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Here's to a Good Season


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Probably too soon for rose colored glasses, but I thought I might float some positivity out there. Before this season started, we all thought we were going nowhere. With a roster full of players that have never seen postseason action, we got to play meaningful hockey in August. We got to see the heir apparent to the throne continue his dominant play at the world's highest level, and it's a sign of things to come. We watched Kakko struggle, then return and look like the player we always thought he would be at only 19 years old. We inked one of our top veteran forwards for several more years. Ryan Lindgren and Adam Fox were revelations, with Lundkvist and Miller on the way. We watched our shiny new free agent acquisition have an MVP season. We had the luxury of a true #1 center for the first time in I don't know how long.

 

Nobody thought we'd even sniff the playoffs, and we were one of the hottest teams in the league going in to the pause. The future is bright people. This experience was invaluable, and this team will only get better. And if we get the #1 overall pick? I'm prepared to call this an unmitigated success.

 

What do you like most about the team? How optimistic are you for the future? What was your favorite moment this season?

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Good post. These players will learn from this. That you have to start strong and can’t just turn it on when you want to. You are playing playoff contenders, play like one yourself. And next year Shesrerken will be full time
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Basically what you said. With JD and Gorton at the helm, this is probably the best their front office has been in ages. I really liked watching Kakko in the postseason games. I don't know if he'll be elite talent, but something is there, and you saw it here more than ever. I think those few months off did wonders for his body after playing a lot of hockey the past year-plus. Shesterkin emerging was very Lundqvist 2005 and the Rangers are very fortunate to be able to transition right away into someone who likes he can carry this team hopefully just as long as Henrik did. Having a great chance at the first overall pick is a huge plus, and I think getting another first rounder for Skjei, someone who's days were numbered anyway, was a boon as well. I know it won't really be a high pick, but still.

 

Having two offensive players like Zibanejad and Panarin together is something this franchise has sorely lacked since Jagr. Watching Zibanejad continue to grow and mature was really fun to watch this year. Oh, and so was Panarin. My favorite moments were the comeback in Montreal (a confidence changer) the Islanders game where Zibanejad had that laser shot overtime goal, and his five-goal performance against Washington.

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We?re in good shape don?t take much from that series. This was fun and a great step forward. Wouldn?t be surprised if we miss next year too - still very very young

 

One thing you can take from this series is the coaching staff, front office and players now know while there are nights in the regular season you can slip and slide , play half a game and pull things out at the end, you are not cheating like that in the playoffs. It's a 60 minute grind that requires battling and winning one on one battles. Cannot be overstated that now this group understands that, or at least, should.

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Things to like:

- We're in great hands with this FO. JD and Gorton have their heads screwed on the right way, and I feel like there's a clear direction and purpose. Significant steps being made in Hartford as well.

- The Rangers have a couple of legit elite forwards for the first time in eons.

- The goaltending is sorted.

- Kakko looked like a different player, and a lot more than what we thought we'd get. I've said repeatedly we didn't learn anything new about players in this short cameo, but I'm making an exception for Kakko. Because I can.

- The D isn't great at the moment, but it's incredibly promising.

- Unless there's a raft of buyouts, it's one more year of bad contracts.

- 2 first round picks again.

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I was more enthusiastic before the season than now.

 

Kakko and Kravtsov are huge question marks until they aren't. Chytil took some steps but his progress is slow so far. He's not a center.

 

Shesty and Fox are the truth. Not sure how you can go into he playoffs with guys like Gauthier AND DiGi in the lineup with Lemieux and Howden. They are all the same kind of...not good.

 

Not sold on ADA as a 60 point perennial guy.

 

After Zib and Panarin there's a bunch of average guys and Kreider is a danger zone contract if there ever was one with a flat cap.

 

I think keeping strong is a no-brainer, but I wouldn't care if they didn't. They really just don't have anyone to replace him.

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Probably too soon for rose colored glasses, but I thought I might float some positivity out there. Before this season started, we all thought we were going nowhere. With a roster full of players that have never seen postseason action, we got to play meaningful hockey in August. We got to see the heir apparent to the throne continue his dominant play at the world's highest level, and it's a sign of things to come. We watched Kakko struggle, then return and look like the player we always thought he would be at only 19 years old. We inked one of our top veteran forwards for several more years. Ryan Lindgren and Adam Fox were revelations, with Lundkvist and Miller on the way. We watched our shiny new free agent acquisition have an MVP season. We had the luxury of a true #1 center for the first time in I don't know how long.

 

Nobody thought we'd even sniff the playoffs, and we were one of the hottest teams in the league going in to the pause. The future is bright people. This experience was invaluable, and this team will only get better. And if we get the #1 overall pick? I'm prepared to call this an unmitigated success.

 

What do you like most about the team? How optimistic are you for the future? What was your favorite moment this season?

