Has the Rangers Window Closed?

[cd211]

nope, not closed and won't be for a while.. its obv what we have to do trades/moves etc.. but AV has to share a lot of the blame.. dude needs to adapt and put his players in situations to succeed.. we still have plenty of youth in key spots and with some moves and full time Skjei and buch possibly on his way we will be in good shape..

 

[theFiGS]

LMAO @ anyone who says fire the coach. 3 seasons, 1 president trophy 1 trip to finals another to game 7 of ECF and 1 first round exit in a down season that I think a lot of us expected. They didn't look as complete as the last few seasons to me, they need to get younger on D IMO and need more offense from the back end and bottom 6. A few trades and signings and we're right there, Henrik probably has 2 or 3 seasons left in him of top 5 goalie play in the league. Calme de **** down

 

[Megustaelhockey]

I thought I was not on our board for a second.

 

[Bluenote13]

I'd say the pantry door is slightly askew, the kitchen window is tightly shut, while the bathroom shutters are totally wide open.

 

[Pavel Buchnevich]

The complaints this season have been that Nash, Girardi and Staal aren't playing up to the level that their contracts would dictate.

So lets say those people get their way and those players are off the team for next season. Unless you are getting play that is an improvement on the play of Nash, Girardi and Staal from the presumed replacements, which would be Buchnevich, Skjei and McIlrath, I don't think we are getting better. Getting equal play from these players doesn't make us better, we are in the same place. We need these players to play better than what we had from the players they would be replacing. Say what you want about all the whipping boys, but I highly doubt that the rookies would outplay those three vets.

Thats why I continue to state that this team just isn't good enough, regardless of whether or not you get rid of the whipping boys. Unless you can find players that are a big upgrade on them and play their roles much better than they do, you aren't improving the team. I think the way you clearly improve a hockey team from one season to the next is getting rid of the bottom of the roster, and having more quality depth. That would be getting rid of someone like Dan Boyle who's been the worst player on the team for two years now or Tanner Glass who's not an NHL player either or Oscar Lindberg who's play after the first month or two was not that of a player who belongs in the NHL or having a situation like Pittsburgh where you have two starting goalies because you have a very good prospect who costs nothing, is good enough to start in the NHL, but can give you a quality starting goalie when your regular starter doesn't play. I don't think reshuffling the deck chairs makes you better, and since we don't have the cap flexibility to keep everyone, we don't have a first round pick, and we have very few good prospects, I don't think we have that capability to get rid of the bottom of the roster, and improve for next season. I think the only solution is big changes where its clear that we are rebuilding.

 

[MysticLeviathan]

Trade Nash for young talent and/or good picks, find a way to dump Staal/Girardi. Bury Glass if he can't be moved. Let Moore's contract expire.

The problem is we have major cap issues. Hank is a cap sieve, Staal and Girardi are very tough if not impossible to move, and with such lenghty contracts, it's probably not a good idea to buy them out. Kreider and Miller and Hayes are both FAs iirc, so we have to do something with them.

This is a very flawed team that may never be Cup contenders with the current anchors, but will likley continue to make the playoffs. Not good enough to win the Cup, but not bad enough to get truly impact players in the draft. However, a ton of our players have so much experience, so there is value in that.

Just super bummed right now, I'm not sure how to feel.

 

[darko]

The window is closed however it can open much sooner rather than later depending on the moves we make.

Fix the blue line. Recoup some assets lost by trading Nash.

Stepan/Brassard/Kreider/Zucca/Miller/Hayes are all top 6 players. Hayes didn't play like one but he'll bounce back. We have Buchnevich on the way. Fast/Lindberg/Hrivik in botttom 6. McDonagh/Klein/McIlrath/Skjei. Bring back Yandle. Nash (even retained salary) money plus Yandle's current cap hit is more than enough to pay Yandle. Use Boyle money for payrises.

 

[BroadwayStorm]

I don't think we can move Staal, his contract is until 2022. We need to buy out Girardi as he has physically fallen off a cliff and we can definitely trade Nash for sure. What we get is up for debate. That said I really don't care I just want him out.

 

[Matz03]

The window is closed. The top 4-5 teams in the east are all stacked with high end talent. Then they have skilled youth filling out their ranks and farm systems pushing up more. We have a few decent guys entering their prime but they don't stack up against the Caps, NYI, Fla, Tampa talent very well. Our system is bare with 1 guy hoping comes over. Talking up Skjei is a bit premature, he just as well could turn out to be another John Moore, then what? Car and Philly will be good soon enough too. At best this is a wild card team that will just perpetually move high draft picks to either make the playoffs or hope it can go a round.

