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Get Used to This Feeling; There's More Pain Coming


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The fact of the matter is, Jeff Gorton?s work has only just begun. This skeleton crew of a roster?truly devoid of high-end impact players now that Nash and McDonagh are off to run at the Cup?still has 19 relatively meaningless games left to suffer through. And when those games are up, a watershed draft awaits this June. One that, much like these deals, Gorton can?t afford to screw up.

 

With three draft picks in the first round, including their own, the Rangers would be best off winning as few games as possible to close out this lost season. This won?t make for easy watching for fans or the front office, who will also be evaluating newly acquired bodies due contracts this summer in Ryan Spooner and Vladislav Namestnikov. Yet, with the playoffs a highly unlikely destination, losing most of their remaining games could bring the Rangers? own first-round pick into a premiere lottery position ? one they desperately need to acquire the kind of game-breaking talent they weren?t able to acquire in any of their deals prior to the deadline.

 

?

 

But the plan, and the pain isn?t likely to end there. Even with the marketing promise of a rebuild ?on the fly?, given what we know the Rangers have (and don?t have) today, there's a significant chance they won't be very good next season, either. Especially if they also use the draft as a second opportunity to collect futures in exchange for names like Mats Zuccarello, Kevin Hayes, and/or Jimmy Vesey.

 

The Leafs, who are the latest club to embrace the practice of strategically losing for the opportunity to select at the top of the draft, won the right to draft Auston Matthews just a few years ago after selling off Phil Kessel and Dion Phaneuf, among others. All the while understanding that the makeover wouldn?t occur overnight.

 

In fact, prior to drafting Matthews that June, Mike Babcock, who signed an eight-year, $50 million dollar contract to coach the rebuilding Leafs that same summer, ominously warned the Toronto media that ?there?s pain coming?.

 

?This is going to be a massive, massive challenge,? he said.

 

Perhaps the Rangers aren?t as bad as the 2014-15 Leafs were. Or maybe they are. Regardless, for the Blueshirts, following up a lost season with another poor one would certainly qualify as additional pain. And, like the pain the Leafs suffered, it would also give them another opportunity to pick at the top of the 2019 draft (this time with an opportunity to claim budding American superstar Jack Hughes). However, it would also require the team to tiptoe around bringing along youngsters in a losing environment while not poisoning their development ? an issue the Leafs also faced and appear to have successfully traversed. That?s no easy task, though, even if it?s designed to deliver more top talent. Just look at the difficulties being suffered in Edmonton, Buffalo, and Arizona ? prime examples of why the road to hell is often paved with good intentions.

 

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Fantastic read - I really appreciate the thought process and writing style behind this.

 

My take is to include the notion that we can, possibly, maybe not have to endure too much pain on the way to the promised land. That is the longer-odds path for sure, but I'm holding out hope that guys gel, a talent is acquired or emerges out of the dust settling on 7th Ave and that fans have something legit to root for next season. Wishful thinking? Maybe. But what's the alternative? Wish in one hand and 'tank' in the other.

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I thought this bit on Lias and Chytil is important:

"there?s little to be learned by being thrown into that environment when the alternative might be competing for a Calder Cup."

 

Agreed. There is something to be said about continuity for the rest of this season, especially for these two, who have jumped around and been quite active, to date. Now the team in Hartford is working towards a common goal. The kids are also coached to improve and will gain valuable experience while working on their game, the right way.

 

We do not really need to see either up here, but certainly not until their season and playoffs are done.

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I really think the Leafs have the blueprint here. Use the AHL for what it's designed to do — successfully groom NHL talent for the big leagues. If Drury & co. can keep them competitive, that doesn't just benefit the Pack. It benefits the Rangers, who can expect to add a bevy of draft picks and college free agents who will have cut their teeth and grown by leaps and bounds in the A while the big club sucks a while longer to fill their clip.
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I don't see a reason to bring up Lias and Chytil. Maybe just for two games apiece to give them something to think about over the summer in terms of the level of competition they are going to face.

 

The key phrase in the article: "B+ prospects". This is what worries me. A bunch of B+ prospects will develop and gloriously lead us to the middle of the pack in the NHL, up from the worst team in the NHL (which is what we are now, both on paper and on the ice).

 

Getting back to the middle of the pack as the easy part and getting from their to the top five as the harder. The former could even happen next year if the stars align right.

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The fact of the matter is, Jeff Gorton’s work has only just begun. This skeleton crew of a roster—truly devoid of high-end impact players now that Nash and McDonagh are off to run at the Cup—still has 19 relatively meaningless games left to suffer through. And when those games are up, a watershed draft awaits this June. One that, much like these deals, Gorton can’t afford to screw up.

