Rangerland Forum Information

[Hockey101]

So sue me if you think this is premature.

An amazing regular season ended with a painful and disturbing playoff performance. The bad news is that the Rangers showed lack of scoring depth, and defensive depth as well. When Stu Bickel is chosen over a much more experienced player in Steve Eminger, then there is a big issue to address. Yes, Mike Sauer was greatly missed, but his proneness to injury is a big worry for a Rangers team that wants to compete for the Cup. Lundqvist also proved to be a much better goalie when his back-up can be depended on to play 18-22 games in a season. Should Martin Biron be re-signed? And, of course, the big question of the summer is Rick Nash, Zach Parise, or.... ???

But before we go there, the Rangers need to make some decisions on their current roster in regards to free agents. The free agents are:

Fedotenko
Prust
Mitchell
Zuccarello
Del Zotto
Eminger
Stralman
Woywitka
Bickel
Biron

Fedotenko (UFA): He guarantees you a pretty good season as an all-round player, and come the playoffs he gives you some strong forechecking shifts. That being said, he is not someone you need for 82 games. Feds is the kind of player the Rangers can pick-up in February of next year. -$1.4M

Prust (UFA): This is really tough. At times you love him as that fourth line player that gives full effort, is fast, can kill penalties so effectively. Other times you get frustrated as maybe he gets too much ice time and too many scoring chances that don't convert because of lack of skill. Prust has blended in well as a Ranger, though, and what a steal he was to get from the Flames. If the Rangers are to let Prust walk then it should only be with the knowledge that a replacement is ready. The Rangers cannot afford to repeat as they did with Colton Orr by letting him walk and then signing Donald Brashear. That was a terrible idea and it backfired. While Orr has not been missed, and i don't blame him for his demise in Toronto, he still had that Ranger identity, which Brashear failed to bring. Otherwise, if there is no certainty that a replacement for Prust can be just as good or better, Prust must be re-signed, but he can't think of even getting a deal worth over $1M per. Teams will want him and maybe even beat that offer, but it is up to Prust to take the money and run, or remain a Ranger and fight to win the Cup. I will hate watching a Rangers team next season where during a game i say "i wish Prust was still here". $1M

Mitchell (UFA): I have nothing but respect for this guy. He pushed his abilities as much as he could and what a trooper. For someone who people thought was nothing more than a career minor leaguer, Mitchell proved his worth to a hockey team. Credit is due to Torts, and while, yes, it was frustrating to see Torts overuse him, it was pleasant to see Mitchell always playing hard and giving as much as he can. I don't think the guy ever had a lazy shift. I am happy for him because i think a team could use him more than the Rangers need him. Good luck to you Johnny. -$.480k

Zuccarello (RFA): He didn't seem to be all that promising for a long time, but when called up and when given a chance to play offense, the little Italian with a Norwegian passport has some tricks up his sleeve. The Rangers were hoping that he would elevate his game to be a scoring factor on a line, but i don't think the coaches gave him a good enough chance (only when they ran out of ideas on the PP) and his size probably made him fall out of favor. Nonetheless, Zucca probably caught the eyes of other scouts around the league and it would not surprise me to see the Islanders sign him, much like the did with Parenteau. -$.850k

Del Zotto (RFA): This the biggest issue on the Rangers roster this summer. At such a young age, Del Zotto is a solid NHL two-way d-man. He has yet to learn much more, and the question is not his ability, but his mentality. Yes, the Rangers PP showed some ups towards an abysmal Devils PK, but since Game 1 of the regular season the Rangers had a terrible PP. The coaching staff does not seem to get it, and Del Zotto is the d-man with the best offensive skills. Yet, his inability to be a PP factor gives me doubt. Also, in the post season he was, in my opinion, behind McDonagh, Staal, Girardi, and Stralman in d-men that raised their game. The issue is Del Zotto's next contract. Short-term? How much? It would not surprise me if his demands are four years at $4M per. After all, he did reach the 40 point mark and had a good +/- rating. Obviously i doubt any Rangers fan would want to give him that, and probably not even management. So what happens? Stalemate? Holding out? Trade bait???? Possible. I think it depends on how much Del Zotto's agent will ask for and if it is along that range then i would agree to the idea of trading him for another player. Now, you would think a scoring forward. Right? Don't count out possible deals with other RFA d-men, such as Weber, Green, Kulikov, Erik Johnson. If the Rangers simply fail to sign a scoring forward, like Parise, then a trade for Nash is quite probable and Del Zotto would be a key component of the whole trade. I think this scenario can really happen. I think after watching McD, Danny, and Staal in these playoffs...there is just no way i would trade those three. I understand Del Zotto is young and can still reach an amazing potential, but maybe he already reached his potential. It comes down to give up in order to get it. So, i think Del Zotto is gone. -$1.087M