 

[Beacon]

By the 2017 Stanley Cup Final, Lundqvist will be 35, Nash and Girardi 33. These are all key players for the Rangers playing as the starting goalie, first liner and first pair D. The total spent on them is $21.8 per season or about 30% of the cap. All are showing signs of slowing down, as does Marc Staal. With Staal, the 4 take up almost 40% of the cap.

With Yandle, Boyle, Moore and Eric likely gone, the team will be even worse. Replacing Yandle with McIlrath/Skjei is a distinct downgrade. Eric and Moore being replaced by Lindberg and Hrivik is a bit of a downgrade too, if only because it means less depth. Stalberg will need to be replaced too, though that should be easier.

So overall, the team should be worse next year due to losing Yandle and depth, and the aging of the team's top paid players. At the same time, because so much money is tied up in slowing/rotting players, it's doubtful we can sign someone as good as Yandle or even Eric Staal.

The window is closed. The best course of action now would be to sell-off the team for picks and prospects, taking up 50% of the salary to maximize the return, while loading the team with ELCs.

Everyone 28+ should go: Brassard, Zuccarello, Nash, Klein, Girardi, Staal and Lundqvist should go. If you retain 50%, you can get huge payments for these, even for Girardi and Staal.

This, of course, won't happen. The team will run into the wall again and again, drain the last few prospects in the system in a desperate attempt to win, then 5 years from now, after the farm has been emptied and guys like Zuccarello and Brassard no longer have value, and even McDonagh can barely bring back anything, we'll do a half-baked rebuild that will again take 10 years to become a contender.

Hope you enjoyed the 2014 Stanley Cup Final, we'll be back there in the 2030s.

 

[Machinehead]

I don't know how much I believe in windows as a rigid standard. I've seen too many teams get real good real quick and too many teams get real bad real quick.

This comes down to having a good 2016 offseason and we go from there.

 

[Ghost of jas]

I don't know how much I believe in windows as a rigid standard. I've seen too many teams get real good real quick and too many teams get real bad real quick.

This comes down to having a good 2016 offseason and we go from there.

Bingo. I believe Nash and Staal will both be traded, and Boyle, EStaal and Moore will be let go. I'm not sure what's going to happen with Girardi. In the right scenario, he heals over the summer, and then gets implanted as the bottom-pairing RHD next to Brady Skjei, with McIlrath moving into the top 4. (This would have been made easier if the idiot coach had properly developed McIlrath when he had the opportunity this year.) I'd like to keep Yandle, but, I'm not sure if it's the wisest thing to do to give a player his age a long=term deal.

 

[Edge]

Closed, no.

But a re-tool is necessary at this point and, in fairness, with what they've spent on their recent attempts, finding the missing pieces is going to be very difficult.

They're going to have to locked on with finding values and the right guys at the right prices.

It's doable, but it will be a significant challenge.

 

[Ail]

Depends on this off-season, but for the sake of argument I feel it has been closed since the offseason of 2014. I didn't think they could win it last year, or this year. Although last year you could at least make an argument for them getting a second shot. This year it was crystal clear after only a two months that this team was never going anywhere. Top-5 defense tho.

 

[Clown Fiesta]

Closed, no.

But a re-tool is necessary at this point and, in fairness, with what they've spent on their recent attempts, finding the missing pieces is going to be very difficult.

They're going to have to locked on with finding values and the right guys at the right prices.

It's doable, but it will be a significant challenge.

I lean toward closed, but I've been leaning that way since last off season. Team got a year older and on paper didn't look to be as strong.

Your first point is what scares me, we've paid a kings ransom for talent which largely hasn't been a difference maker. The only acquisitions that haven't totally bit us in the ass are Nash, and Yandle. Then again Yandle very well could walk which would be a big loss IMO.

Your 2nd point is one I feel they struggle with rather frequently, we seem to bring in guys who have a reputation of doing well on other teams who flounder in NY. IE Stempniak, and several others I can't recall this early in my day.

I definitely agree that it will be a significant challenge.

 

[Off Sides]

It was probably never open in the first place

This is the best answer

If they had a window is was the finals against the Kings and the Kings were a much better offensive team. Since then they have closed the window more and more. Look at the off-seasons and trade deadlines since.

They are not in good cap position, they are not in good contract position with the clauses and cap hits. They do not have much of a prospect pool and they still only have one 1st in the next two drafts.

The question in my mind is not if the window is opened or closed, it's how long they try to put together an "anything can happen" roster in front of Lundqvist in hopes of just making the playoffs.

Nothing significant changes but the names on the backs of the sweaters and sometimes the coaching, the organizational priorities and philosophy remain the same.

