This is a Bad Hockey Team 2019-20

[Raspewtin]

The defense is a dumpster fire.

We're talking a lot about Staal, but Hajek has been nearly equally awful.

The RHD mostly look fine. Some hiccups here and there, but not worried long term. The left side is dark.

Disagree, I think Hajek has been fine up until last night where he absolutely got his skull caved in.

Either way, I can see the upside with Hajek and would like to continue playing him until he gets into "awful at everything" territory.

 

[Lion Hound]

Disagree, I think Hajek has been fine up until last night where he absolutely got his skull caved in.

Either way, I can see the upside with Hajek and would like to continue playing him until he gets into "awful at everything" territory.

What happened to Hajek?

 

[Raspewtin]

What happened to Hajek?

Oh he just played really poorly.

Didn't mean he got injured

 

[Machinehead]

It's that ammo component again.

Even with Kakko I see a team that needs more higher-end young talent. I think we need that from that 2020 draft. I think we need another exceptionally high pick, a later first to take a homerun swing, and then some swings in the second round and beyond like we took in 2018 and 2019.

I'm not going to lie, I want Byfield in a Rangers jersey. So do fans of 30 other NHL teams, but that's my guy in this draft. Not only do I think he is a top talent, I think he's also a perfect fit for this organization and opens A LOT of other opportunities - be it moving guys to the wing, or even moving them in trades to shore up other areas. To me, he's our potential exclamation point.

Then I want to start looking at defenseman and wings later in the first and beyond. Guys like Guhle, Sanderson, Amirov, etc.

The 2020 is that last draft before we really should be moving out range of talking about those tip top picks (without some weird lottery mojo).

Yeah, I wouldn't be sad about getting LaFreniere but he doesn't solve problems like Byfield does.

 

[Edge]

Yeah, I wouldn't be sad about getting LaFreniere but he doesn't solve problems like Byfield does.

Byfield is a kid who checks a number of boxes, potentially including the all important BPA box.

Obviously he wouldn't come in and perform miracles, but man that's a hell of an upside to ignore. And for those concerned about the defense and the wings, you would now have a scenario where Chytil, Andersson, Howden, etc. either slide over, or are moved to address those concerns. It has a tremendous impact on the entire organizational landscape.

When you see Byfield you cannot take your eyes off him. It's not just the size, it's like looking at a created player in a video game whose attributes have been cranked up AND who has been given insane vitals.

 

[East Coast Bias]

Disagree, I think Hajek has been fine up until last night where he absolutely got his skull caved in.

Either way, I can see the upside with Hajek and would like to continue playing him until he gets into "awful at everything" territory.

I'm not saying Hajek can't be good, he just looks overwhelmed. He's been pretty bad IMO. But again, I get the LHD is a domino. There's not a lot to be done there. I'm fine firing Staal into the sun, but it doesn't get me going if it's to play Hajek top pairing mins

 

[True Blue]

We're not the youngest team in the league.

Fine. Are the Rangers age-wise close to the NHL mean? If we are going to quibble about how young they are or if there is a team or two that is actually younger, that is fine.

Want to call the the average age? Or veteran laden?

 

[Machinehead]

Byfield is a kid who checks a number of boxes, potentially including the all important BPA box.

Obviously he wouldn't come in and perform miracles, but man that's a hell of an upside to ignore. And for those concerned about the defense and the wings, you would now have a scenario where Chytil, Andersson, Howden, etc. either slide over, or are moved to address those concerns. It has a tremendous impact on the entire organizational landscape.

When you see Byfield you cannot take your eyes off him. It's not just the size, it's like looking at a created player in a video game whose attributes have been cranked up AND who has been given insane vitals.

He sounds like Aaron Judge playing hockey center.

 

[Edge]

He sounds like Aaron Judge playing hockey center.

I really started following prospects closely starting in 1993. There are very, very few players I can recall with Byfield's size and skill combination as a teenager.

And, keep in mind, he's one of the youngest players in this draft. He just turned 17 about 8 weeks ago.

He's almost a year a younger than Lafreniere.

 

[TheDirtyH]

Fine. Are the Rangers age-wise close to the NHL mean? If we are going to quibble about how young they are or if there is a team or two that is actually younger, that is fine.

Want to call the the average age? Or veteran laden?

Average age is 27.3. Two of the four teams with an average age under 26 are top teams in the league. CBJ hasn't been great, but they at least are in the games they play. And TOR, WPG, BUF, ANA are all playing great to start the year. We're young, but the league is young.

 

[Tawnos]

Average age is 27.3. Two of the four teams with an average age under 26 are top teams in the league. CBJ hasn't been great, but they at least are in the games they play. And TOR, WPG, BUF, ANA are all playing great to start the year. We're young, but the league is young.

What happens if you make this list just skaters?

 

[McRanger]

If we get Lafraniere I look forward to the posts about how we can never win because we don't have any centers.

 

[McRanger]

What happens if you make this list just skaters?

Or pretend Michael Haley is just a figment of our dark imaginations.