Eminger (UFA): He was injured this season, and played fairly well, but the Rangers could have really gotten someone better for stronger depth. An improvement is necessary over Eminger. -$800k

Stralman (RFA): He had his ups and downs, but the guy can skate so well, make more good plays than bad plays, and he is still young coming in cheap. He played 53 games with the Rangers scoring a modest 18 points. The third pair can always use a skilled d-man. This guy is worth keeping. $975k

Woywitka (UFA): He really did not play poorly. On a two-way contract, this guy is ideal to keep in the organization. But if he wants more playing time he may want to go to Europe. $650k; 2-way

Bickel (RFA): The plus side is that he could be a late bloomer and organizational depth is key. I thought Bickel was mostly harmless throughout the season, but in the playoffs he is just not good enough for the NHL. Torts loves the guy, though, and will want him next season in this organization. $650k

Biron (UFA): He had a fabulous first half of the season, but in the later stages of the second half Biron's performances were brutal to watch. He is a good teammate, but it's not a terrible idea to maybe give a rookie a shot? Or maybe look for another back-up goalie that offers a different style of goaltending to add more diversity to the team. Keeping Biron would mean signing him for $900k at most. Some goalies may want between $1M-1.5M. There is one goalie that interests me. I think this guy had a terrible team in front of him. He was in a broken locker room. He was overly hyped by the media when signed and expected to be a dependable starter. Yet, he has skills, athleticism, and with a solid defense in front, good coaching staff, and a Swedish national as the starter, The Monster Jonas Gustavsson could be an interesting back-up goalie. This guy has the ability to be a pretty decent starting goalie, and with his huge frame and solid shot blocking from the Rangers, he could have a total comeback season and give Lundqvist some much needed rest (especially after these playoffs) and could be a dependable back-up in case of injuries. Biron may be falling quickly in his goaltending abilities. I love the guy. I was always a big fan of his, but it's time to move on. -$875k

So overall, the Rangers can slash some payroll and seek improvements. I think the CBA will allow next season's salary cap to be at $60M, and it is possible to have amnesty buyouts, thus maybe eliminating Drury's buyout cap hit. But, the Rangers have 14 players signed for next season and assuming that the salary cap will be at $60M, the Rangers would have $10 to 11M to spend.

What i would want to add on this Rangers team:

Pure goal scorer
Size
Speed
PP specialist
Experience
Grit on 4th line
New back-up

This is what i came up with:

CAPGEEK.COM CAP CALCULATOR ROSTER
My Custom Lineup
FORWARDS
Rick Nash ($7.800m) / Brad Richards ($6.667m) / Marian Gaborik ($7.500m)
Carl Hagelin ($0.875m) / Derek Stepan ($0.875m) / Ryan Callahan ($4.275m)
Chris Kreider ($1.325m) / Artem Anisimov ($1.875m) / Mike Rupp ($1.500m)
Gregory Campbell ($1.500m) / Brian Boyle ($1.700m) / Brandon Prust ($1.000m)
DEFENSEMEN
Ryan McDonagh ($1.300m) / Dan Girardi ($3.325m)
Marc Staal ($3.975m) / Michael Sauer ($1.250m)
Anton Stralman ($0.955m) / Sami Salo ($1.500m)
Stu Bickel ($0.650m) /
GOALTENDERS
Henrik Lundqvist ($6.875m)
Jonas Gustavsson ($1.000m)
BUYOUTS
Chris Drury ($1.667m)
------
CAPGEEK.COM TOTALS (follow @capgeek on Twitter)
(these totals are compiled without the bonus cushion)
SALARY CAP: $60,000,000; CAP PAYROLL: $59,388,334; BONUSES: $1,250,000
CAP SPACE (21-man roster): $611,666

Obviously it is too much to speculate on how hypothetical trades occurred, but the idea is that Dubinsky and Del Zotto are out. I know Parise is very attractive to acquire, but why would he even want to sign with the team that he beat to get to the Finals? The guy is either a Devil or going to either Minnesota or Colorado (in my opinion). I think the Rangers need a dominant presence. I think they need someone who is fired up to get his career back on track with a new beginning and wanting to be on a winner. Rick Nash is on the market, he wants out, he is big, strong, fast, and scores. He would allow Gaborik some breathing room as well. These two are an 80 goal combined potential. I was against this trade idea before and i went on a huge rant against Craig Patrick and his pathetic requests, but now i am sold. I want Rick Nash as a Ranger. Dubinsky and Del Zotto are on the table, for me.

