rumor/report: Strickland: Ryan Strome Drawing Trade Interest

I don't understand why Ottawa wants Strome. They're set down the middle for a while and the only thing of interest they have for us are younger centers. Feels a little like a circular firing squad for them. There's nothing gained on their part trading Norris or Batherson or Pinto or whatever, and nothing gained on our part if we don't get any of those three players.

 

Vegas, I get. Win now mode, has an asset in Krebs or Marchessault that they could reasonably part with that makes some sense for us.

 

Seattle is interesting - I'd guess that would be something like Soucy and a high pick.

Is Josh Norris not a serious downgrade for next season though? I'm not opposed to the idea in the long term but the Rangers are building a team that can make the playoffs next season. I'm just not sure how trading Strome can work unless you're packaging him for an upgrade (like Eichel).

 

He had 35 points in 56 games for a horrendous Senators team.

If the Eichel ship has sailed, which it seems like it has now, how can we trade Strome?

 

Because they can't afford Strome on his next contract if they pay Zibanejad. I'm not sure they knew this would be the case until they started seeing the numbers on Fox and Zibanejad. It is evident now that signing both those guys to 9+ is very limiting to splurging anywhere else in the lineup.

 

The Buch trade made us a worse team on paper in all likelihood, but he was traded for the same reasoning.

So here's where my brain went this morning: if they're dealing Strome, are they after Danault?

So here's where my brain went this morning: if they're dealing Strome, are they after Danault?

 

Is that an upgrade? I personally don't think so.. Same age.. Defensively superior, sure... Offensively I don't believe so. That Danault contract scares me as well.

So here's where my brain went this morning: if they're dealing Strome, are they after Danault?

 

Can they afford to pay him 5.5-6 long term? I just don't see how they can afford a 2C like this if Zib and Fox get 9+.

 

I mean if they can afford that, they can probably afford Strome. Then it's a matter of "would you rather have Strome or Danault + assets from Strome trade"?

Again, Rangers should be looking to lean into Chtyil. Young, cheap, talented. Sign a vet 3C on a shorter contract. Bonino? Krejci? These guys can flex up to 2C if it's really needed. If Chytil isn't working out, look for another vet mid 6 C midseason or towards the deadline to shore up the position. You'd have Chytil, assets from Buch/Strome trades, and other existing assets to work with to get it.

Can they afford to pay him 5.5-6 long term? I just don't see how they can afford a 2C like this if Zib and Fox get 9+.

 

I mean if they can afford that, they can probably afford Strome. Then it's a matter of "would you rather have Strome or Danault + assets from Strome trade"?

 

I'd rather have Strome personally... I know he has some serious detractors here, but he's done nothing but produce since he's been a Ranger. He was still a PPG guy during Panarin's absence.

He had 35 points in 56 games for a horrendous Senators team.

 

I understand but that's still a downgrade from what Strome has done the last two years.

I'd rather have Strome personally... I know he has some serious detractors here, but he's done nothing but produce since he's been a Ranger. He was still a PPG guy during Panarin's absence.

 

For the money, I would choose Strome over Danault also.

So here's where my brain went this morning: if they're dealing Strome, are they after Danault?

 

That would be supremely disappointing to swap one out for the other. Similar to Norris, Danault is fine, but he's still a downgrade at center, not an upgrade.

Danault makes sense to me. Good on FO. 28 yrs old. His numbers would definitely get boosted with more ice time and Bread exposer. Has playoff experience. ✔✔✔

Because they can't afford Strome on his next contract if they pay Zibanejad. I'm not sure they knew this would be the case until they started seeing the numbers on Fox and Zibanejad. It is evident now that signing both those guys to 9+ is very limiting to splurging anywhere else in the lineup.

 

The Buch trade made us a worse team on paper in all likelihood, but he was traded for the same reasoning.

 

But this is all backwards... We're making the team worse.

 

I understand paying Fox. He's 23.

I do not understand paying Mika at 29.

I understand moving Buch - we have younger/cheaper wingers to replace him

I do not understand moving Strome - we have no one to replace him and all the names listed as trade possibilities are worse players.

 

Honestly, I'd sooner resign Strome at 6x6 than Mika at 10x8 (or 9x8). It's just a crippling contract for a player with concussion issues and a player who's older than the core of the team who will need money very shortly

But this is all backwards... We're making the team worse.

 

I understand paying Fox. He's 23.

I do not understand paying Mika at 29.

I understand moving Buch - we have younger/cheaper wingers to replace him

I do not understand moving Strome - we have no one to replace him and all the names listed as trade possibilities are worse players.

