News Article: Pronman has Rangers org ranked #1

[ElLeetch]

the islanders are right now hitting the ceiling that we did. All the grease in the world. We had that. Well coached. Guys playing the best they could. But without the top end guys this is as far as you get. Point and Kucherov are on the same level as Mika and Bread. We happen to have Lafreniere and Kakko behind them.

Barzal isn't enough to carry that team. The rest of the roster is just good support and secondary players. As you mentioned, that was the ceiling that the Rangers hit.

Not getting assets in return for JT really kicked them in the balls. Nobody (prospects or players) to backfill his loss.

 

[ElLeetch]

Sure, they wanted Petersson/Glass, but when they weren't available, of the second-level talents, they picked the grittier guy rather than the more skilled options.

Not that there was really any obvious correct pick at that point... no one was considering Necas at 7.

Agreed. Lias doesnt sting as much as McIlrath or Jessiman did. nobody in the next bunch picks is the stand-our star we knew we missed on at the moment it happened.

 

[Kovalev27]

By the way Vegas is in trouble not because they aren’t gritty. They have very little from their defense unless it’s Theodore

they don’t have a real number one center. Stone is elite but playing hurt. The rest of the guys are good players not super stars. Tons of chances tons of shots but what a lot of analytical charts leave out is who is taking those shots. A high danger shot from Holden is different than a high danger shot from Adam Fox.

 

[Rangers in 7]

if we are talking about what to focus on to win a cup, it is elite talent all day everyday.....you can totally sprinkle in grit at a later time

all the grit in the world won't win you a stanley cup, Panarin, zip, laf and Kakko win you a cup, not a team full of Ryan Reeves

 

[Kovalev27]

That isles powerplay alone could have won them this series. It’s failed miserably. They don’t have a point man. They don’t have a guy across from Barzal that’s a one time threat.

 

[mas0764]

That’s all well and good but Tampa is winning right now because their top line is dominating the islanders top line

that elite talent is the hardest part to get. You can find the gruffs later. We have secured some serious talent the likes I haven’t seen us have outside of Messier/Leetch.

Still could use a center for the future though.

 

[PuckLuck3043]

Just to add to what has already been said make no mistake JG and JD know what is needed to build a cup contender and they will continue to build around the elite talent that we have and will draft in a few weeks. This is not a small team right now and they will only get bigger. LAF is an elite talent that plays physical, Gauthier has size and speed. Barron, Miller, Robertson are all big bodies and will be on this team in the next year or 2. There is no doubt in my mind that JG and JD will continue to build this the right way. I think this team will be the complete package in as little as 2 years and then watch out NHL.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

Especially in today's league. Maybe you needed more grit in 1994.

Today? No. All about skill.

That’s why the WCF is Vegas v Dallas? Two heavy teams with not a ton of skill. It’s no accident the Isles made it this far after being mediocre in the regular season. Tampa got swept in round 1 last season with their high flying style, they became bigger and “slower” this year and look at them now. The playoffs are just different.

 

[JCProdigy]

Sure, they wanted Petersson/Glass, but when they weren't available, of the second-level talents, they picked the grittier guy rather than the more skilled options.

Not that there was really any obvious correct pick at that point... no one was considering Necas at 7.

Setting aside the semantics over the term 'gritty' and whether Andersson was even considered that, I posit, did the Rangers choose Andersson over the others because they thought he was 'grittier' or because they thought he had the highest chance to be a productive top six in the NHL? His production for his age in the SHL during his draft season was very good. His play for the U20 Sweden team was good. They thought that production would have a higher chance at translating than the high skill others showed.

Now we can argue if they were wrong in thinking that as it's not looking too good right now but I think boiling it down to the Rangers chose Andersson because he's 'grittier' and that's what they really care about at the price of high-end skill is too simplistic to me.

Found this at Dobber and I think it's a good read: Prospect Ramblings: What to do with Multiple First Round Draft Picks

I'll quote a part of the Rangers section for good insight from an independent party:

By inspecting the 2017 and 2018 NHL Entry Drafts, we can see that the Rangers certainly do incorporate some risk assessment into their selections, at least by the standards of most independent evaluators. In the year where the Rangers’ made a pick that was perceived to be safe in the top-10 (Lias Andersson), they went a bit off the board with their second pick in the first round by finding Filip Chytil. In a year where they targeted pure skill in the top 10 (Vitali Kravtsov), they gave favor to two-way defensemen in the next two selections with K’Andre Miller and Nils Lundkvist.