Another addition is Greg Campbell. I like his toughness, he has some skill as well, and he can play wing or center. I watched this guy as a Panther and i always liked his style of play, but when it is on the fourth line and occasionally on the third. I think overall he is better than Mitchell, or Newbury. He has experience. He won a Cup. And hey, maybe Campbell and puppet Shanny won't be as dickish towards the Rangers.

Sami Salo is an odd addition as he is up there in age, but the guy can really be effective on the PP. He shoots cannons and is extremely smart on the PP. I think he can be had for cheap, short term, and give a solid ROI. I watched many Canucks games over the years and Salo was a pleasure to watch on the PP. He also brings quite a lot of experience as well.

And of course Gustavsson is in as i explained earlier. I think that there are certain teams that really struggle more when facing a solid defense and a gigantic goaltender behind that defense. I like the diversity in a goalie tandem. I liked it when i saw the Panthers with Theodore and Clemmensen. Completely different styles and one did better than the other depending on the team.

So, on my wants, do i address:

Size? Yes
Goal scorer? Yes
Speed? Yes
PP specialist? Yes
Experience? Yes
Goalie? Yes.

Get ready for replies this weekend.

This post has been edited by Hockey101: May 24 2012, 01:08 AM

[Rocha]

It is very premature. I'll unlock it whenever their season ends.

[ultimate steve]

With the way He looked in the playoffs, would anyone be down with sending gaborik in a trade for Nash? I would like it. If I could, sign parise first and then swap gaborik for Nash. Or bobby Ryan.

This post has been edited by ultimate steve: May 26 2012, 08:12 AM

[Andy from the LE...]

Gaborik failed to score in the ECF because Devils D was keyed in on him the whole time.

Want Gaborik to score more? Get more scoring depth for lines 2 and 3.

Furthermore, I want no part of Parise - if he crosses the river it'll be for money only, ah la Scott Gomez.

[Chris4]

Change of scenery and Ilya Kovalchuk is in the Stanley Cup Finals 3 years later. And his team isnt there without him either.

I'm willing to trade for Rick Nash. Kreider and Mac are really my only untouchables.

Dubi, Hagelin, and Del Zotto gets it done. You're crazy if you think Dubi and DZ alone do it. Someone else has better stuff.

[Chris4]

Furthermore, I want no part of Parise - if he crosses the river it'll be for money only, ah la Scott Gomez.

Agreed. Even more so if he wins a Cup there and still bails. I want no part of that, either.

[leedsy99]

With the way He looked in the playoffs, would anyone be down with sending gaborik in a trade for Nash?

How was Rick Nash's postseason?

[Andy from the LE...]

With the way He looked in the playoffs, would anyone be down with sending gaborik in a trade for Nash?

How was Rick Nash's postseason?

I think Steve's suggestion is ludicrous too, but with all due respect, didn't you used to say this about Kovalchuk?

I think we can safely put this argument to bed, right next to Creationism and the belief that cigarettes are harmless.

[TeamStewie]

I wouldn't even sniff around Nash until the price became somewhat reasonable. The stuff I hear they want from Boston is ridiculous and I'm sure it would be just as bad for the Rangers. Wait until they get desperate at the very least.

[Bavoo]

I just read on twitter that Mats Zucarello just signed a two year deal with the KHL.

I thought we had first crack at RFAs...

[Bavoo]

Mats signs less than 12 hours after the season ends!

Here's the link. That sucks.

[Puckforbrains]

I just read on twitter that Mats Zucarello just signed a two year deal with the KHL.

I thought we had first crack at RFAs...

They probably told him there is no room on this roster for him. And to be honest, there isn't. Especially with Kreider steamrolling his way into the lineup.

[Hockey101]

With the way He looked in the playoffs, would anyone be down with sending gaborik in a trade for Nash? I would like it. If I could, sign parise first and then swap gaborik for Nash. Or bobby Ryan.

Absolutely not. Remember, Gaborik was also the only goal scorer on the Rangers. You concentrate on defending Gaborik then there is not much he can do. I think he choked, but he is still fairly young, went his far, and he can get better. We thought Hossa was a playoff choker as was Kovalchuk. For all we know Gaborik can be a weapon next year. No reason to trade him for another scorer who is also young and could be in this same situation.

Also, why is Parise still being talked about? He just defeated the Rangers. He is not coming here, period.

[Hockey101]

Gaborik failed to score in the ECF because Devils D was keyed in on him the whole time.

