Speculation: Roster Building Thread Part XIV: There ain't no gettin' off of this train we're on

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HatTrick Swayze

Just Be Nice
Jun 16, 2006
16,920
9,912
Chicago
Overall thoughts as of 2/27:

Holden: B
Grabner: C+
Nash: A-
McD: B+
Miller: D

Direction of the team / pulling the trigger: A+

Not unexpected at all, but I doubt any 1F/1D players came back in these deals, though Howden and Hajek have more skill than many give them credit for. Right now the NYR have one prospect in the organization with that upside. Again - did not expect that they would acquire another at the TDL. But it is a fact that ultimately the success of this rebuild will be determined at the draft table.

One way or another they need to acquire an elite player for this next generation. Targeting "character" to develop a new generation of Dubinskys and Anisimovs to be traded for Rick Nash(s) in 2022 is not a long term Cup-caliber plan. In totality this franchise can't try to build the same type of farm they built a decade ago minus the HOF goaltender.

Additionally I would argue that they should not sign a bunch of JVR/Kovalchuk UFAs this Summer and pick 12-20th next year. That could spiral this far down barring crazy lottery luck.

I can only hope they see this.
 

MarkMessyay11

Registered User
Jan 12, 2015
873
593
NJ
Figured I'd post this here as well, more people may see it.


Q: How did it come about that you had to include Miller?

A: Number of discussions with Stevie y, had decisions to make with JT. We were comfortble with what we were getting back.

Q: Namestnikov will be an RFA too, is he definitely in the long term plans?

A: Not necessarily. We have to make difficult decisions. Comfortable with acquiring him, we will talk after the season.

Q: What was the tipping point of the season?

A: Not one in particular. Bad first 10-15 games, conversations started about where are we going here? Henrik masked issues, settled back in to a team that was not good enough. Trying to win here, not barely sneak in.

Q: long rebuild?

A: tough. Like to think we could turn it around in a year. Look around, there have been quick rebuilds, but some haven't worked. It's on us. Picks are important. Andersson, Chytil. No timeline, a lot of options to get better.

Q: Lundqvist -you want to lose, why play him?

A: Franchise goalie and player, not the right message. Put our young guys in an NHL environment. Not trying to finf the worst players and play them. Understand where it's coming from, but obligation to field a competitive team.

Q: Tampa prospects?

A: coveted Hajek, couldn't get him earlier cause wewhad no picks. Two way D, strong kid, character, type of D you build your D around. Howden's skill is developing, big kid with 200 ft game. Brought up his point total this season.

Q: it's a gutsy call, the team had a nice ten year run. Did the fact that it's NY make you think twice? We've seen the Yankees do it quickly.

A: Yes, no question. This is the biggest stage. The decision gave us pause.We looked in the mirror, not good enough to win. Not the right thing to do to trade futures for one win anymore. Job is to build a team that can compete for years. Tremendous response, great reaction from fans, we are lucky. Fans have basically said build a winner and we're with you.

Just some lines/thoughts that stand out to me. Gorton has his head on right, IMO...has be believing in this thing already.
 

Ola

Registered User
Apr 10, 2004
34,597
11,595
Sweden
I've been away all day, can anyone help me catch up -- has Gorton made any worthless trades yet today? Buch to Tampa for a 7th rounder maybe?
 
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Ola

Registered User
Apr 10, 2004
34,597
11,595
Sweden
Overall thoughts as of 2/27:

Holden: B
Grabner: C+
Nash: A-
McD: B+
Miller: D

Direction of the team / pulling the trigger: A+

Not unexpected at all, but I doubt any 1F/1D players came back in these deals, though Howden and Hajek have more skill than many give them credit for. Right now the NYR have one prospect in the organization with that upside. Again - did not expect that they would acquire another at the TDL. But it is a fact that ultimately the success of this rebuild will be determined at the draft table.

One way or another they need to acquire an elite player for this next generation. Targeting "character" to develop a new generation of Dubinskys and Anisimovs to be traded for Rick Nash(s) in 2022 is not a long term Cup-caliber plan. In totality this franchise can't try to build the same type of farm they built a decade ago minus the HOF goaltender.

Additionally I would argue that they should not sign a bunch of JVR/Kovalchuk UFAs this Summer and pick 12-20th next year. That could spiral this far down barring crazy lottery luck.

I can only hope they see this.

On a serious note, I don't really disagree much with this, but would hardly give McD more than a C. Like what is a "worse" deal than what we got? Its really ugly. Gorton got rental value for him. Should have been more, but its not a disaster. The JT Miller trade is of course E minus. The problem is, volume-weighted those two trades overshadows the rest.