 

[Kovalev27]

Still could use a center for the future though.

always and that’s everyone

 

[Amazing Kreiderman]

Especially in today's league. Maybe you needed more grit in 1994.

Today? No. All about skill.

Adding grit is fine, but often teams sacrifice skill for it. Sestito, Bickel, Glass, Mashinter etc.

 

[kovazub94]

Yes, but can he shoot the puck hard on a smaller rink?

No, not enough room to reach full acceleration, so it turns to weakness in the NHL.

 

[RangersFan1994]

Adding grit is fine, but often teams sacrifice skill for it. Sestito, Bickel, Glass, Mashinter etc.

not if you get guys like Wayne Simmonds, David Backes, Gabriel Landeskog, Tom Wilson, Jerome Iginla, Brendan Shanahan, Tkachuk, Roenick types of players with both skill and grit. players like that you need to draft or get lucky in UFA with or via trade. players like that still do exist.

 

[KirkAlbuquerque]

Still could use a center for the future though.

if we keep our pick 22 there will be Centers available.

 

[kovazub94]

Gorton is building a heavy team. The only players on a light side are Panarin, Fox and ADA. As others noted it’s not really about height and weight (though there’s definitely a correlation) but not allowing to be separated from the puck, especially toward the end of a game, OT or long series where the opposition takes every opportunity to hit. The rest are already showing ability to handle physical play or just too young to give an indication that they won’t be able to handle it.

 

[Chytilmania]

Gorton is building a heavy team. The only players on a light side are Panarin, Fox and ADA. As others noted it’s not really about height and weight (though there’s definitely a correlation) but not allowing to be separated from the puck, especially toward the end of a game, OT or long series where the opposition takes every opportunity to hit. The rest are already showing ability to handle physical play or just too young to give an indication that they won’t be able to handle it.

And the 3 players on the light side are elite with the puck. Plus Panarin and Fox are sneaky defensively.

 

[Rangers in 7]

That’s why the WCF is Vegas v Dallas? Two heavy teams with not a ton of skill. It’s no accident the Isles made it this far after being mediocre in the regular season. Tampa got swept in round 1 last season with their high flying style, they became bigger and “slower” this year and look at them now. The playoffs are just different.

Did you just say Vegas and Dallas are heavy teams that lack talent? Come on we all know that isn’t the case

 

[Irishguy42]

Regular Season	5v5 CF%	5v5 xGF%	5v5 GF%
VGK	54.76 (1st)	56.07 (1st)	51.02 (11th)
DAL	49.48 (18th)	52.58 (5th)	49.52 (19th)
TBL	52.25 (5th)	53.73 (3rd)	57.04 (3rd)
NYI	46.46 (29th)	48.84 (20th)	48.65 (23rd)

[TBODY] [/TBODY]

 

[I Eat Crow]

That isles powerplay alone could have won them this series. It’s failed miserably. They don’t have a point man. They don’t have a guy across from Barzal that’s a one time threat.

Mike Hoffman as an Islander would be really scary. I hope they're ignorant enough to not consider him.

 

[Irishguy42]

Seems like Vegas was pretty talented, and Dallas just scored below what they should have been scoring at during the regular season.

Doesn't seem like teams that don't have a ton of skill...

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

Mike Hoffman as an Islander would be really scary. I hope they're ignorant enough to not consider him.

I don't know if they have the money to do that

 

[Shesterkybomb]

I don't know if they have the money to do that

I feel as though both him and Kovalchuk are in Montreal next year, that could make them a much better team, especially if Romanov is ready and Kokniemi and Suzuki play like they did in the post season.

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

I feel as though both him and Kovalchuk are in Montreal next year, that could make them a much better team, especially if Romanov is ready and Kokniemi and Suzuki play like they did in the post season.

Hadn't thought of Hoffman going to Montreal, but I could definitely see it. I for sure think Kovalchuk ends up back there

 

[Kovalev27]

I see Buchnevich headed to montreal

the islanders don’t have money for Hoffman. They’re going to have to get wahlstrom into the lineup and hope he can produce on the powerplay

 

[NYSPORTS]

if we are talking about what to focus on to win a cup, it is elite talent all day everyday.....you can totally sprinkle in grit at a later time

all the grit in the world won't win you a stanley cup, Panarin, zip, laf and Kakko win you a cup, not a team full of Ryan Reeves

Tampa needed some grit added to their All-Star team though.