Want Gaborik to score more? Get more scoring depth for lines 2 and 3.

Furthermore, I want no part of Parise - if he crosses the river it'll be for money only, ah la Scott Gomez.

Wherever Parise goes it will be for money, but only to a team that really has the potential to win a Cup. Parise is a leader and a strong hard working player, something that Gomez was not. But, i think Parise will not go to the Rangers out of respect for the Devils and also because it would make no sense for him to go to a team that was defeated by his team.

[Hockey101]

Change of scenery and Ilya Kovalchuk is in the Stanley Cup Finals 3 years later. And his team isnt there without him either.

I'm willing to trade for Rick Nash. Kreider and Mac are really my only untouchables.

Dubi, Hagelin, and Del Zotto gets it done. You're crazy if you think Dubi and DZ alone do it. Someone else has better stuff.

Well, the Blue Jackets are stuck with a player that wants out and whose contract will turn off many clubs but a few. Obviously it won't be a straight up deal with Dubi and Del Zotto, but i think you are giving the Blue Jackets two starting players and making their defense a lot stronger and a lot more skilled. Probably i would get rid of this year's 1st rounder. Grigorenko was the second best player and all the sudden he fell off. It's not a deep draft and picking in the 20s will be no different than picking in the 30s. If the Blue Jackets prefer Anisimov than Dubi, then you give them Artie since Torts doesn't see much use in him, which i think is wrong. I think a deal can be worked out now and the Blue Jackets will not have many options. Of course, it is Craig Patrick and he wants to screw the Rangers even if it means taking a lesser return. But we'll see.... i think Nash will be a Ranger.

[jkman61494]

Mats signs less than 12 hours after the season ends!

Here's the link. That sucks.

Well I can't say I blame him leaving the Rangers. He didn't really get his big shot. What does surprise me is that he'd bolt North America. Obviously that tells me he didn't like the league as a whole, didn't like the different ice surface and probably didn't like North American life as a whole.

That's a shame. I think he could have been a lot of fun on a team like Edmonton.

[Hockey101]

With the way He looked in the playoffs, would anyone be down with sending gaborik in a trade for Nash?

How was Rick Nash's postseason?

You asked how Ilya's was some years ago. He grew, he is on a good team, and now he leads them in the Finals. You keep looking down on these players and they keep proving you wrong later on.

[jkman61494]

I put this in the other thread but it's more appropriate here....


As I wake up today and decipher the playoffs, I will admit that I am worried about Gaborik as a bona fide playoff scorer. Do we trade him? I don't know. I would probably consider it.

Did he score 41 goals? Yeah. One of the best natural goal scorers in Ranger history? Absolutely. But having seen him in the playoffs twice now, I have a lot of concerns that he's just not built for the playoffs.

I just looked at his size. 6'1 205. Boy he plays pretty small for 205.

Gaborik is great at finding space and making plays in the regular season when the defense isn't always as tight. Once teams clamped down though and the space to maneuver got smaller, Gaborik played small, which for being over 200 pounds is inexcusable. His speed was neutralized and except for a few cases against the Caps, rarely fought for space around the crease.

A lot of people (rightfully) got on Kovalchuk for coming up small in the postseason. But this year he's used his skills to come through. And to me, he's just naturally built for a long playoff haul. The dude frankly is built like tank, almost the same exact size as Ovechkin.

Ultimately, aside from the lower line depth and a 6th d-man, Gaborik is my main concern. These playoffs have made me think getting another sniper this offseason is a priority so we don't need to rely so heavily on Gaborik in the playoffs. Let him get his 40 goals in the regular season to get us home ice. And in two years, the team shakes his hand and wishes him well....on his future endeavors.

This post has been edited by jkman61494: May 26 2012, 10:59 AM

[Hockey101]

Mats signs less than 12 hours after the season ends!

Here's the link. That sucks.

I guess he didn't like NA hockey. He could have tested the market this year and maybe found a spot on a weak team willing to play him. If he got out so quickly that means that he prefers to be in Europe.

[speed]

The gaborik hate is ridiculous. With out him you dont make the playoffs, dont get out of the first or second round.
You need depth.

Another winger who can skate and score.

Second line of krieder stepan semen?

It would be worth it for the season long semen jokes.

[Hockey101]

I put this in the other thread but it's more appropriate here....


As I wake up today and decipher the playoffs, I will admit that I am worried about Gaborik as a bona fide playoff scorer. Do we trade him? I don't know. I would probably consider it.

Did he score 41 goals? Yeah. One of the best natural goal scorers in Ranger history? Absolutely. But having seen him in the playoffs twice now, I have a lot of concerns that he's just not built for the playoffs.

