article: Trade Deadline Grades: The Rangers

New York Rangers

 

Projected Division Finish: Seventh

 

Deadline Grade: B-plus

 

The retooling of the Rangers continued for the second consecutive trade deadline, and GM Jeff Gorton continued to leverage expiring contracts into picks ? and in the case of the deal for center Kevin Hayes, an NHL roster player in Brendan Lemieux, who will get a chance to showcase his skills in New York in a way that wasn?t possible on a deep, talented Winnipeg team. Hayes to Winnipeg also yielded a first-round pick and, if the Jets win the Cup, a fourth-round pick in 2022. That deal followed Mats Zuccarello?s trade to Dallas for two conditional picks, a second-round pick in 2019 and a third-round pick in 2020. Both could become first-round picks if the Stars win two playoff rounds (unlikely) and they re-sign the potential free agent who was injured in his first game as a Star (possible, but also unlikely). Even if none of the conditions is met, that?s a pretty good haul in picks for the Rangers. Finally, Gorton recovered two picks, a fourth- and a seventh-rounder, for veteran defenseman Adam McQuaid, who was sent late in the proceedings to Columbus. In all, the Rangers have 10 picks lined up for the June draft in Vancouver and pending conditions could, in theory, have four first-round picks.

 

https://theathletic.com/838001/2019/02/25/nhl-trade-deadline-grades-projecting-where-all-31-teams-will-finish-the-season/

 

B+ is as far as I can tell the best grade given to a selling team, and a fair one imo.

I understand why some are disappointed in the returns, but being disappointed means looking at it without context of the market. This turned into the buyers market that was advertised, and if you look at the returns for guys like Duchene, Simmonds, Dzingel, Nyquist, Stone etc I think it's fair to say Gorton did well, or at least as well as he could. There was, as far as I can see, just 2 1st rounders moved and Gorton got one of them. There was only one high end prospect moved, and that was for Mark Stone, in a trade & sign and in a trade that didn't yield a first rounder. In that regard, getting a first and an NHL ready prospect for Hayes is a good return, even if that prospect probably looks more like a potential high end 3rd line guy than someone who will end up in a top 6 role.

 

So I guess you could say the returns are somewhat underwhelming, but in light of the market I think they did as well as they could.

It's a fair grade. Just short of a true steal in any of the trades, the Rangers got good value for the sold assets and - most importantly - got everything done. You often see teams getting stuck with a guy they really wanted to sell, so that's a positive in itself.

So the Leafs ?look? at Kreider was just a news story? I?m not saying I wanted him moved just that it did make the news circuit.

 

Gorton didn?t harm his reputation here. Draft and summer signings are the next test.

So the Leafs ‘look’ at Kreider was just a news story? I’m not saying I wanted him moved just that it did make the news circuit.

 

Gorton didn’t harm his reputation here. Draft and summer signings are the next test.

 

I really couldn't see them moving anyone to be honest.

 

We do have prospects coming along but you will need NHL players on the roster already. Having Zibanejad and Kreider already here when guys like Chytil and Anderson reach their potential, plus when guys like Kravstov come in, and hopefully Panarin signed, we might actually be halfway decent next year.

It?s been a good past 2 trade deadlines for this team. Hopefully things turn around for the franchise in the next 2-3 years. Still a ways to go.

 

 

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The real key to this deadline is the picks, which cumulatively add up to ten selections this summer and ten more again next season. Two years from now it's entirely possible they've made close to 30 selections in three years.

 

 

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The real key to this deadline is the picks, which cumulatively add up to ten selections this summer and ten more again next season. Two years from now it's entirely possible they've made close to 30 selections in three years.

 

 

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Added to the two deadlines worth of received bodies, that's a lot of cheap lottery tix which should yield a very competent bottom 3 lines and two D-pairs with enough cap space and trade meat left over to import a few premium pieces. The rebuild has a shape to it now, for sure.

The real key to this deadline is the picks, which cumulatively add up to ten selections this summer and ten more again next season. Two years from now it's entirely possible they've made close to 30 selections in three years.

Yup....but is that the gameplan ?

 

To hope that with 20 or 30 selections, the Rangers get super-lucky and get a 40 goal scorer/100 point player who costs them $10 MM over the first 3 or 4 years ?

