Speculation: Roster Building Thread: Part LIII

[kovazub94]

I see no reason why Kreider can’t move over to the right side. He’s already done it multiple times. He scored a beauty in the very last game flying down the right side. I fully expect him to move there full time.

He might need a different(ly handed) center.

 

[mas0764]

Nobody is obsessed with Virtanen. We're discussing possible depth players who might still have some untapped potential.

The Rangers current 3RW is Julien Gauthier. I'm as hopeful as anyone that he turns into a good player but he has 17 NHL games and 3 points to his credit. You could move Kreider to the right, sure, but then your 3LW is Brendan Lemieux. Either way, the Rangers end up with a 4th line caliber player on their 3rd line.

For now.

Winning a Stanley Cup isn’t a priority next year though. Getting the team to a place where it can compete in 2-3 years is.

This team will make plenty of noise regardless of its third line construction with Panarin, Zibanejad, Kakko, Fox, ADA, Shesterkin, etc.

 

[Kovalev27]

He might need a different(ly handed) center.

Oh come now he does not. Besides I would prefer my righty center passing to Lafreniere or Panarin more than to Chris. He needs to do some dirty work along the boards and create problems in front of the net. He can fly thru the neutral zone from either side.

 

[RGY]

Gauthier, Kravtosv or Barron is who Virtanen competes with for ice time on this team. Greg mckegg is gone. Resigning Virtanen is gonna cost us how much? How much would it cost to keep Fast? The numbers are probably similar and we dont have to give up assets to get a better player.

Virtanen is already an NHL player with at least some credibility. None of the first three you mentioned have that. And Virtanen is a more productive player than Fast that plays an even heavier game. I mean maybe you just haven’t watched any bit of Vancouver but this kid is certainly better than Fast, and I love Jesper Fast.


Just watching Tampa play, to me Virtanen can fit in that middle six role and move around the lineup as needed kinda like Blake Coleman, Palat, even Gourde to a degree, does for TBL. Virtanen has offensive ability but won’t shy away from the physical play. We desperately need that mix in our lineup. If you are waiting for a center to come around or a top 6 player to come around that fits that criteria then you might be waiting a long, long time. Right now it’s about finding the right mix of player types to win. Tampa has a fantastic mix to play any style for any matchup. We have the talent. We need to fill out some of the other areas now.

 

[Thirty One]

How about signing Mikko Koivu to a cheap 1 year deal to mentor KK and win faceoffs and penalty kill?

As @Mac n Gs (who is very smart) posted, Minnesota sources have said it will be Minnesota if Koivu plays in the NHL this season.

 

[D713B]

Gordon hasn’t been bad at all. He budgeted for the names i mentioned before yet all that changed once the Rangers won back to back lottery picks. Now the Rangers have to anticipate at least $10 million for each of those players in the future. A future which will come fast. On top there is Panarin, Zibby, Kreider , etc so this won’t be easy.

Certainly unexpected but it isn't something they couldn't foresee and incorporate into projections. They knew they would be a lottery team both years. Even if they only drafted in the five or seven spot the potential is still there for a large second contract.

 

[Raspewtin]

I don't hate this either. He has some bite to his game as well.

I don’t either and if it stops Howden from plying center that’s cool

 

[NYSPORTS]

Certainly unexpected but it isn't something they couldn't foresee and incorporate into projections. They knew they would be a lottery team both years. Even if they only drafted in the five or seven spot the potential is still there for a large second contract.

com’on, picking #1 and #2 overall is historically a lot different than picking #6 and beyond.

and this year they were supposed to be picking around #14.

 

[Mac n Gs]

As @Mac n Gs (who is very smart) posted, Minnesota sources have said it will be Minnesota if Koivu plays in the NHL this season.

My four remaining brain cells thank you kindly.