I just looked at his size. 6'1 205. Boy he plays pretty small for 205.

Gaborik is great at finding space and making plays in the regular season when the defense isn't always as tight. Once teams clamped down though and the space to maneuver got smaller, Gaborik played small, which for being over 200 pounds is inexcusable. His speed was neutralized and except for a few cases against the Caps, rarely fought for space around the crease.

A lot of people (rightfully) got on Kovalchuk for coming up small in the postseason. But this year he's used his skills to come through. And to me, he's just naturally built for a long playoff haul. The dude frankly is built like tank, almost the same exact size as Ovechkin.

Ultimately, aside from the lower line depth and a 6th d-man, Gaborik is my main concern. These playoffs have made me think getting another sniper this offseason is a priority so we don't need to rely so heavily on Gaborik in the playoffs. Let him get his 40 goals in the regular season to get us home ice. And in two years, the team shakes his hand and wishes him well....on his future endeavors.

Give the guy more scoring support and he will be much better. If the Rangers can manage to get Nash then i wouldn't be happy to have my defense work on two offensive snipers.

[Knight of Dight]

One of the biggest problems this post-season was that we had too much deadweight.

Rupp, Mitchell, Prust, Bickel, and past the first round Boyle, were all eating up ice time and giving away momentum whenever they were on the ice for most shifts. Five players is a fairly significant chunk of your team to not be able to rely on. That is the difference between the Kings and Devils and the Rangers-- their 3rd and 4th liners are actually carrying their weight, scoring goals more than once in a blue moon, and dominating territorially with a decent frequency. If you have to rely on your first and second lines to score all of your goals, you will be in trouble.

We have GOT to get more scoring. Regardless if Parise is in it for the money or not, he is and always has been a far significant player to Gomez so I don't think he would come here and then purposely play half-assed. We have got to pick up either Nash or Parise to become a legitimate threat. And I say that we are not a legitimate threat because regardless that we made it to Game 6 of the ECF, we did NOT dominate a single game from start to finish during that stretch. In fact, in most games we didn't even play it evenly. In most games, Henrik had to bail the team out like has been the case since he was signed. The difference this year, the REASON we made it this far was because Henrik had the best year of his career. He delivered a Smythe-worthy performance, up until the last two games. A legitimate threat is a team that can provide its stellar goalie some support, a margin for error. It is no coincidence that the two teams in the Finals have 2.83 and 2.93 G/G. The Rangers, by contrast, have 2.15.

[Hockey101]

The gaborik hate is ridiculous. With out him you dont make the playoffs, dont get out of the first or second round.
You need depth.

Another winger who can skate and score.

Second line of krieder stepan semen?

It would be worth it for the season long semen jokes.

Torts did not like Zherdev. Never liked Lisin. And for some reason he disliked Anisimov. He does not like Russians, in my opinion, and Semin would be his worst nightmare.

[jkman61494]

The gaborik hate is ridiculous. With out him you dont make the playoffs, dont get out of the first or second round.
You need depth.

Another winger who can skate and score.

Second line of krieder stepan semen?

It would be worth it for the season long semen jokes.

The only conceivable positive about Semin coming here is that Anisimov would no longer be Tort's whipping boy. It'd be a horrible fit. Besides, if I were a betting man I'd put money down that Semin will be joining Hobbit in Russia.

[Puckforbrains]

I don't get why everyone is looking to alter the roster that much. This was a young team, both in playoff and experience and actual age. This team learned what level they need to perform at to succeed. In failure,you learn and prepare better for the next chance so you will succeed. This is why you see teams who just fall short, bounce back and be successful in the playoffs again.

Upgrade Bickel,Rupp and Eminger - and not necessarily fill the same role on the team. Basically upgrade 2 defenders and a forward. By upgrading the defenders, you can help Henrik out a bit and whomever the backup is next season.

[Hockey101]

I don't get why everyone is looking to alter the roster that much. This was a young team, both in playoff and experience and actual age. This team learned what level they need to perform at to succeed. In failure,you learn and prepare better for the next chance so you will succeed. This is why you see teams who just fall short, bounce back and be successful in the playoffs again.

Upgrade Bickel,Rupp and Eminger - and not necessarily fill the same role on the team. Basically upgrade 2 defenders and a forward. By upgrading the defenders, you can help Henrik out a bit and whomever the backup is next season.

Partly true, but would you keep Dubinsky? And what forward would you think is necessary?

[jkman61494]

By the way, while I'm sure I will be debating, arguing and having disagreements with all of you (maybe in about 5 minutes regarding the offseason), I want to just try to be "Team Positive" here.