 

With three draft picks in the first round, including their own, the Rangers would be best off winning as few games as possible to close out this lost season. This won’t make for easy watching for fans or the front office, who will also be evaluating newly acquired bodies due contracts this summer in Ryan Spooner and Vladislav Namestnikov. Yet, with the playoffs a highly unlikely destination, losing most of their remaining games could bring the Rangers’ own first-round pick into a premiere lottery position – one they desperately need to acquire the kind of game-breaking talent they weren’t able to acquire in any of their deals prior to the deadline.

 

 

But the plan, and the pain isn’t likely to end there. Even with the marketing promise of a rebuild “on the fly”, given what we know the Rangers have (and don’t have) today, there's a significant chance they won't be very good next season, either. Especially if they also use the draft as a second opportunity to collect futures in exchange for names like Mats Zuccarello, Kevin Hayes, and/or Jimmy Vesey.

 

The Leafs, who are the latest club to embrace the practice of strategically losing for the opportunity to select at the top of the draft, won the right to draft Auston Matthews just a few years ago after selling off Phil Kessel and Dion Phaneuf, among others. All the while understanding that the makeover wouldn’t occur overnight.

 

In fact, prior to drafting Matthews that June, Mike Babcock, who signed an eight-year, $50 million dollar contract to coach the rebuilding Leafs that same summer, ominously warned the Toronto media that “there’s pain coming”.

 

“This is going to be a massive, massive challenge,” he said.

 

Perhaps the Rangers aren’t as bad as the 2014-15 Leafs were. Or maybe they are. Regardless, for the Blueshirts, following up a lost season with another poor one would certainly qualify as additional pain. And, like the pain the Leafs suffered, it would also give them another opportunity to pick at the top of the 2019 draft (this time with an opportunity to claim budding American superstar Jack Hughes). However, it would also require the team to tiptoe around bringing along youngsters in a losing environment while not poisoning their development – an issue the Leafs also faced and appear to have successfully traversed. That’s no easy task, though, even if it’s designed to deliver more top talent. Just look at the difficulties being suffered in Edmonton, Buffalo, and Arizona – prime examples of why the road to hell is often paved with good intentions.

 

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well expressed ... the concept of "tiptoe[ing] around bringing along youngsters in a losing environment while not poisoning their development" — that's the part that is perhaps most concerning. But there's difference between being a team that loses a lot of games 5-2 versus a team that loses a lot of games 3-2. One is more demoralizing than the other, one offers more hope for improvement than the other. They will need a coach who can keep things positive and optimistic, but also realistic. it most likely will not be pretty as long as the defensive lapses continue and if pucks continue to squiggle through Hank's five-hole.

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the sad thing is that this rebuild does not guarantee the cup in 3-5 years. chances are we'll be in the same boat we were last couple of years, getting knocked out in the 2nd or 3rd round

l

 

No, no rebuild does. But what was the alternative? A few minor roster moves were not going to drastically improve this organization. There is only 1 way to bring in good talent and thats the draft. UFA signings never work out for the Rangers, not to the extent that they need them to.

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No, no rebuild does. But what was the alternative? A few minor roster moves were not going to drastically improve this organization. There is only 1 way to bring in good talent and thats the draft. UFA signings never work out for the Rangers, not to the extent that they need them to.

 

the alternative is not to sign your goaltender for $8+ million per season. the elephant in the room is Lundqvist

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the alternative is not to sign your goaltender for $8+ million per season. the elephant in the room is Lundqvist

 

Hank is/was the star of the team and was arguably responsible for any success they had. His signing, although yes a bit high, is much less of an issue than a lot of other signings and, trades, etc. that led them to this point.

 

But thats just my opinion.

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I really think the Leafs have the blueprint here. Use the AHL for what it's designed to do — successfully groom NHL talent for the big leagues. If Drury & co. can keep them competitive, that doesn't just benefit the Pack. It benefits the Rangers, who can expect to add a bevy of draft picks and college free agents who will have cut their teeth and grown by leaps and bounds in the A while the big club sucks a while longer to fill their clip.

 

Absolutely. Build the Hartford platform now, even with the recent changes. The picks are key, but so is development and managing each players individual path to the big club.

 

As for this year, it's a mess and we have something going with the Pack. It is a better situation overall.

 

Only caveat is tanking. Tanking should not prevent a kid from developing properly. If it is time for Lias or Chytil to start the season in NY or get a call up in Nov/Dec, do it. As long as the situation isn't like it is currently, that is the right way. Don't rush em, don't slow them down.

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Hank is/was the star of the team and was arguably responsible for any success they had. His signing, although yes a bit high, is much less of an issue than a lot of other signings and, trades, etc. that led them to this point.

