment. It is inaccurate and unfair to hold against Nieves for that. His +/- is outstanding, and this is despite close to zero mins PP and having linemates like McLeod. The obvious need for the team to do what it did overrode any chance he might have had to get consistent mins with Kreider.
I have postulated that if Kreider is paired with the correct RW and Nieves, it will likely create synergy, that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. While guys like Stepan have solid hockey IQ and deft passing skill also, they have held Kreider back. I want to unleash Kreider. Nieves has ample wheels to do this.
Who that correct RW is remains to be seen. Zib has experience at 1C, tho linemates are shifted, and has played well with Kreider. However, he is a righty shot, and there is ZERO reason he does not move to W if the alternate is a natural 1C. Whether or not Zib remains should depend on what is on the table for him. If NY does not move him prior to July 1, pending NMC kicks in and player, not team, has full control. That is secondary as a point of team roster flexibility, not any anticipation of declining value on Zib at this point.
As and for what NYR roster might look like, given draft expectations, UFA opportunities, plausibility of Leafs moving Marleau fulll pop for Staal at half for cap relief, other deals not addressed here etc:
Kakko - Kravtsov - Panarin
Kreider - Nieves - Marleau
Chytil - Hayes [re-signed] - Fast
Lemieux - ____ - Vesey
Gettinger reserve
Some people have gone nuts saying I dare to pencil in Kravtsov as a 1C, despite fact he proved in high level competition last tourney he could do so, and would have premium/elite talent at his Ws.
Some have had other bones to pick.
Now the point of this thread is to have full opportunity to share your dain and disdain for any of the above, including the core premise.
Which again is, Kreider should be paired with Nieves so both can utilize synergy.
If Kreider, as he is today, is the 1LW, then and in that event, Nieves should be the 1C.
If and when Kakko pushes Kreider down to 2LW, then and in that event, Nieves should be the 2C.
I welcome all feedback, and especially appreciate all constructive, well offered comments. However, some have insisted (in my opinion without adequate substance) I give this up, rather than insist that my experiment be conducted.
Posts on these board do not always reflect that what is popular is also [proven] meritorious.
I was correct that Stepan was overvalued, and we were lucky to get 'yotes to pay what they did when they did. Had we listened to me, and not the win now crowd, we would have gotten more for dealing Stepan at an approximately constant rate of production earlier for less salary, which would have meant he was then more valuable. A handful agreed with me, the rest did not.
I was vindicated then and predict I will be again if my experiment is conducted by NYR.
But this thread I create so there is a specific place for comment on this subject [Nieves and directly related].
A handful in particular find it necessary to go tooth and nail on every facet, sometimes taking things out of context. For example, there is a current thread that sarcastically says to effect that with Kakko arriving Kakko and Nieves as his 1C such line will be the terror of the league, to be broken up. The sarcasm is no big whoop, and it comes with advocating free speech.
But constant corrections on what I actually said is another matter.
When I properly mention how a certain deal impacts Ranger depth [such as moving Strome, Andersson or Howden] and how fuller utilization of Nieves is part of the answer there becomes an ongoing need to repeat myself. This would be fine except some who shall remain nameless then insist on derailing thread topic discussion and pushing things towards hijacking. Further, being multiple, it is extensive, and in different threads.
Mods, I am not going to knuckle under, nor should I [or any other poster] be asked, to withdraw my opinion by discontinuing such posting. If and when the Rangers conduct my experiment, I will live with the result, one way or the other. And there should be a forum for both praise and criticism here.
So my suggestion is any short, incidental, on topic comment in a given thread about Nieves and my experiment is fine, esp if it is directly pertinent to the topic. But anyone who wants to go elsewhere should do that HERE. This will reduce substantially the problem identified above.
I leave it for you to police same.
As relates to Fs, a major piece here is the undervalued Boo Nieves. Big, adequately strong, long strides, great reach natural pivot. Above average + silky passer. Does not have elite speed [Kreider, Larkin] but does have superior wheels. Like almost everyone else on NY at present, we do not have snipers or even great shooters to bury setups. Kreider, for example, is an opportunist, using his speed to create space for good percentage shots, or has a knack for tip ins. Most of the rest of the Fs are the same, Nieves is no different there.