Did the Rangers win it all? No. But as I think about these past 8-9 months starting with the Traverse youth tourney, this team took me and all of us on a pretty awesome ride.

I have a 73 year old mom who is about to start her 2nd treatment of lung cancer who already is a diabetic and heart attack survivor. My 73 year old dad has early stages of Alzheimer's. Nothing would have made me happier to sit with them this year and see them raise a Cup.

But getting to spend this season with them, and having my girlfriend (and future wife I hope) get into hockey watching with me this year is something I will always hold dear to my heart.

The Winter Classic
24/7
6-0 vs. the Flyers
Winning the Atlantic Division and getting the No. 1 seed
Two game 7 victories
A win in triple OT
The Game 5 heroics vs. the Caps.
And watching young players gel and mature before our eyes.

Did we see the best trophy in sports get lifted this year? Sadly no. But while we'll debate for pages on end of what needs to be done, I hope a lot of us can enjoy what this team gave us this year. I'm incredibly thankful for the memories they gave me and my family.

This post has been edited by jkman61494: May 26 2012, 11:20 AM

[Puckforbrains]

I don't get why everyone is looking to alter the roster that much. This was a young team, both in playoff and experience and actual age. This team learned what level they need to perform at to succeed. In failure,you learn and prepare better for the next chance so you will succeed. This is why you see teams who just fall short, bounce back and be successful in the playoffs again.

Upgrade Bickel,Rupp and Eminger - and not necessarily fill the same role on the team. Basically upgrade 2 defenders and a forward. By upgrading the defenders, you can help Henrik out a bit and whomever the backup is next season.

Partly true, but would you keep Dubinsky? And what forward would you think is necessary?

Yes to Dubinsky. No reason not to go around with him again. If the one forward you upgrade turns out to be Nash, Dubinsky could be relied upon to be a solid 2 way player. Plus he knows the system, is not a locker room problem, and is not in Tortorella's dog house.

Not saying I want Nash, I'd really like to see the list of UFA's, just havent had time to look it up.

Back to the pool to return to drowning my sorrows.

[jkman61494]

Sadly Puck, the forward class on the UFA market is really weak. However, the UFA market for d-men? Especially for a lower 3 d-man is quite deep. The list I saw said Souray is a UFA. Hopefully it's not outdated because he could be a 6th man and your blast from the point.

A guy like Oduya is also going to be a UFA and by all accounts, he did really well on Chicago last year.

[speed]

The gaborik hate is ridiculous. With out him you dont make the playoffs, dont get out of the first or second round.
You need depth.

Another winger who can skate and score.

Second line of krieder stepan semen?

It would be worth it for the season long semen jokes.

Torts did not like Zherdev. Never liked Lisin. And for some reason he disliked Anisimov. He does not like Russians, in my opinion, and Semin would be his worst nightmare.

Nobody liked zherdev. Every team he has played for gave up on him

As for anisimov, there is no evidence tha torts doesnt like him or any other russian. Every one here is ready to ship anisimov out, but its torts who doesnt like the guy.

Now, semin is attractive because he is a rw who can score at will, and is an fa. I dont think we need to give 3 core guys for nash, being that all we do is add scoring but further hurt our depth.

Krieder will be a big help to this team next yr, adding him and another legit scorer would really round this team out. Maybe then we can open up a little more and try to win games by scoring some goals, instead of shutting teams out.

Hell shane doan would be awesome on a 2yr deal and a promise of another cup run.

[Knight of Dight]

Semin is a lazy fuck and always has been-- NO to him. Washington fans have hated him for years because he floats around out there cherry-picking. In the regular season, yeah that will get a guy with his talent 20-30 goals but in the postseason? He is lucky to get 2 or 3 goals because defensive coverage and shot-blocking are emphasized so much more. There is no place for soft cherry-pickers in the playoffs.

[the old mole]

Full season of Kreider and Hagelin and a bounce back from Dubinsky. There are 3 guys contributing 20-25 goals right there. With a top six of Gaborik, Richards, Callahan, Kreider, Hagelin, and Dubinsky, will it really be necessary to go after Parise or Nash? Shoring up the bottom six and the third pair seems like the bigger issue.

As for Gaborik's playoff performance, I'm not going to criticize him until we find out whether or not he had been playing with an injury.

[speed]

Full season of Kreider and Hagelin and a bounce back from Dubinsky. There are 3 guys contributing 20-25 goals right there. With a top six of Gaborik, Richards, Callahan, Kreider, Hagelin, and Dubinsky, will it really be necessary to go after Parise or Nash? Shoring up the bottom six and the third pair seems like the bigger issue.