 

But thats just my opinion.

 

when the star of your team is a goaltender who only got you to the finals once, we have a problem. I'm hard on Lundqvist, I know, not his fault for taking the money. cant wait till he's retired, only then we'll turn the page

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when the star of your team is a goaltender who only got you to the finals once, we have a problem. I'm hard on Lundqvist, I know, not his fault for taking the money. cant wait till he's retired, only then we'll turn the page

 

Just a difference in opinion/strategy then.. I think he was worth every penny. But yes I agree that $8mil will go a long way when hes done.

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My only concern, scouting.

 

 

Glad you mentioned it. I'd like to see Gorton turn his full attention to the draft and EVEN ADDING another scout, inside expert, analytics guy and/or respected advisor to the staff now. The workload and need to be nimble right up to draft day, could be critical. After the season they should hire current college and juniors staff as an off season contractor or consultant for inside info.

 

Even our 4th round pick will be early and may have value in this deep draft. We need to be able to move around if circumstances dictate. Draft the most talented, highest upside. Investigate their character. Lots of work. Great draft to do it. Modernize Jeff!

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Glad you mentioned it. I'd like to see Gorton turn his full attention to the draft and EVEN ADDING another scout, inside expert, analytics guy and/or respected advisor to the staff now. The workload and need to be nimble right up to draft day, could be critical. After the season they should hire current college and juniors staff as an off season contractor or consultant for inside info.

 

Even our 4th round pick will be early and may have value in this deep draft. We need to be able to move around if circumstances dictate. Draft the most talented, highest upside. Investigate their character. Lots of work. Great draft to do it. Modernize Jeff!

 

I know it will never happen for obvious reasons but I wish they could do a legit behind the scenes of the Rangers scouting system and how it operates. Stuff like this has always interested me.

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IMO, the truly sad thing, amongst many sad things about this organization, is that the front office completely gave up on this season, publicly, and by doing so, it transcended down to the players. In most cases, fans root for their team to try and win every game, not to go thru the motions. Benching players when they are healthy, for no other reason than to protect them from injury, is downright disrespectful, especially to the paying customer. For the 2nd time in over 6 decades of following this team, I have lost my interest, and have no respect for the ownership and management. The other time being the exorcising that took place in the 70's with the Ratelle, Park, Giacomin fiasco. And into the bargain, the NYR can yet make the playoffs. That in itself speaks volumes.

 

 

Go Rangers!!

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IMO, the truly sad thing, amongst many sad things about this organization, is that the front office completely gave up on this season, publicly, and by doing so, it transcended down to the players. In most cases, fans root for their team to try and win every game, not to go thru the motions. Benching players when they are healthy, for no other reason than to protect them from injury, is downright disrespectful, especially to the paying customer. For the 2nd time in over 6 decades of following this team, I have lost my interest, and have no respect for the ownership and management. The other time being the exorcising that took place in the 70's with the Ratelle, Park, Giacomin fiasco. And into the bargain, the NYR can yet make the playoffs. That in itself speaks volumes.

 

 

Go Rangers!!

 

welcome to a over-a-billion dollar a year business. fans are just suckers who pony up the cash.

 

sometimes I wish I was a devils fan

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the alternative is not to sign your goaltender for $8+ million per season. the elephant in the room is Lundqvist

 

It's fine, he is the elephant everyone talks about. Gorton just today essentially said, 'Hank retires here, he wants to stay.' It's fine, allows us to be competitive if other things shape up and also enables better evaluation of our talent.

 

Meanwhile when Shesty comes over he may split time with Hank his 1st year. It will be great. :thumbs: Hank will become a great backup the year after that. If he wants to leave or retire, he'll be honest and let us know. The Rangers and Hank will be agreeable to resolving any issues that might arise.

 

Concerned about cap space? We'll hopefully deal with Staal and maybe Shatty or Smitty's salary next year. We should have an absurd amount of space.

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It's fine, he is the elephant everyone talks about. Gorton just today essentially said, 'Hank retires here, he wants to stay.' It's fine, allows us to be competitive if other things shape up and also enables better evaluation of our talent.

 

Meanwhile when Shesty comes over he may split time with Hank his 1st year. It will be great. :thumbs: Hank will become a great backup the year after that. If he wants to leave or retire, he'll be honest and let us know. The Rangers and Hank will be agreeable to resolving any issues that might arise.

 

Concerned about cap space? We'll hopefully deal with Staal and maybe Shatty or Smitty's salary next year. We should have an absurd amount of space.

 

I don't think there's a need to buy out staal anymore. we don't need the cap space right now, and not for the next couple of years probably.

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