 

Overall I'm happy with this season. ended on a sour note. But oh well. There were 0 expectations.

 

This team was the exact opposite of our cup conteding teams of a few years ago. Where there, we had the goaltending and the supporting cast, but not the elite gamebreaker. This year, we finally have the game breaker, but the supporting cast just isn't ready yet. They will be soon.

 

Wew're seeing hints of the kind of player Kakko is going to be. Anyone who is calling him a bust already can go F themselves. There are too many examples of good young players, drafted dearly, who didn;t light it up right away but progressed.

 

We had some pretty awesome moments this year. Tony D 5 points againt the Devils, big wins vs the isles on the road. Huge comeback vs Montreal. 5 goals for Zibanejad.

 

I had fun

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I'm still bitter, so here we go....

 

Re-building season:

The Youngest:

Fox - incredibly impressive. I was not expecting this from him, and even those that had high expectations, I think those were passed.

Shesterkin - great

Lindgren - good play, not a top pairing dman. Being played above his ability, hope it doesnt hurt development long-run

 

Kakko - underwhelming, little progression during the season

Howden - did not improve

Kravtsov - did not improve

Andersson - did not improve

Hajek - regressed

Georgiev - did not improve

Chytil - did not improve

Lemieux - did not improve

 

Graduates:

Buchnevich - played some good hockey. Was it from playing with Zibanejad all season?

Strome - looked good, but inconsistent during the season. Was it from playing with Panarin?

DeAngelo - put up points. Was it from playing with Zibanejad and Panarin?

 

Vets:

Zibanejad - awesome outside the playoffs

Kreider - same inconsistent guy as always

Trouba - somewhat disappointing season

Panarin - awesome

Staal, Smith, Lundqvist - wtf

 

Hartford - still a fucking mess that doesnt develop shit, which is a big reason the bottom 6 is garbage

Quinn - same mistakes. So up and down with his consistency with his message. He needs to take a big step next year in his ability to get the most out of skill guys and young players. This team will be in constant rebuild if they are going to playing a game geared towards Howden than Kakko.

 

Again, this was not a playoff team. This was not a good team. This was a team with 2 great players that carried them. The rest, was pretty shitty and disappointing. As far as a rebuild, this was a wasted year. Our hope is currently at "well, I hope they all get magically better over the offseason". The rebuild is so bad that people are hoping for the #1 pick, so dont tell me this was a successful season.

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Things to like:

- We're in great hands with this FO. JD and Gorton have their heads screwed on the right way, and I feel like there's a clear direction and purpose. Significant steps being made in Hartford as well.

- The Rangers have a couple of legit elite forwards for the first time in eons.

- The goaltending is sorted.

- Kakko looked like a different player, and a lot more than what we thought we'd get. I've said repeatedly we didn't learn anything new about players in this short cameo, but I'm making an exception for Kakko. Because I can.

- The D isn't great at the moment, but it's incredibly promising.

- Unless there's a raft of buyouts, it's one more year of bad contracts.

- 2 first round picks again.

 

I'm liking your points, Gravy!

 

I'm curious to see what the future holds for ADA though. He looked like a fucking traffic cone last night a couple of times and that doesn't sit well with me. :rofl:

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So, if the Rangers don't win the number one pick, what is the highest spot they can get? Either way, having more than one first round pick again is wonderful.

 

9.

Requires Arizona, Jets, Montreal and Chicago to win their play-in series.

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Most definitely a bitter sweet season in review. Much to build on for sure, but the holes are there, and they are glaring.

 

Pros-

Panarin. Man, what a way to say hello to NYC

Zib- Took that next step, he's a bonafied star at this point.

Shesterkin- should take the torch from Hank and run with it,

Fox/Lindgren - What an exciting tandem

DeAngelo- Despite some shortcomings in his own end, really started to put it together

Youth- its a young squad with much room for improvement

 

Cons:

One actual defensive paring

A bottom 6 that is nowhere near NHL playoff level competent.

3 horrendous contracts on the books for another full season

Youth- Slow development of the kids- Kakko was really slower to adapt than most thought (he was different int eh Carolina series and I still think the outlook is tremendous) Andersson has shown to be a twat, Kravtsov was a non factor, Hajek, Howden, Rykov- none have shown anything at all that scream NHL regular.

 

If we don't luck out in the lottery I'd be all for trading one or both of these 1st rounders.. At some point we need NHL'ers rather than kids.

 

Very much looking forward to a nutty off season... DO we trade Strome or De'Angelo or both? I'm still not sure we have may sacred cows right now. I'd absolutely entertain offers for both Ryan/Tony and see how you better transform a top heavy roster.

