[brooks] Rangers Line Combinations That Would Make Them Stacked

The Rangers have a chance to be as formidable on the left as any team in the NHL, and if not necessarily this year, then over the next three, four, five seasons. That?s the expectation/projection when you can line up with Artemi Panarin, Chris Kreider and Alexis Lafreniere on that side.

 

But will David Quinn?s Blueshirts line up that way? Will the Rangers stack their left wings or will they flip one to the right in order to create their most formidable top six and move Lafreniere into the top six?

 

If they do bulk up at the top, moving Kreider to the right is the most logical move, even if it would take some time for No. 20 to adapt to playing the wrong wing, and especially on plays and battles on the boards in the defensive zone.

There?s always a danger in giving a rookie too much too soon and expecting a high-profile youngster to lead his team out of misery. These, though, are different circumstances. This time, the first-overall pick did not go to a ne?er-do-well, though the Rangers (thankfully, in retrospect) didn?t do nearly well enough to make it out of the qualifiers to the playoffs.

Doesn?t it make more sense for Lafreniere to play on Zibanejad?s left, where he would operate under some cover next to one of the NHL?s elite centers, rather than on the third line with Filip Chytil, who at age 21 ? still only 21 ? is attempting to establish himself in the league? Not only do I want Lafreniere to hit the ground running, his exceptional playmaking ability naturally complements Zibanejad?s shoot-first mentality.

 

For the last couple of months, I have been envisioning a Lafreniere-Zibanejad-Kreider 1A Line with Panarin-Ryan Strome-Kakko or Pavel Buchnevich as the 1B unit. Yes, I would like Chytil to get a shot with Panarin, but it?s not likely that the Rangers are spending $4.5 million this season on Strome simply for him to act as a safety net.

 

Plus, Panarin has already lost his right wing, Jesper Fast, to Carolina via free agency, so sequestering him from the center with whom he combined for a career year might not be the most prudent way to go.

 

So that would mean Chytil on Line 3 with Kakko or Buchnevich ? well, hopefully not Kakko, with whom No. 72 combined to post some of the most horrific analytics imaginable last year, the two on for five goals for and 18 against in 290:49 of five-on-five time, per Natural Stat Trick ? on the right and a player to be named later on the left. Maybe Brett Howden. Maybe Brendan Lemieux. Maybe Morgan Barron. Maybe Steve Vickers.

 

That was the best way I could think of to move Lafreniere into the top six, even if it would make the third line a bit of a dog?s breakfast and would pretty much solidify the Rangers as the top-heaviest team in the league.

https://nypost.com/2020/11/10/the-rangers-line-combinations-that-would-make-them-stacked/?utm_campaign=iphone_nyp&utm_source=twitter_app

Article doesn't make a lot of sense, to be honest.

KZB was already a formidable top line, and we already know what Panarin's line can do. Why would you put Lafreniere on the top line against the other team's top defense (the "Air cover" from Z sentence was a real head scratcher), when you can put him against the other team's lower lines every night and break him in?

Article doesn't make a lot of sense, to be honest.

 

KZB was already a formidable top line, and we already know what Panarin's line can do. Why would you put Lafreniere on the top line against the other team's top defense (the "Air cover" from Z sentence was a real head scratcher), when you can put him against the other team's lower lines every night and break him in?

+1

Chytil is due for a breakout and Laf may contribute to that. I want Lemiuex alongside Strome and Panarin. 4th line, eh who knows. Id give Ryan Hollweg, Blair Betts and Jed Ortmeyer a PTO.

Article doesn't make a lot of sense, to be honest.

 

KZB was already a formidable top line, and we already know what Panarin's line can do. Why would you put Lafreniere on the top line against the other team's top defense (the "Air cover" from Z sentence was a real head scratcher), when you can put him against the other team's lower lines every night and break him in?

Exactly. Resides how top 6 heavy we were last year. We have a legit chance to role 3 lines than can hurt you with no pressure of ALF or Kakko by going with a nice kid line.

Doesn’t it make more sense for Lafreniere to play on Zibanejad’s left, where he would operate under some cover next to one of the NHL’s elite centers, rather than on the third line with Filip Chytil, who at age 21 — still only 21 — is attempting to establish himself in the league? Not only do I want Lafreniere to hit the ground running, his exceptional playmaking ability naturally complements Zibanejad’s shoot-first mentality.

Nope. Not when Lafreniere is a LW and Zibanejad is a RH shot.

+1

 

Chytil is due for a breakout and Laf may contribute to that. I want Lemiuex alongside Strome and Panarin. 4th line, eh who knows. Id give Ryan Hollweg, Blair Betts and Jed Ortmeyer a PTO.