 

I'll say it again: tons of picks are great in the NFL where depth matters and you can find quality in the 2nd or 3rd round (and sometimes later). In the NHL, if you're not picking Top 5 and even Top 3, you either got lucky or you need a bunch of teams to screw up and miss somebody.

 

Gorton's strategy is perfect for a horrible team trying to get to playoff contention. It is NOT the strategy for an Original 6 team trying to go from borderline playoff contention to perennial contender and/or Cup favorite.

 

Gorton isn't dumb. He has to know this. I have to think that he agrees with Phil (above) and thinks that if he gets enough draft picks, he might get lucky. It's a better strategy than being HORRIBLE for 5-7 years and then hoping you have the ping-pong balls fall your way in a year where there is a Gretzky/Lemeiuix/Crosby/McDavid.

 

They're both 1000-to-1 longshots, but the tons-of-picks method can be done in New York. The other one simply can't.

Looks more like a sell-off than a rebuild.

They got a 1st, a bottom 6 prospect, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 4th, 7th, 7th, 7th

 

Since 2009

Kreider - 1st

Fast - 6th

Miller - 1st

Skjei - 1st

Boo - 2nd

Buchnevich - 3rd

 

So (not counting 2017 to present) with almost 50 picks, they had 5 players play significant time. Outside, maybe Kreider, it's nothing significant. In 10 years, if we get another Miller, Skjei, Boo and Buch, I don't know if I'm going to say thats a successful trade deadline for a rebuilding team. I'd rather have McQuaid, Hayes and Zuccarello. They traded their top assets, and needed a potential game changer. I guess they are banking on that pick from Hayes...

The picks are there to augment the rebuild, which will advance through more conventional means, including free agency and trades. Some of those picks will pan out, some won't, but having that many selections, or possible selections, opens a world of options on all fronts.

The picks are there to augment the rebuild, which will advance through more conventional means, including free agency and trades. Some of those picks will pan out, some won't, but having that many selections, or possible selections, opens a world of options on all fronts.

 

Sweet, more middle 6 forwards. Exactly what they need!

Blame the league with too many teams, not enough high power offensive players to go around. So most are stuck with lots o? 2nd and 3rd liner talent. A stellar D and a just enough top tier talent offense seems to be a winning formula.

 

For the Rangers in the Cup run years their top talent was in net with very good D but not enough offensive firepower their downfall.

 

Who knows, Gorton?s plan may not work. That?s why losing to the Kings and then Bolts the next year will burn my balls forever. As optimistic as I want to be that could have been their chance for the next decade or two. You never know.

 

 

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Sweet, more middle 6 forwards. Exactly what they need!

 

But isn't this set up so they build the bottom structure through the draft, with the top pieces coming with money and trades? You can't count on the draft for the "game changer" without at least one tank, maybe more, which they're not going to do. You might get lucky. Miller could be a top pair D or Kravtsov could be a top line wing. But even if they don't, the important thing is that there is a window where they are good enough for those middle 6 and bottom 4 and cheap enough so that Gorton can go out and get Panarin, Karlsson, or whoever that is in 2-3 years. And they are the game changers. The hording of picks doesn't come to fruition for at least a couple years, so what would they do with Hayes, Zucc, and McQuaid until then? Paying them for 5+ years would go against the strategy. And so far, Gorton appears to have stuck to his strategy - which is what you gotta hope for.

Blame the league with too many teams, not enough high power offensive players to go around. So most are stuck with lots o? 2nd and 3rd liner talent. A stellar D and a just enough top tier talent offense seems to be a winning formula.

 

For the Rangers in the Cup run years their top talent was in net with very good D but not enough offensive firepower their downfall.

 

Who knows, Gorton?s plan may not work. That?s why losing to the Kings and then Bolts the next year will burn my balls forever. As optimistic as I want to be that could have been their chance for the next decade or two. You never know.

 

 

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Very good point, and it will only get tougher with Seattle coming in the mix. I?m so tired of expansion

Looks more like a sell-off than a rebuild.