I also think its a huge mistake to go so hard after these LD's. Think its bad management. First of all, to develop these Ds you need to give them a strong environment and let them play to their strength. It takes time to develop them too. They are also easy to get a hold of, there is a reason everyone is trading them, its a area of strength for everyone. Would definitely have preferred some good prospect wingers instead of -- only -- LDs. Cept Howden of course.

The direction we are going into -- like it or not, if we are going there lets go there. No half arsed attempt. And Gorton seems deadbent on doing it properly. That is great.
 

Don Chytil

Registered User
Jan 14, 2010
2,053
541
Queens
I've been away all day, can anyone help me catch up -- has Gorton made any worthless trades yet today? Buch to Tampa for a 7th rounder maybe?

Have you made any posts that contributed something positive to the conversation today? Tried to not see everything so negatively maybe?

Gorton gets an A- from me for the way he handled this entire deadline. Think of how fans in Ottawa and Detroit must feel when they see us whining about how our GM botched the deadline. Get real. Imagine Islanders fans when they finish 9th or 10th in the east and Tavares leaves. We've started something real here, and we're headed in the right direction. Be happy :)
 

Ghost of jas

Unsatisfied
Feb 27, 2002
27,188
13,601
NJ
Overall thoughts as of 2/27:

Holden: B
Grabner: C+
Nash: A-
McD: B+
Miller: D

Direction of the team / pulling the trigger: A+

Not unexpected at all, but I doubt any 1F/1D players came back in these deals, though Howden and Hajek have more skill than many give them credit for. Right now the NYR have one prospect in the organization with that upside. Again - did not expect that they would acquire another at the TDL. But it is a fact that ultimately the success of this rebuild will be determined at the draft table.

One way or another they need to acquire an elite player for this next generation. Targeting "character" to develop a new generation of Dubinskys and Anisimovs to be traded for Rick Nash(s) in 2022 is not a long term Cup-caliber plan. In totality this franchise can't try to build the same type of farm they built a decade ago minus the HOF goaltender.

Additionally I would argue that they should not sign a bunch of JVR/Kovalchuk UFAs this Summer and pick 12-20th next year. That could spiral this far down barring crazy lottery luck.

I can only hope they see this.

I think they get one in this draft. They likely need another. Which is why they need another shot at the top five in 2019.
 
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Avery16

Shake my hand, fatso
Jun 28, 2015
12,908
8,666
Brooklyn
Even if we hit the Dahlin lottery, I’d make my priority Karlsson.

Dahlin - Karlsson is a dream. The mentoring. The puck possession and transition. Split them when you need to. Combine them when you need to. As Karlsson gets older he slides to second pairing after teaching Dahlin everything he needs to know to hold down the 1st pairing.

This is my dream.
Time to wake up.
 
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alkurtz

Registered User
Nov 26, 2006
1,440
1,014
Charlotte, NC
We're really in what is, for Ranger fans, uncharted territory. I've seen it happen with the Rangers maybe 3X: when Francis rebuilt a truly horrid team during the mid-60s and had it emerge as a power in the late 60s; the fairly quick rebuild that occurred after the end of the Francis era under John Ferguson (Duguay, Murdoch, Davidson, et al), and at the start of the most recent era after the long dark ages (Lundqvist, Staal, everyone else; 3 excellent coaches each adding something to the mix).

But what we have to realize is that there is no magic formula here. It is not as simple as "do this, do that, then do this, then do that" and, presto, an elite team! You can do everything right (including getting high draft picks for a few years in a row, have the right developmental coaches in place, etc) and it still may not work. We've seen, all to often, first round picks get hurt or worse. Projecting 18 year olds is not a science, as much as scouts would like it to be. Outside events impinge on players' lives. Personality plays a part (I always remember a photo of Ranger prospects during developmental camp in the year JT Miller was drafted. Maybe they were on the Circle Line or going to the Statue of Liberty, some group bonding activity. Everyone was smiling and happy except for JT, who just looked dour and upset: was this a harbinger of things to come?). Having the right vets around as mentors is important. Obviously the right coach. So many factors, many often out of a team's control.

Things look quite promising right now: Andersson, Chytl, all the guys we've acquired, the ones we are going to draft. But you just never know. We've seen teams with the best intentions fall into losing ruts that last for years and sometimes decades.

But we need to be realistic. We need not to rush the process. This is an exciting time if you are a hard core fan. It is something so many of year have wished for over and over again. It's going to be exciting watching kids come up and process. It is going to be upsetting watching some guys with high upsides wither and not make it. We seem to have the right GM. Coaching remains problematic. It's going to be bumpy. Hey, I'm 70 years old and have Ranger memories going back to 1958 and have been a hard core fan since 1962 but I'm excited to see what the future will bring.
 