Strangely, I want to give Howden the chance there. He's a little faster than Lemieux, a little better defensively. Both Lemieux and Howden scored all their goals in front of the net, but Lemieuxs were mostly tips. The success of the Panarin - Strome line was the movement. Howden cycles a bit better, and still gets some good crafty goals. I just dont see the skill in Lemieux to play up there.

Kreider - Zibanejad - Kakko

Panarin - Strome -

Lafreniere - Chytil - Buchnevich

Lemieux - Rooney -

 

I've been playing around with potential lines, and I think this is where I am at.

 

I've been going through some of the Lafreniere videos, and those of his linemates.

put up 37 goals because of ALF. Big kid, left handed, and loves to shoot one-timers. the Rangers don't have a lot of that. Chytil and Buch were the only guys with more than a few over the last few seasons. I also game across

from last season and got erect. Man, Chytil and Buchnevich have some good chemistry. Could you imagine Lafreniere - Chytil - Buchnevich going against a teams 3rd d pairing on the regular? Oh my. I originally wanted to see ALF-Chytil-Kakko, but there's not enough defense there. I think Buchnevich has grown up enough, he could be the leader on that line and really thrive. Although they wont be great defensively, I think they'd be + line.

 

I move Kakko up to start the season. a) because I have Buchnevich playing a bigger role on a different line, and b) he, too, impressed in the playoffs. Not to mention it's creating a deep offensive team.

 

There's a spot on the 2nd line, but I dont want to talk about it. It seems like they need a hard worker, that goes to the front of the net and get some dirty goals, maybe plays a little defense. It would be nice if this individual had a bit more size, speed and physicality. Also, dont need a lot of points out of this spot as Fast only had 6 or something like that.

 

4th - Lemieux for energy. Rooney for PK and defense. I dont have Gauthier penciled into the lineup. This spot probably goes to Blackwell or DiPePe.

So what about Kravtsov? Is he stuck in the KHL for the entire season or can he come back when the NHL starts? If so, then he left him out of the mix as well.

The thing is with him is that they are screwed cap wise from the bonuses so im not sure he fits this coming season.

Kreider - Zibanejad - Buchnevich

Panarin - Strome - Kakko

Lafreniere - Chytil - Gauthier

Lemieux - Howden - Rooney/DiGiuseppe

Lock it in.

Kreider - Zibanejad - Buchnevich

Panarin - Strome - Kakko

Lafreniere - Chytil - Gauthier

Lemieux - Howden - Rooney/DiGiuseppe

 

Lock it in.

Yep. I like this.

Kreider - Zibanejad - Buchnevich

Panarin - Strome - Kakko

Lafreniere - Chytil - Gauthier

Lemieux - Howden - Rooney/DiGiuseppe

 

Lock it in.

Likely to start the year this way, yeah, with Kreider and Lafreniere swapping places if need be.

Kreider - Zibanejad - Buchnevich

Panarin - Strome - Kakko

Lafreniere - Chytil - Gauthier

Lemieux - Howden - Rooney/DiGiuseppe

 

Lock it in.

Agreed.

Although I think it's a stretch using the term stacked for sure. Improved with Laf odds are yes. That said there's still a handful with a lot to prove - that doesn't add up to stacked. Stacked on one side again maybe but that won't get you shit if a number of the rest of the forwards and the D don't step up and in some cases in a big way. Hoping for improvement or even better yet an actual season.

Kreider - Zibanejad - Buchnevich

Panarin - Strome - Kakko

Lafreniere - Chytil - Gauthier

Lemieux - Howden - Rooney/DiGiuseppe

 

Lock it in.

Yup...I'll go with this too!!!

Kreider - Zibanejad - Buchnevich

Panarin - Strome - Kakko

Lafreniere - Chytil - Gauthier

Lemieux - Howden - Rooney/DiGiuseppe

 

Lock it in.

Telling ya, he needs LH shots to unload one-timers. That’s how he puts up his points. Gauthier is RH. They’d get beat up defensively, too.

Could they really not squeeze Kravtsov's salary in if he proved he was better than some of the others they have on the right side at some point during the season? His base is 925 while Gauthier is at 863/Rooney 750/PDG 700 so the difference is next to nothing. Kravtsov does have a potential perf bonus of 850k. For those of you that understand how the potential performance bonuses against the cap would that really preclude him from making the team or joining at some point. For example does the team have to assume everybody is going to hit their targets therefore they need to reserve the cap space for it? I find it all pretty confusing.

They can fit it, just not during the summer with the bonus overages. Essentially a paper transaction to send him to the AHL until the season starts, then call him back up.

Most likely, he wouldnt be coming over until the KHL season is over in February/March. If he comes over this season at all.