They got a 1st, a bottom 6 prospect, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 4th, 7th, 7th, 7th

 

Since 2009

Kreider - 1st

Fast - 6th

Miller - 1st

Skjei - 1st

Boo - 2nd

Buchnevich - 3rd

 

So (not counting 2017 to present) with almost 50 picks, they had 5 players play significant time. Outside, maybe Kreider, it's nothing significant. In 10 years, if we get another Miller, Skjei, Boo and Buch, I don't know if I'm going to say thats a successful trade deadline for a rebuilding team. I'd rather have McQuaid, Hayes and Zuccarello. They traded their top assets, and needed a potential game changer. I guess they are banking on that pick from Hayes...

 

They also traded away 7 1st or 2nd round picks during that time being buyers at the deadline. Had they made those 7 picks, they'd likely have a lot more players to add to your list.

I?m okay with with the stockpile and pray technique. Because we?re not bad enough to finish last, it?s the only option we have. Had Hank not played this season, we?d probably be in the bottom 3 but nothing?s perfect.

 

Next season we have Kravstov and Shesterkin. We have Andersson and Chytil. We have things to look forward to. We could be buyers in July and we could actually be better next season.

 

My one concern is how horrible Hartford is. Our best prospects are skipping that step for the most part because the NHL team needs players and we?ve seen that fail time and time again with other franchises. Part of me wishes Brett Howden Filip Chytil and Lias Anderson had spent the entire season there and we?re joined by kravstov and Shesterkin at the end of the year. Maybe a late season call up. None of those players are Connor McDavid so to expect anything from these players before they?re even 21 is hard sell for me.

 

I think the leafs did it right. They stacked the Marlies. Won. And then moved guys up together. Rangers just don?t have a system like that.

Kucherov and Point were both 2nd rounders.

 

To hit on guys like that you need luck and opportunities. Rangers have a lot of the later, tough to account for the former.

 

I don't buy the "Have to draft in the top 3" line.

Kucherov and Point were both 2nd rounders.

 

To hit on guys like that you need luck and opportunities. Rangers have a lot of the later, tough to account for the former.

 

I don't buy the "Have to draft in the top 3" line.

 

I mean, the odds are clearly better the higher you draft, but they also improve the more picks you have. They're basically lottery tickets.

Matthews and Marner never played in the AHL. Rielly played 14 games before anyone else was even drafted. What the Leafs did right was draft #5, #8, #4, and #1 in a 5 year period.

At least with middle 6 FWDs and bottom 2-3 D you have a nucleus of a team and all of those picks allow you to put that part of the recipe together. The cream on top is when one of those picks becomes an outlier or by adding that FA signing. I have faith in what Gordon and the Rangers have maintained as the way forward. LGR!

http://www.espn.com/nhl/story/_/id/26083224/2019-trade-deadline-grades-all-31-nhl-teams

 

New York Rangers: A-

Key additions: F Brendan Lemieux, 2019 conditional first-round pick, 2019 conditional second-round pick, 2019 fourth-round pick, 2019 seventh-round pick, 2020 conditional third-round pick, 2022 conditional fourth-round pick, D Julius Bergman

Key subtractions: F Mats Zuccarello, D Adam McQuaid, F Kevin Hayes

Considering the market for the other forwards, the Rangers got more than a fair price for Zuccarello. They did especially well in the Hayes deal, luring another first-round pick (albeit probably a low one) from Winnipeg, as well as Lemieux, an NHL-ready player who plays a tough game and can be a stopgap in the rebuild.

 

 

ESPN writers graded the Rangers moves out well.

Considering Hayes, Zucc, and McQuaid are all rentals and have no value to the Rangers this spring given we're out of the playoff picture, then I think we did quite well. Rangers can always re-sign those players over the summer or replace them with other UFAs.

Yeah, I mean, it can't be understated that exactly two first-round picks were traded, and the Rangers got one of them.

Yeah, I mean, it can't be understated that exactly two first-round picks were traded, and the Rangers got one of them.

 

LETS GO TAMPA!!! AND DALLAS!!!

Kucherov and Point were both 2nd rounders.

 

To hit on guys like that you need luck and opportunities. Rangers have a lot of the later, tough to account for the former.

 

I don't buy the "Have to draft in the top 3" line.

 

I hear you, but what would Point and Kuch be doing on a team without Stamkos and Hedman?