As for Virtanen, I really love the idea of the player, and I agree that a change of scenery could do the kid good. If anything, he's the ideal type of player you want Kreider to mentor, and I think management could entice this kid with easily becoming a fan favorite if he embraces a Tom Wilson-esque role here. The biggest issue is cost and figuring out a way to fit him in financially. If we didn't acquire Gauthier, I'd be a lot more inclined to try to get Virtanen, but I don't think it makes sense to have two really similar players in that mold. Both struggle with making smart hockey plays, and I don't think it's worth making this forward group even worse defensively. If either of them had hockey sense, they'd be Alex Tuch clones.

 

[D713B]

com’on, picking #1 and #2 overall is historically a lot different than picking #6 and beyond.

and this year they were supposed to be picking around #14.

Four of the top seven in the 2016 draft all have large second contracts with a fifth on the way. 2017 will have four out of the top five due for large second contracts. 2015 draft... well just look at the top ten.

You plan accordingly. You enter the draft with a lottery pick and the plan is to hopefully owe someone a large contract. They weren't blindsided.

They weren't projecting to finish 14th at the start of the season. Stop it.

 

[NYSPORTS]

Four of the top seven in the 2016 draft all have large second contracts with a fifth on the way. 2017 will have four out of the top five due for large second contracts. 2015 draft... well just look at the top ten.

You plan accordingly. You enter the draft with a lottery pick and the plan is to hopefully owe someone a large contract. They weren't blindsided.

They weren't projecting to finish 14th at the start of the season. Stop it.

bottom line is the cap is going to be a real issue. We all know it. Jump aboard

 

[D713B]

bottom line is the cap is going to be a real issue. We all know it. Jump aboard

I think I'll focus my energy elsewhere while Gorton navigates it like a professional.

 

[SA16]

This.

Earlier this summer, I mentioned that a few years ago I had seen the Coyotes cap planning tool. It was pretty amazing. They had all of their current players, players in their system they expected to have with the big club in the future, players they hadn’t even drafted yet and even players they hoped to acquire as free agents. It stretched out for several years. and it was pretty amazing. I can only assume the Rangers have a similar tool. These guys are paid a lot of money to do the things we doodle with here on the boards.

www.capfriendly.com enjoy

 

[D713B]

Enjoy the team. Don't stress the cap. We finally have superstar homegrown talent on the way. Why worry if there's a cap casualty here or there.

 

[NYSPORTS]

I think I'll focus my energy elsewhere while Gorton navigates it like a professional.

you do that lol

 

[GoAwayPanarin]

www.capfriendly.com enjoy

Lmaoooooo

 

[Trxjw]

For now.

Winning a Stanley Cup isn’t a priority next year though. Getting the team to a place where it can compete in 2-3 years is

This team will make plenty of noise regardless of its third line construction with Panarin, Zibanejad, Kakko, Fox, ADA, Shesterkin, etc.

You don't need to have the cup in your sights in order to justify making the team better. They had all of those guys you listed on the team this season and the only noise they made was a whimper after they got spanked in the play-in round. Can they get better? Of course. Does those guys getting better preclude them from adding depth? No, it does not.

 

[D713B]

you do that lol

Good talk.

Enjoy Francesca's podcast or Twitter feed. Whatever it is he does these days.

 

[Tob]

Good job Coleman

 

[Edge]

I think we as a board fret more about the cap than the team does. It’s just not really something that seems to come up much internally.

 

[GeorgeKaplan]

I think we as a board fret more about the cap than the team does. It’s just not really something that seems to come up much internally.

Not surprising with some of the contracts these GMs give out

 

[NYRangers16]

How about signing Mikko Koivu to a cheap 1 year deal to mentor KK and win faceoffs and penalty kill?

Koivu is staying in MN or retiring.

 

[YoSoyLalo]

Good talk.

Enjoy Francesca's podcast or Twitter feed. Whatever it is he does these days.

You are not permitted to speak the Lord’s name

 

[huerter]

I think we as a board fret more about the cap than the team does. It’s just not really something that seems to come up much internally.

what is this post?

why isn't one of our best players signed right now then?

 

[Edge]

what is this post?

why isn't one of our best players signed right now then?

Because there are many moving parts to the roster, he isn’t going anywhere as a free agent, and he might be a trade candidate?