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This was a bonus educational experience/reality check. Doesn't change anything. Continue building through this year - bring Miller, Barron, Lundkvist, Kravtsov, new 1st rounders, others along. Should make the playoffs in 20-21, but no out-sized expectations. Then Gorton/JD use the cap space freed up from Smith, Staal, and Hank to sign the keepers and fill some holes. First sniff of genuine ability to contend in 21-22, then the good old days begin.
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This was a bonus educational experience/reality check. Doesn't change anything. Continue building through this year - bring Miller, Barron, Lundkvist, Kravtsov, new 1st rounders, others along. Should make the playoffs in 20-21, but no out-sized expectations. Then Gorton/JD use the cap space freed up from Smith, Staal, and Hank to sign the keepers and fill some holes. First sniff of genuine ability to contend in 21-22, then the good old days begin.

 

agreed, and this was a point I made before the pause when the debate was over whether we should keep Kreider or not. Before we knew he'd sign, I felt it was worth it to keep him, and let us play competitive hockey, and let the young players know there is faith in them from the organization. It was a disappointing restart. I do believe that had we not had the pandemic, and the team was allowed to roll, we could have crept into a wild card spot, especially given how the teams ahead of us were playing at the time. A series vs. any of the top teams probably would have gone similarly to this, but it still would have been worth it to give us some experience to build from. This will benefit us long term.

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If we don't luck out in the lottery I'd be all for trading one or both of these 1st rounders.. At some point we need NHL'ers rather than kids.

 

I think I'd look at exploring trading one of those picks regardless of the draft lottery.

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I think I'd look at exploring trading one of those picks regardless of the draft lottery.

 

If we do somehow win the lottery (I'm not holding my breath after last year)... the opportunities would be really fun to consider. Keeping him is obviously a near no-brainer.. but the trade possibilities could be ridiculous.

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I think I'd look at exploring trading one of those picks regardless of the draft lottery.

 

Did you see that Brooks was teasing the possibility that - if they lucked into the 1st pick - the Rangers should consider taking Byfield instead of LaFrieniere on the basis that we could use that big physical center more than another Panarin-like wing? Interesting take.

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I think I'd look at exploring trading one of those picks regardless of the draft lottery.

 

Unless we get some type of kings ransom for the #1 overall pick there's no way we move it. I'd certainly be open to moving the later first round pick in that case though. If we don't get the #1 pick and we have a pick in the 10-14 range as well as the later pick, I'd definitely be open to moving the earlier pick.

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Did you see that Brooks was teasing the possibility that - if they lucked into the 1st pick - the Rangers should consider taking Byfield instead of LaFrieniere on the basis that we could use that big physical center more than another Panarin-like wing? Interesting take.

 

no way we pass on Lafreniere with the #1. I think thats just Brooks trying to stir up something out of nothing like he ususally does

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no way we pass on Lafreniere with the #1. I think thats just Brooks trying to stir up something out of nothing like he ususally does

 

Yeah. Byfield had been shaky this season. He'll no doubt be good, but he's not on Lafreniere's level. Byfield might not even end up second overall. You don't pass up on Lafreniere for a positional need.

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no way we pass on Lafreniere with the #1. I think thats just Brooks trying to stir up something out of nothing like he ususally does
Exactly, he's just contrarian.

 

He also said if the Rangers won the lottery last year that they should take Kakko instead of Hughes.

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Did you see that Brooks was teasing the possibility that - if they lucked into the 1st pick - the Rangers should consider taking Byfield instead of LaFrieniere on the basis that we could use that big physical center more than another Panarin-like wing? Interesting take.

 

Brooks is kind of on both sides here, but the problem is that the player is worth more than the pick.

 

Lafreniere will go #1. If we have #1, Lafreniere is the pick, no questions asked.

 

Where it gets interesting is what does each team actually want? The Rangers straight up do not need a left wing. We have Panarin, we have Kreider, and we committed to both of them within the last 13 months. We've also got Kakko who plays both sides. Time changes things, but LW just isn't a position top contenders stack up on. We desperately need a center like Byfield, but we simply cannot justify passing on Lafreniere....so long as we hold #1.

 

So the question at hand is....who wants who?

 

If NYR want Byfield, LA wants Stutzle (as is heavily rumored), and OTT wants Lafreniere, we can and should figure out a three way trade that lets us maximize the pick value.

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Unless we get some type of kings ransom for the #1 overall pick there's no way we move it. I'd certainly be open to moving the later first round pick in that case though. If we don't get the #1 pick and we have a pick in the 10-14 range as well as the later pick, I'd definitely be open to moving the earlier pick.

 

No, I would trade the late pick, maybe get a guy like Josh Anderson plus a prospect or late pick.

 

 

I didnt see the Brooks article, but if they want a Center, and get #1 overall, they can move back to 2, 3, 4, 5... any spot they want, add (possibly) Byfield, Sturtze (probably a W in NHL), PERFETTI, Marco Rossi (put up more points than Byfield) PLUS potentially adding another first round pick in 20 or 21.

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