Alluckks

Gabriel Perreault Fan Account
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Nov 2, 2011
7,636
7,558
Kreider Tavares Zibanejad
Namestnikov Chytil Zucc
Spooner Hayes Buchnevich
Vesey Andersson Fast

Skjei Shattenkirk
Staal DeAngelo
Smith Gilmour
Kampfer

Hank
Georgiev

Could deal zucc to free up more money if needed.

That team looks pretty good if you ask me lol
Deal Hayes, sign Kovalchuk - draft Boqvist or Dahlin (depending on where we get in lottery)
Zib stays at center, Chytil moves to LW (he is a left shot, Kovy is a right shot)

Kreider Tavares Buch
Chytil Zib Zucc
Spooner Namestnikov Kovalchuk
Vesey Andersson Fast

I see Andersson and Namestikov switching down the line, Andersson likely has a higher offensive ceiling. When Howden comes next year he can be 4C and Names goes to left wing.

Skjei Shattenkirk
Staal Boqvist
Smith DeAngelo/Pionk

Eventually Lindgren/Hajek/Rykov can take over the Staal/Smith left side.

Skjei, Hajek, Smith have all been able to play their off-side, if we get Dahlin or move stuff around down the line.
 
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leetch99

Leetch66 Joined 2007
Oct 5, 2017
3,604
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PEI Canada
I just hope that the team goes in the direction of being... having each other's back... type of club and not one that allows their stars to be mauled . There is nothing more demoralizing than watching that crap happen. It was great to hear that some of the blueline guys we picked up have some nastiness in them....they don't have to be Chris Nilan types but just somebody that will stand up like TonyD did with Simmonds . This team needs to start having each other's backs and the coach has to buy into that if he wants to have any sort of chemistry on the ice and in the room . Secondly...if somebody is going to be given a C...they better prepare themselves to at least be willing to drop the gloves like Crosby does ....winning is secondary ...dropping them is mandatory .
 

Alluckks

Gabriel Perreault Fan Account
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On a serious note, I don't really disagree much with this, but would hardly give McD more than a C. Like what is a "worse" deal than what we got? Its really ugly. Gorton got rental value for him. Should have been more, but its not a disaster. The JT Miller trade is of course E minus. The problem is, volume-weighted those two trades overshadows the rest.

I also think its a huge mistake to go so hard after these LD's. Think its bad management. First of all, to develop these Ds you need to give them a strong environment and let them play to their strength. It takes time to develop them too. They are also easy to get a hold of, there is a reason everyone is trading them, its a area of strength for everyone. Would definitely have preferred some good prospect wingers instead of -- only -- LDs. Cept Howden of course.

The direction we are going into -- like it or not, if we are going there lets go there. No half arsed attempt. And Gorton seems deadbent on doing it properly. That is great.
Show me the "rental" trade that got that much, or more
 

Alluckks

Gabriel Perreault Fan Account
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Nov 2, 2011
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How do you want to do with the defense? Zone or man-man?

Think Ruff is an option if AV is going.
Ruff came here partially for his own agenda and partially to help AV. He didn't show anything, why would he be considered.

Clean house coaching staff this off-season.
 

bernmeister

Registered User
Jun 11, 2010
27,691
3,719
Da Big Apple
It would be another hard pill to swallow, but would you trade Kreider for Edmonton’s first at the draft? If Edmonton doesn’t get the first pick.
No, not if it is conditional 1st is protected.
If there is a mindblowing offer for Kreider now, then okay, a price for everyone. But absent that Kreider should be here at least another 3-4 years before we expect MAYBE the edge to his game is reduced and a less intensive return makes sense.


The Rangers didn't want to pay Miller.
Which is a shame b'c I think esp if AV gone, as is something that just has to happen at some point sooner than later, he would have extended for 8 yrs at 4.25mper.

Miller is the guy EDM would have paid a premium for.
Should have packaged him w/Zib for Oiler 1st, Poolparty.
Can still consider Zib w/correct add.

I wonder how much value moving Bobby Ryan's contract has to Ottawa. Could we potentially take on his contract and get their 1st round pick? Would we have to swap one of the late 1sts we have? Something like:

Ryan+Ott 1st for Beleskey+TB 1st.
The missed play was something around
McD, Zuc, Miller, Smith (half) Staal (half) 2019 + 2020 1sts
for
Karlsson, Chabot, Ryan, Ottawa 2018 1st
that ship has sailed.

Ott - There is a risk if the 1st is moved and nets 1OA, they can get burned. But it is a statistically small risk, mathematically. If it is enough overpayment to do that, they have to consider it.