 

Honestly, I'd sooner resign Strome at 6x6 than Mika at 10x8 (or 9x8). It's just a crippling contract for a player with concussion issues and a player who's older than the core of the team who will need money very shortly

 

It's a lot easier to find a player like Strome than it is to find a player like Zibanejad.

Talking about Danault, which would basically finalize the roster makeover, going from soft to hard as fuck in a week, and bad trades, which are always fun to look at..

 

Chicago traded Danault and a 2nd (Romanov) for Dale Weise and Thomas Fleischmann. That's pretty fucking bad.

It's a lot easier to find a player like Strome than it is to find a player like Zibanejad.

 

Zibanejad is a star. I'm not debating that. But compare his deal to Eichel's: Eichel's ends when he's 30. That's when Mika's begins. Even at 9m you're paying for that until he's 37 years old.

 

This is why an Eichel trade would make so much sense for the Rangers. Eichel is 25. His prime just so happens to line up with Kakko, Lafreniere, Krav and Fox. If you land Eichel, you can let Zib walk next summer without killing the team.

 

If you don't land Eichel, you have Zib in his prime, about 6-7 years too early - becoming an albatross for a team with star players on the rise.

 

And I disagree that you can find a nearly PPG 2nd line center easily. There aren't many in the league.

But this is all backwards... We're making the team worse.

 

I understand paying Fox. He's 23.

I do not understand paying Mika at 29.

I understand moving Buch - we have younger/cheaper wingers to replace him

I do not understand moving Strome - we have no one to replace him and all the names listed as trade possibilities are worse players.

 

Honestly, I'd sooner resign Strome at 6x6 than Mika at 10x8 (or 9x8). It's just a crippling contract for a player with concussion issues and a player who's older than the core of the team who will need money very shortly

 

I do agree that if Zib cost 10x8 and Strome cost 6x6, I'd roll Strome. 9x8 for Zib it gets to be a tougher decision. I think they could find another C who isn't Zib, but who is pretty damn good, for like 6-7M/yr.

 

Let's say you trade Zib. Strome costs 6, you bring in Danault at 6. You're all in cost at top 6 C is 12M. That combo is probably better long term than Zib at 9 and whoever at 3.

 

This is a wing heavy team, and that's where the bulk of the money looks like it will be in just a couple of more years. Maybe they should embrace that.

Talking about Danault, which would basically finalize the roster makeover, going from soft to hard as fuck in a week, and bad trades, which are always fun to look at..

 

Chicago traded Danault and a 2nd (Romanov) for Dale Weise and Thomas Fleischmann. That's pretty fucking bad.

 

I always forget about this trade. Just amazing loss all around.

re: Danault, let's not forget that the Habs weren't very good this season. They caught lightning in a bottle (aka Carey Price) and made a run. That's not a team to model yourself after. They were worse than the Rangers. They couldn't score goals. Danault as a 3rd line center would be unreal, but as a replacement for Strome? I don't see how that makes us any better.

Zibanejad is a star. I'm not debating that. But compare his deal to Eichel's: Eichel's ends when he's 30. That's when Mika's begins. Even at 9m you're paying for that until he's 37 years old.

 

This is why an Eichel trade would make so much sense for the Rangers. Eichel is 25. His prime just so happens to line up with Kakko, Lafreniere, Krav and Fox. If you land Eichel, you can let Zib walk next summer without killing the team.

 

If you don't land Eichel, you have Zib in his prime, about 6-7 years too early - becoming an albatross for a team with star players on the rise.

 

I can't agree with any scenario where you let Zibanejad walk for nothing.

 

I was intrigued by acquiring Eichel before, but that feeling has faded. Buffalo hasn't pulled back its demands and the Rangers have already moved some of the pieces they were comfortable with moving. I don't get the impression that Eichel is happening.

 

Eichel's neck injury is also just as relevant as Zibanejad's concussions. I'd be just as concerned if not more concerned if he were to suffer any more damage. His age doesn't do much for me if he's potentially a glass cannon.

I can't agree with any scenario where you let Zibanejad walk for nothing.

 

I was intrigued by acquiring Eichel before, but that feeling has faded. Buffalo hasn't pulled back its demands and the Rangers have already moved some of the pieces they were comfortable with moving. I don't get the impression that Eichel is happening.

 

Eichel's neck injury is also just as relevant as Zibanejad's concussions. I'd be just as concerned if not more concerned if he were to suffer any more damage. His age doesn't do much for me if he's potentially a glass cannon.

 

I'm not necessarily sold on going "all in" on Eichel either, I'm just using him as an example of a player that makes sense at center for a team this young.