NYR was required last year to showcase guys eventually dealt [Zuc, Hayes] or to see what youngsters [Andersson, Howden] had, or see what was there [Strome, Namest.]. Not enuf mins for too many guys, and not enough for my experiment. It is inaccurate and unfair to hold against Nieves for that. His +/- is outstanding, and this is despite close to zero mins PP and having linemates like McLeod. The obvious need for the team to do what it did overrode any chance he might have had to get consistent mins with Kreider.
I have postulated that if Kreider is paired with the correct RW and Nieves, it will likely create synergy, that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. While guys like Stepan have solid hockey IQ and deft passing skill also, they have held Kreider back. I want to unleash Kreider. Nieves has ample wheels to do this.
Who that correct RW is remains to be seen. Zib has experience at 1C, tho linemates are shifted, and has played well with Kreider. However, he is a righty shot, and there is ZERO reason he does not move to W if the alternate is a natural 1C. Whether or not Zib remains should depend on what is on the table for him. If NY does not move him prior to July 1, pending NMC kicks in and player, not team, has full control. That is secondary as a point of team roster flexibility, not any anticipation of declining value on Zib at this point.
As and for what NYR roster might look like, given draft expectations, UFA opportunities, plausibility of Leafs moving Marleau fulll pop for Staal at half for cap relief, other deals not addressed here etc:
Kakko - Kravtsov - Panarin
Kreider - Nieves - Marleau
Chytil - Hayes [re-signed] - Fast
Lemieux - ____ - Vesey
Gettinger reserve
Some people have gone nuts saying I dare to pencil in Kravtsov as a 1C, despite fact he proved in high level competition last tourney he could do so, and would have premium/elite talent at his Ws.
Some have had other bones to pick.
Now the point of this thread is to have full opportunity to share your dain and disdain for any of the above, including the core premise.
Which again is, Kreider should be paired with Nieves so both can utilize synergy.
If Kreider, as he is today, is the 1LW, then and in that event, Nieves should be the 1C.
If and when Kakko pushes Kreider down to 2LW, then and in that event, Nieves should be the 2C.
I welcome all feedback, and especially appreciate all constructive, well offered comments. However, some have insisted (in my opinion without adequate substance) I give this up, rather than insist that my experiment be conducted.
Posts on these board do not always reflect that what is popular is also [proven] meritorious.
I was correct that Stepan was overvalued, and we were lucky to get 'yotes to pay what they did when they did. Had we listened to me, and not the win now crowd, we would have gotten more for dealing Stepan at an approximately constant rate of production earlier for less salary, which would have meant he was then more valuable. A handful agreed with me, the rest did not.
I was vindicated then and predict I will be again if my experiment is conducted by NYR.
But this thread I create so there is a specific place for comment on this subject [Nieves and directly related].
A handful in particular find it necessary to go tooth and nail on every facet, sometimes taking things out of context. For example, there is a current thread that sarcastically says to effect that with Kakko arriving Kakko and Nieves as his 1C such line will be the terror of the league, to be broken up. The sarcasm is no big whoop, and it comes with advocating free speech.
But constant corrections on what I actually said is another matter.
When I properly mention how a certain deal impacts Ranger depth [such as moving Strome, Andersson or Howden] and how fuller utilization of Nieves is part of the answer there becomes an ongoing need to repeat myself. This would be fine except some who shall remain nameless then insist on derailing thread topic discussion and pushing things towards hijacking. Further, being multiple, it is extensive, and in different threads.
Mods, I am not going to knuckle under, nor should I [or any other poster] be asked, to withdraw my opinion by discontinuing such posting. If and when the Rangers conduct my experiment, I will live with the result, one way or the other. And there should be a forum for both praise and criticism here.
So my suggestion is any short, incidental, on topic comment in a given thread about Nieves and my experiment is fine, esp if it is directly pertinent to the topic. But anyone who wants to go elsewhere should do that HERE. This will reduce substantially the problem identified above.
I leave it for you to police same.