 

[Machinehead]

This team is like a stew that have just been put into the pot. The meat is still chewy, the vegetables hard, and its still lacking some spices. Still, it smells good at times. Some time in the pot will make it so much better.

When you have luxury ingredients like Kakko, Chytil and Kravtsov, and boil away the Smiths & Staals it will become very tasty. But it is not that yet.

It would help if they took the Kakko out of the wrapper first.

 

[True Blue]

Average age is 27.3. Two of the four teams with an average age under 26 are top teams in the league. CBJ hasn't been great, but they at least are in the games they play. And TOR, WPG, BUF, ANA are all playing great to start the year. We're young, but the league is young.

Looks very young to me. Want to claim otherwise, that is your choice. Then factor in Lundqvist.

 

[True Blue]

It would help if they took the Kakko out of the wrapper first.

It would also help if Kakko was playing better. And by better, I mean a lot better.

 

[Machinehead]

It would also help if Kakko was playing better. And by better, I mean a lot better.

But it's not like guys ahead of him are.

 

[True Blue]

But it's not like guys ahead of him are.

No, but neither is he. Again, for top line consideration a veteran with an actual track record should and will get the nod ahead of an 18 year old with no track record whose play can best be described is mundane.

 

[TheDirtyH]

What happens if you make this list just skaters?

CAR - 25.22
NYR - 25.37
CBJ - 25.47
WPG - 25.55
BUF - 25.75
TOR - 25.86
COL - 26.04
NJD - 26.23
ANA - 26.35

 

[Tawnos]

CAR - 25.22
NYR - 25.37
CBJ - 25.47
WPG - 25.55
BUF - 25.75
TOR - 25.86
COL - 26.04
NJD - 26.23
ANA - 26.35

Interesting. And what happens if we talk about median rather than average?

I'm asking, because the Rangers supposedly have the most 23- and 21- and under players on their roster. And their play on the ice LOOKS like a young team in a way that, for example, Carolina's does not.

 

[TheDirtyH]

Interesting. And what happens if we talk about median rather than average?

I'm asking, because the Rangers supposedly have the most 23- and 21- and under players on their roster. And their play on the ice LOOKS like a young team in a way that, for example, Carolina's does not.

I have to do these by hand, but just with Carolina the median age of skaters is 25--same as ours. If the point is that we are a young team, that's definitely true. Are we exceptionally young? That's debatable. We do have the highest number of 23-and under along with Winnipeg with 6. However, there are at least 5 other teams with 5 23- skaters. We have the most 21 and under with 5. NJ has 4. Three teams have 3, and two have 2. Again, we're definitely young. But we're also just bad. It might be more reasonable to be bad and young since we can conceivably improve, but young/bad does not equal cause/effect in the NHL.

Moreover, some of our best players have been our U-22s. Fox, Kakko, and Andersson can be said to have at least kept afloat in their roles. Our worst issues have been with veteran players: Staal, Kreider, Strome, Skjei, etc.

 

[East Coast Bias]

The young guys aren't even playing much? It's the vets who all suck. Not sure how we're going to chalk this up to being a super young team.

Could be encouraging to the kids. the bar for "earning it" ain't exactly high to this point.

TOI breakdowns

Forwards - Panarin, Mika, Buch, Strome, Kreider, Fast in that order at 5v5. Kakko only forward top 6 for PP (5th overall). Howden and Lias are 3/4th respectively for PK usage.

Defense is spread out a bit more but special teams is heavily on 3/4 guys for each.

PP is Trouba, ADA and Fox.

PK is Trouba, Skeji, Staal, Smith.

5v5 is spread relatively even with Trouba, Skjei, Staal, Hajek, ADA, Fox in order (10 min overall TOI gap from top to bottom)

 

[NYRFANMANI]

If we get Lafraniere I look forward to the posts about how we can never win because we don't have any centers.

See, I want Byfield, but at #2. At #1 we might have to take Laf. (oops, he's listed solely as a LW, I was wrong about the C thing)

As Edge pointed out, Byfield is a year younger, a physical freak, and so on. So maybe we have to pick Byfield, even at #1. As of now, Laf is the nominal BPA. We'll have seven months to find out what's real.

 

[Tawnos]

I have to do these by hand, but just with Carolina the median age of skaters is 25--same as ours. If the point is that we are a young team, that's definitely true. Are we exceptionally young? That's debatable. We do have the highest number of 23-and under along with Winnipeg with 6. However, there are at least 5 other teams with 5 23- skaters. We have the most 21 and under with 5. NJ has 4. Three teams have 3, and two have 2. Again, we're definitely young. But we're also just bad. It might be more reasonable to be bad and young since we can conceivably improve, but young/bad does not equal cause/effect in the NHL.

Moreover, some of our best players have been our U-22s. Fox, Kakko, and Andersson can be said to have at least kept afloat in their roles. Our worst issues have been with veteran players: Staal, Kreider, Strome, Skjei, etc.

There are 7 Rangers skaters who are 23 and under.

 

[Raspewtin]

There are 7 Rangers skaters who are 23 and under.

Lemieux, Howden, Kakko, Fox, Hajek, Andersson, and?