The same management leader who brought us this version of the team and all the others over the past 16 years is still going to be here. It's not the worst but it's never going to be the best either. They are on the downside of their bell curve, but I highly doubt they see it that way because they have not seen it for two years already and they did not see it back in the day either when Sather was first brought in either.

 

[FLYLine27*]

You can't say "No it's not closed but major changes need to happen". You are contradicting yourself.

That means it's closed and to open it again changes need to be made. Well duh.... Just like Buffalo's window is closed right now and they are making changes to get it open again. Obviously our window is closer to being open then them, but a closed window, is a closed window.

 

[Edge]

You can't say "No it's not closed but major changes need to happen". You are contradicting yourself.

That means it's closed and to open it again changes need to be made. Well duh.... Just like Buffalo's window is closed right now and they are making changes to get it open again. Obviously our window is closer to being open then them, but a closed window, is a closed window.

Not necessarily.

The Rangers have a solid group of guys already in place, and many of them are fairly young.

The window really depends on how the approach their arithmetic --- specifically additions and subtractions.

For me, a window is closed when they have nothing substantial to work with and must go out get those pieces. That's not necessarily the case here. They have some solid young forward pieces/potential. They still have Lundqvist, and they still have McD.

Defense is probably the biggest area that is going to need help and that's probably the biggest factor as to how we view the window. Potentially, you have at least McD, Klein, Skjei and McIlrath on the roster. If someone is acquired via a trade and someone else via free agency, that's not necessarily a bad place from which to move forward. But that's a big IF.

 

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

Not necessarily.

The Rangers have a solid group of guys already in place, and many of them are fairly young.

The window really depends on how the approach their arithmetic --- specifically additions and subtractions.

For me, a window is closed when they have nothing substantial to work with and must go out get those pieces. That's not necessarily the case here. They have some solid young forward pieces/potential. They still have Lundqvist, and they still have McD.

Defense is probably the biggest area that is going to need help and that's probably the biggest factor as to how we view the window. Potentially, you have at least McD, Klein, Skjei and McIlrath on the roster. If someone is acquired via a trade and someone else via free agency, that's not necessarily a bad place from which to move forward. But that's a big IF.

Edge, curious what your thoughts are on AV....?

 

[KingWantsCup]

The window is closed and sealed shut. Time to stop fighting against the grain and build a team the way basically every other successful team has. Lose.

 

[Edge]

Edge, curious what your thoughts are on AV....?

Frankly, I'm torn.

On the one hand, there are several frustrating things that I don't agree with at all - namely his handling of McIlrath and some of his other decisions.

On the other hand, I think this was a flawed team that could have gone either way. There were probably coaches who could've gotten more out of this group, but I'm not sure I'd say that they could get significantly more out of them. I also think that a different coach would probably bring his own share of things we hate and have his favorites.

Overall, I don't think he's the biggest problem at this point. I'm not sure he's the long-term solution, but I'm more inclined to re-tool the roster than I am to hire another coach again after only 3-4 years. Especially if means getting rid of one that happens to have one of the higher winning percentages in the NHL over the last decase and in franchise history.

To me, the big test for AV is next season. Variables include who we move, who we acquire, how certain guys progress or regress, whether a different roster meshes with his style, etc.

 

[nyr2k2]

The Rangers have enough core pieces to be a contending team. A lot of retooling needs to bring the done, however. Half of the defense needs to be replaced, first of all. If they more or less stand pat, yeah it's closed. Some shrewd moves could pry it back open though.

 

[HAPPY HOUR]

Window for a cup run? Slammed and nailed shut.

Almost every team when they lose in the playoffs harp on a play or two that cost them a series. Everybody I know to a man, and even the players themselves flat out and indirectly implied that they got torched by a better team. From A to Z and everything inbetween. The Rangers didn't even belong on the same ice with the Pens in that series. Buffalo would of given them a tougher go.

Florida would of beaten us in 6 is my call. The only team the Rangers could of beaten was Detroit in our conference imo. I'm just glad "we" didn't play the Isles in the first round. Anybody watch that series? I thought both teams played real well. Lots of heart, speed, SKILL, and incredible intensity. Tape to tape passes out of the zone, not handling the puck like a hand grenade behind the net like the Rangers did.

 

[bubba5]

I wanna know what nhl team is going to do us a favor and accept a trade for Nash, Girardi? Also what makes anyone think Girardi will waive his no trade?

 

[Edge]

The Rangers have enough core pieces to be a contending team. A lot of retooling needs to bring the done, however. Half of the defense needs to be replaced, first of all. If they more or less stand pat, yeah it's closed. Some shrewd moves could pry it back open though.

I that your last sentence is the real key.

So much depends on how they proceed.

If McI and Skjei get legit shots and acclimate, and you add a solid free agent, you've got something to work on the blueline.