Rangers eating half on both Staal + Smith is a start, with Ryan coming here at full pop. That is huge. We can still do the 2 1sts upcoming for their 2018 1st. Not sure how much more needs to be added and if we can squeeze Chabot out of it.


Wonder what moving Zibanejad to RW does for us in a year or two
I have been saying this for upwards of 2 years, if you put him with Kreider as bookend 1Ws. Obvious chemistry together.

Even if we hit the Dahlin lottery, I’d make my priority Karlsson.

Dahlin - Karlsson is a dream. The mentoring. The puck possession and transition. Split them when you need to. Combine them when you need to. As Karlsson gets older he slides to second pairing after teaching Dahlin everything he needs to know to hold down the 1st pairing.

This is my dream.
A good and noble dream IF you do a more expensive version of Shattenkirk. Overpay on 3 - 4 yr deal, 11 yr 1, 10 yr 2, 9 yr 3. possible rental end of term. No long term deal risking stuck if he has injury.
 

Brooklyn Rangers Fan

Change is good.
Aug 23, 2005
19,237
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Brooklyn & Upstate
Figured I'd post this here as well, more people may see it.

Gorton interview with Kay and LaGreca:

Q: How difficult was it to break the team up?

A: Pretty tough to trade players that meant so much, was an emotional investment in players. Hard few weeks. We all want to win, but necessary, exciting action.

Q: How did it come about that you had to include Miller?

A: Number of discussions with Stevie y, had decisions to make with JT. We were comfortble with what we were getting back.

Q: Namestnikov will be an RFA too, is he definitely in the long term plans?

A: Not necessarily. We have to make difficult decisions. Comfortable with acquiring him, we will talk after the season.

Q: What was the tipping point of the season?

A: Not one in particular. Bad first 10-15 games, conversations started about where are we going here? Henrik masked issues, settled back in to a team that was not good enough. Trying to win here, not barely sneak in.

Q: After the letter, beat CGY and WPG, did you think you sent it early?

A: No, we were convinced. Young players brought excitement. To beat Pitt, TB or WSH is different than winning a couple of games and we were climbing up hill.

Q: long rebuild?

A: tough. Like to think we could turn it around in a year. Look around, there have been quick rebuilds, but some haven't worked. It's on us. Picks are important. Andersson, Chytil. No timeline, a lot of options to get better.

Q: Andersson and Chytil be up at some point?

A: Strong chance they'll be up for looks at the end of the season.

Q: Lundqvist -you want to lose, why play him?

A: Franchise goalie and player, not the right message. Put our young guys in an NHL environment. Not trying to finf the worst players and play them. Understand where it's coming from, but obligation to field a competitive team.

Q: not many years left for henrik - trade ever brought up?

A: no. We don't think he's close to done, shown top 10 flashes. Had long convo with him, wants to win here.

Q: if he'd given ok, would you have traded him?

A: a decision that is above him. Important player, never had that talk. Want him to be here when we turn it around

Q: Tampa prospects?

A: coveted Hajek, couldn't get him earlier cause wewhad no picks. Two way D, strong kid, character, type of D you build your D around. Howden's skill is developing, big kid with 200 ft game. Brought up his point total this season.

Q: AV's future?

A: Avoids answering. Hasn't talked to him. Get through the season, sit down and talk about whether he will be a part.

Q: The way you go with your picks, will it determine AV's future?

A: yes, AV has a great track record, but has not been with a team that's undergone this process. Hasn't thought about whether he'll be back.

Q: Thoughts on Spooner andNamestnikov

A: Take a look at Spooner at C. He's very skilled but was stuck behind some great C in BOS. Harder to find guys like that at C so want to take a look at him and Namestnikov at C

Q: What are you going to do with Bellesky?

A: Keep him the AHL for now, have discussions about him on a daily basis on what to do with him. Give him a shot to make the team next year.

Q: Will you bring Shattenkirk back if he's healthy and wants to play or will you shut him down?

A: If he is 100%, skating for weeks and we don't risk injury, we'll put him back. Err on the side of caution.

Q: it's a gutsy call, the team had a nice ten year run. Did the fact that it's NY make you think twice? We've seen the Yankees do it quickly.

A: Yes, no question. This is the biggest stage. The decision gave us pause.We looked in the mirror, not good enough to win. Not the right thing to do to trade futures for one win anymore. Job is to build a team that can compete for years. Tremendous response, great reaction from fans, we are lucky. Fans have basically said build a winner and we're with you.

Q: Have you thought about who the next captain will be?

A: No plan. Not necessary that we need a captain, we'll have those discussions at the end of the season. Looking forward to making our team better
Many thanks!
 
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