As for Gaborik's playoff performance, I'm not going to criticize him until we find out whether or not he had been playing with an injury.

Id put stepan in there too. And yes i stii thimk you will eed one more top end guy with hands.

[blueshirt95]

Gaborik-Richards-Hagelin
Kreider-Stepan-Callahan
Anisimov-Dubinsky-Chris Kelly
Rupp-Boyle-Prust
13th forward: Mitchell

Girardi-McDonagh
Staal-DZ
Erixon-Sauer
7th Defenseman: Sami Lepisto

Lundqvist
Dan Ellis

The big move is always popular, but I don't think it it's necessary. Those top 6 forwards have tons of talent, the question is whether they can produce and eventually, I think so. Dubinsky and Artie have shown that they can do it before, and they will be working harder than anyone this summer to prove their worth next season. Kelly is a 15 goal, 40 point per year guy that would good fit in our system provided Boston does not lock him up. They will try to move Rupp but will have no luck. Mitchell and his hustle really grew on me down the stretch, he would be good to have as an extra forward.

I see Stralman jumping at a good chance to play elsewhere next year, especially because I don't see any room for him here and he would not want to be a scratch with other options to play and be a potential top 4 defenseman. That being said, Lepisto would be a solid stay-at-home alternative.

A capable backup goalie is something that is very important to Tortorella, and I don't think that the great Dos Nueve comes back next year. Dan Ellis should come cheap and is solid.

This is a young, very talented team that fell two wins short of playing for the Cup. There is absolutely zero reason to blow it up. Pittsburgh, Chicago and Boston didn't blow up their high-upside teams when they fell short. Their patience was rewarded. We should follow suit.

[Alitaki]

Shane Doan on a very short deal would be really interesting. Doubt he leaves Phoenix though.

[TeamStewie]

MZA has been tweeting that everything is just rumors so I wouldn't count him out just yet. That said I don't think he's Torts kind of player unfortunately. We could his kind of creativity because god only knows this team is predictable.

[blueshirt95]

Seeing things about JD possibly leaving the Blues due to the new ownership. Any possibility he comes here as some sort of special assistant to Sather/third commentator?

This post has been edited by blueshirt95: May 26 2012, 01:17 PM

[elessar]

can't blame MZA for bolting i would like to see him stay in the nhl. He never got a fair chance from Torts. I guess he didn't have enough "jam" or whatever bullshit term Torts uses to play 3rd and 4th liners more than a kid who could put points on the board.

[Knight of Dight]

Seeing things about JD possibly leaving the Blues due to the new ownership. Any possibility he comes here as some sort of special assistant to Sather/third commentator?

Please, dear God, fire Joe and hire JD.

Joe is the reason why, with few exceptions, I watch the away feed if I have a choice. His inane babble and incessant praise for the other team is infuriating.

[the old mole]

Zuccarello hasn't signed anywhere else and wants to stay in New York: https://twitter.com/zuccarello36/status/206419140423065605 https://twitter.com/zuccarello36/status/206412425883435008

[Ebase]

Seeing things about JD possibly leaving the Blues due to the new ownership. Any possibility he comes here as some sort of special assistant to Sather/third commentator?

Please, dear God, fire Joe and hire JD.

Joe is the reason why, with few exceptions, I watch the away feed if I have a choice. His inane babble and incessant praise for the other team is infuriating.

His incessant need to point out how great a player's family is gets me the most.

Sam: Parise swoops in WHAT A PLAY by Lundqvist!!!
Joe: And you know Zach comes from a great family. Great cousins, great great friends, and his dog is great too.

Who gives a fuck? It makes me long for JD.

[jkman61494]

I would love for JD to come here in more of an executive role. Whatever he did in St. Louis it's pretty clear he helped contribute to turning the franchise around.

And that's good news about MZA. I think he has the talent to succeed here. We have enough "jam" up and down this lineup that I really don't believe we need Prust. Then again, his postseason performance really soured me on him.

I like Chris Kelly but when I mentioned him earlier in the year someone said that he was going to re-sign with Boston? Did something change ( I hope?) ?

You somehow keep Hobbit and a guy like Kelly and remove Mitchell and Prust and I think that's some upside.

4th line: Rupp/Boyle/

Tinker with the combo of Kreider/Stepan/Callahan/Dubinsky/Kelly/Anismov/Zucs for forwards 3/10

[Charlie]

Erixon is pretty much a mortal lock to make the team next year.

McDonagh-Girardi
Staal-Sauer
Del Z-Erixon
Stralman/Bickel/? for the 7th.