I do agree that if Zib cost 10x8 and Strome cost 6x6, I'd roll Strome. 9x8 for Zib it gets to be a tougher decision. I think they could find another C who isn't Zib, but who is pretty damn good, for like 6-7M/yr.

 

Let's say you trade Zib. Strome costs 6, you bring in Danault at 6. You're all in cost at top 6 C is 12M. That combo is probably better long term than Zib at 9 and whoever at 3.

 

This is a wing heavy team, and that's where the bulk of the money looks like it will be in just a couple of more years. Maybe they should embrace that.

 

Hot take here (kinda, not really) but, Strome is already basically playing 1C, it’s just 1bC I guess. They decided to split the talents of panarin and zib up to have two first lines. On paper he’s a “2C” but if you wrote the roster like this:

 

A: Panarin - Strome - Blackwell

B: Kreider - Zibby - Buchnevich

 

Does A really feel like any less of a 1st line than B? (Aside from Blackwell of course lol). We’ve improved our 3rd and 4th lines tremendously, I think shifting our current 2nd line to 1st in the event we let Zib go, and finding a new 2C instead of trying to replace zib as 1C would make that 2nd line a downgrade but our 1st line (now the panarin - Strome line) is equal to the 1st line we had with zib and buch.

 

So basically much as it pains me to say, we had two first lines this season and no bottom 6, if we have to let one of our 1st lines become a 2nd line (letting zib go and not replacing him with a C of his caliber) and let our 1B line become just our 1st line (panarin - Strome - kakko/krav) to make the whole team overall stronger I think that’s okay. Not every team has two first lines and not even every cup team does. Eventually Laf maybe carries that 2nd line to 1st line status talent/production wise the way panarin does.

I'm not necessarily sold on going "all in" on Eichel either, I'm just using him as an example of a player that makes sense at center for a team this young.

 

Understood. I think it's a tough situation to think out. If you're not getting Eichel then your options with Zibanejad are to keep him or trade him for a younger/lateral option. There's no scenario where you trade Zibanejad and end up with Strome-Danault as your 1-2 because you're dealing Zibanejad for futures in that scenario. That's a misuse of Zibanejad's value and not really the type of move that the team needs right now.

 

I don't disagree Strome-Danault could be effective, but the idea of Zibanejad just disappearing to clear space doesn't make sense. If you're moving Zibanejad it's because you're acquiring his replacement. Either someone who develops into his role or someone who currently plays a similar role with a different flair. The perfect replacement, to me, is Mark Scheifele. Scheifele has three more seasons at $6.125M and plays a rougher game than Zibanejad with not much lost on the stat sheet. Winnipeg has no reason to trade someone on such a sweet deal, though, for someone who's a pending UFA. I also can't see Zibanejad waiving for Winnipeg of all places.

Hot take here (kinda, not really) but, Strome is already basically playing 1C, it’s just 1bC I guess. They decided to split the talents of panarin and zib up to have two first lines. On paper he’s a “2C” but if you wrote the roster like this:

 

A: Panarin - Strome - Blackwell

B: Kreider - Zibby - Buchnevich

 

Does A really feel like any less of a 1st line than B? (Aside from Blackwell of course lol). We’ve improved our 3rd and 4th lines tremendously, I think shifting our current 2nd line to 1st in the event we let Zib go, and finding a new 2C instead of trying to replace zib as 1C would make that 2nd line a downgrade but our 1st line (now the panarin - Strome line) is equal to the 1st line we had with zib and buch.

 

So basically much as it pains me to say, we had two first lines this season and no bottom 6, if we have to let one of our 1st lines become a 2nd line (letting zib go and not replacing him with a C of his caliber) and let our 1B line become just our 1st line (panarin - Strome - kakko/krav) to make the whole team overall stronger I think that’s okay. Not every team has two first lines and not even every cup team does. Eventually Laf maybe carries that 2nd line to 1st line status talent/production wise the way panarin does.

 

Yup. This is what my train of thought was too if they have to move on from Zib. They ultimately need one of Lafreniere/Kakko/Kravtsov to become a line driver for the new 2nd line. And let's face it, if one or even two of the guys from that group don't pan out into that, it will be very difficult to win anything regardless of what we do.

Production, Production, Production. That's Stromes buzz word for the last 2 seasons. But it's the only part of his play that excelled. Does he finish his checks? Does he win important and timely faceoffs? Does he give up his body to block shots? Can he stay in front for screens, tip ins ? No, to all the aforementioned. Too soft. That's why he should be traded without even considering financials. His value is peaked right now, so move him now.