Third line will get caved in defensively, but if you load them up like Miller-Hayes-Grabner, you can make hay. They'll just need really favorable matchups and a smart coach to deploy them at exactly the right moments.

Sorry, not understanding this. All those guys are great 2-way players.

I put Buch with the kids. He's at the age/point in his career where he needs to be a leader. Plus, man, those Buch-Chytil highlights are awesome. Adding Lafreniere would be amazing. Plus, that line is scoring more than if Gauthier is on the wing, so you dont have that fear of playing the entire game in your own zone... theyll at least get offensive opportunities. Additionally, Buchnevich has really grown into a Quinn player. He'll hit, he's much improved defensively, he forechecks, etc. Great example for the kids. Plus how he has grown offensively as a player. I think that line would mesh so well.

Rangers have a great change to develop amazing young kids. Putting kids on a line with Lemieux, Howden, Gauthier, Rooney is an absolute NO for this season. Put the kids in a place to succeed, and it's going to pay-off in the future.

Sorry, not understanding this. All those guys are great 2-way players.

 

 

I put Buch with the kids. He's at the age/point in his career where he needs to be a leader. Plus, man, those Buch-Chytil highlights are awesome. Adding Lafreniere would be amazing. Plus, that line is scoring more than if Gauthier is on the wing, so you dont have that fear of playing the entire game in your own zone... theyll at least get offensive opportunities. Additionally, Buchnevich has really grown into a Quinn player. He'll hit, he's much improved defensively, he forechecks, etc. Great example for the kids. Plus how he has grown offensively as a player. I think that line would mesh so well.

 

Rangers have a great change to develop amazing young kids. Putting kids on a line with Lemieux, Howden, Gauthier, Rooney is an absolute NO for this season. Put the kids in a place to succeed, and it's going to pay-off in the future.

I'm just talking about the way AV deployed them. Tons of OZ starts, very few DZ. Basically, they're all offense, so play them as that, and, as much as you can, against lesser opposing lines.

I'm just talking about the way AV deployed them. Tons of OZ starts, very few DZ. Basically, they're all offense, so play them as that, and, as much as you can, against lesser opposing lines.

“Could you imagine Lafreniere - Chytil - Buchnevich going against a teams 3rd d pairing on the regular?”

Lafreniere - Chytil - Gauthier against third d pairing? That’s a rookie, a 20-pt player and an ahler. That’s an AHL line against an NHL d-pair.

?Could you imagine Lafreniere - Chytil - Buchnevich going against a teams 3rd d pairing on the regular??

 

Lafreniere - Chytil - Gauthier against third d pairing? That?s a rookie, a 20-pt player and an ahler. That?s an AHL line against an NHL d-pair.

Larry stole my lines from the Lemieux thread.

Zib has grown into the player he is with Kreider there with him. I think Buch benefited big time from playing with that combo.

I can't see the freshly paid Kreider dropping down to the 3rd line, though I do like the thought of Chytil out there with Kreider.

BUT, I agree in the thought that Lafreniere would benefit from the match ups he and Chytil would get as a third line. It gives opponents a lot to think about with 3 lines that can hopefully produce offense.

The Rangers certainly have a lot of options.

Whys everyone down on Gauthier? I thought people were high on this dude?

Larry stole my lines from the Lemieux thread.

 

Zib has grown into the player he is with Kreider there with him. I think Buch benefited big time from playing with that combo.

 

 

I can't see the freshly paid Kreider dropping down to the 3rd line, though I do like the thought of Chytil out there with Kreider.

 

BUT, I agree in the thought that Lafreniere would benefit from the match ups he and Chytil would get as a third line. It gives opponents a lot to think about with 3 lines that can hopefully produce offense.

 

The Rangers certainly have a lot of options.

 

 

Whys everyone down on Gauthier? I thought people were high on this dude?

I?m looking forward to a full season of seeing what Gauthier can do. Between him, kreider and laf the grit factor should be higher this season.

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Whys everyone down on Gauthier? I thought people were high on this dude?

I think it's just me. When he's been buried on the 4th, he's practically worthless. We'll see how he adjusts after an offseason of dealing with the coaching staff. He may have a chance at that 2nd line spot with Strome-Panarin. I just dont think he's a good fit on Lafreniere's line. I mean, watching the highlights he's always feeding LHers. ALWAYS. One of Lafrenieres best assets is his deceptiveness with passing/shooting. If that one-time shot isnt there, it really allows defenders to close in on him. It takes away that one-time threat, and now you dont have to worry if he's passing/shooting.

I watched some of the WJC highlights. There were 2 with a RH shot. I wish there were stats available, because it's crazy how his line changes with have lefties vs righties.