I think Sauer is still a huge question mark. But, if he is back, this is the lineup I'd like to see on defense.

I liked Stralman's willingness to shoot in the offensive zone, but he was terrible on the breakout and pretty weak along the boards. I think he would be nice as a seventh, but nothing more.

[jkman61494]

If nothing else, I think we saw that we DO have guys who can crank it on the point. I wonder at this point if it's been the coaching style to not do it.

Staal, MDZ, Girardi all looked competent on the Powerplay. In fact, our unit looked better with two point men than trying to insert Richards or Stepan back there. That may be something to take away from this year.

[Alitaki]

JD isn't coming back to do a broadcasting job, and he won't take a job in NY under Dolan.

Puck, we need more than one upgrade at forward. We need to replace Fedotenko, Mitchell and put Rupp in the pressbox to be deployed sparingly.

Either Dubi or Anisimov, or both, should be available for trade. I'd rather not trade Del Zotto just yet but if a good deal comes along I'd listen.

And for fucks sake please bring in a third coach or replace Sullivsn with someone who can fix this PP.

[jkman61494]

Again, I think were signs of improvement with the PP.

Sad but true statement, their PP was about as reliable as their 5 on 5 scoring. That really tells you how bad we were even strength but still, if you had the Rangers postseason percentage of 18.6% run over an 82 game season? That would have been 7th in the NHL.

Why did it work? Blasts from the point and putting guys in front of the net. The maddening thing is when they used this strategy it had success. Staal's blast vs. the Caps had Anisimov perfectly placed in front. Other goals by Girardi came from similar pressure.

Callahan got goals on the PP from being in front of the net. But for whatever reason, the team would stop doing it. That's what needs to be fixed.

But I'm not saying you are scapegoating Alitaki, but I think their Powerplay was really the least of their worries in the postseason. I know after Game 3, 35% of our goals came from the man advantage, so after the last 3 games, I'd still say it'd have to be above 30% for the playoffs.

[speed]

Shane Doan on a very short deal would be really interesting. Doubt he leaves Phoenix though.

The only shot you have is that lack of stable ownership and the possibilty of the franchise moving might dter him from re signing

Hagelin richards gabby
Krieder step doan
Dubi anisimov callahan
Feds boyle rupp.

Tha would be sweet.


Either way we need krieder to be legit top 6 and another legit top line talent. The only way this team makes another run if they can score more
A pp specialist on the coaching staff is a must.

[Chris4]

Why did it work? Blasts from the point and putting guys in front of the net. The maddening thing is when they used this strategy it had success. Staal's blast vs. the Caps had Anisimov perfectly placed in front. Other goals by Girardi came from similar pressure.

Still missing that consistent shooter, though. It could be Jason Garrison on Florida's point or Ilya Kovalchuk or Steve Stamkos on the Devils and Tampa PP, we just dont have a shooter that scares anyone. Not having a guy who's shot scares anyone means you're going to get the opposition top PK unit's most aggressive play. They can cheat. They can commit. They can play in your face. They know you're not gonna throw anything at them and you're just moving the puck around looking for a slam dunk or need a weak shot that bounces all over the place through screens to get by them.

[Chris4]

Part of me is interested in Ryan Suter because he'd be a wonderful addition to an already ridiculously talented defense, but he'd instantly become the highest paid defenseman that probably wouldnt be the best defenseman on the team. That never works.

Edit- His near 50 points would have far an away led a Ranger blueline, but I still find it hard to believe there's any defenseman that play defense better than Ryan McDonagh.

Double edit- And then in the event Ryan McDonagh actually puts up 45-49 pts next year, not unrealistic, you'd have to match the Suter contract.

Forget I even said I was interested.

This post has been edited by Chris4: May 26 2012, 06:29 PM

[acqant]

I was shocked to see how good Ryan McD was with the puck once he got over the blue line in the O zone. He pantsed some good D'men. Let him loose next year and he'll put up some big points.

I agree with everyone about the depth of offense. Too many role players and no threat of the puck going in the opponents net.

Part of me is interested in Ryan Suter because he'd be a wonderful addition to an already ridiculously talented defense, but he'd instantly become the highest paid defenseman that probably wouldnt be the best defenseman on the team. That never works.

Edit- His near 50 points would have far an away led a Ranger blueline, but I still find it hard to believe there's any defenseman that play defense better than Ryan McDonagh.

Double edit- And then in the event Ryan McDonagh actually puts up 45-49 pts next year, not unrealistic, you'd have to match the Suter contract.

Forget I even said I was interested.