confirmed: Rangers Trade Pavel Buchnevich to STL for Sammy Blais, 2022 2nd-Round Pick

 

 

Does anyone think this is an acceptable answer? I think the Rangers made a big mistake with Drury. AGAIN.

Does anyone think this is an acceptable answer? I think the Rangers made a big mistake with Drury. AGAIN.

 

I actually do since we’ve been talking about a cap predicament for several years now. Something had to give.

 

 

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Does anyone think this is an acceptable answer? I think the Rangers made a big mistake with Drury. AGAIN.

 

I mean he’s not wrong about anything. We all figured buch was a goner this off season.

 

 

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Does anyone think this is an acceptable answer? I think the Rangers made a big mistake with Drury. AGAIN.

 

I think it's acceptable, yeah. It wasn't my first choice for Buch to be the odd man out, but it's a sensible choice. They can't afford both Buch and Strome moving forward. I think something of note in Drury's comment that I didn't really catch last night was feeling good at winger depth. Think that position might be set how it is, which would mean Center is the next move made if one is made. Strome may still get moved and Drury may still have another target in mind to take the cap space instead (Eichel? Danault? Maybe they view Landeskog as a C option?).

I think you have to split all of this out.

 

Is there an upcoming cap problem? Yeah - we've known this for years. Drury reprising his Captain Obvious role here.

Would Buchnevich's contract demands have been onerous? TBD - but I'd think adding 6m+ in cap would at least be problematic.

Is Buchnevich the odd man out in the top 6? Probably - Panarin, Laf, Kakko are here for the long haul. That fourth spot is Buch, Kreider, or Kravtsov - too many cooks in that kitchen. Again - this makes sense, even if Kravtsov may not quite yet be ready.

Is Buchnevich or Kreider a fit in the bottom 6? Buchnevich is wasted there. Kreider....yeah, kinda. You can see a Kreider-Goodrow-X line being pretty much exactly what we want it to be.

Is Blais a fit? Yeah, he plays the game we want to play and he plays it well.

Is a 2nd rounder a good piece? Absolutely. Basic trade currency at the TDL.

 

Is Blais and a 2nd enough for Buchnevich? No. That's the rub here. Another 2nd, or a prospect add, or even an okay add on our end to make it Blais and a 1st and I think I would be okay with this.

Just a great job by Drury in an attempt to re-shape the roster resemble an actual hockey club. Dealing from depth, creating cap space, and no sacrifice of the youth pipeline.

 

Losing a guy like Buchnevich is tough, but he's expensive, and redundant. They have to bet on Kakko and Lafreniere continuing to grow. It's a good bet.

 

I just don't like the concept of replacing something that you know works, with prospects who have yet to show they are ready to even play on a 3rd line. I'd have liked to make sure Kakko has "gotten it" or that Kravstov can hang. If they are as far behind as I think, the Rangers are going to be in trouble. Beyond Gauthier, what wing depth is there? Unless Gallant can get something out of Ty Ronning , we are looking at Goodrow as a top 6 winger...

 

Moving Buchnevich should have brought back equal talent TO the roster.

 

IMO, with my tin foil hat and shit, the roster looks even more questionable as far as being a team that is hard to play against. They lost their best 2 way forward who produced and added Ryan Hollwegs clone in his place.

 

There's no big move coming. Just more idiotic moves like choosing to pay a grinder big dollars for 6 years over paying a top 6 player what he's worth.

 

This trade was horrendous.

He played on the FIRST line in the PLAYOFFS when they won a Cup.

 

 

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So? Happens all the time. Teams move a gritty player to a top 6 role for a few shifts. This doesn't mean this guy won them the fucking cup.

I think you have to split all of this out.

 

Is there an upcoming cap problem? Yeah - we've known this for years. Drury reprising his Captain Obvious role here.

Would Buchnevich's contract demands have been onerous? TBD - but I'd think adding 6m+ in cap would at least be problematic.

Is Buchnevich the odd man out in the top 6? Probably - Panarin, Laf, Kakko are here for the long haul. That fourth spot is Buch, Kreider, or Kravtsov - too many cooks in that kitchen. Again - this makes sense, even if Kravtsov may not quite yet be ready.

Is Buchnevich or Kreider a fit in the bottom 6? Buchnevich is wasted there. Kreider....yeah, kinda. You can see a Kreider-Goodrow-X line being pretty much exactly what we want it to be.

Is Blais a fit? Yeah, he plays the game we want to play and he plays it well.

Is a 2nd rounder a good piece? Absolutely. Basic trade currency at the TDL.

 

Is Blais and a 2nd enough for Buchnevich? No. That's the rub here. Another 2nd, or a prospect add, or even an okay add on our end to make it Blais and a 1st and I think I would be okay with this.

 

Every team knew Buchnevich was available. If this was the best offer for Drury to take for the team, it was the best. Perhaps someone else offered a 1st + mid prospect, and Drury decided Blais made up the pick difference. Whatever the offers were, I have to assume this was about as good as he was getting. It surprises me some it wasn't a bit more, but we also don't know what number Buch was looking for such that we could sign now and trade later for a better return. A number too high might have made him harder to trade. Not to mention if he doesn't repeat his production next season, which is also entirely possible.

I just don't like the concept of replacing something that you know works, with prospects who have yet to show they are ready to even play on a 3rd line. I'd have liked to make sure Kakko has "gotten it" or that Kravstov can hang. If they are as far behind as I think, the Rangers are going to be in trouble. Beyond Gauthier, what wing depth is there? Unless Gallant can get something out of Ty Ronning , we are looking at Goodrow as a top 6 winger...

 

Moving Buchnevich should have brought back equal talent TO the roster.

 

IMO, with my tin foil hat and shit, the roster looks even more questionable as far as being a team that is hard to play against. They lost their best 2 way forward who produced and added Ryan Hollwegs clone in his place.

 

There's no big move coming. Just more idiotic moves like choosing to pay a grinder big dollars for 6 years over paying a top 6 player what he's worth.

 

This trade was horrendous.

 

Split it into top six depth and bottom six depth.

 

Top 6 - Kakko, Kravtsov, Gauthier, Pajuniemi

Bottom 6 - Goodrow (potentially), Blais, Rooney, Gettinger, Ronning, Rueschoff

 

We're fine here - maybe worth a flyer on a mid-six guy in UFA. Fair flags on Kakko and Kravtsov, sure, though the analytics guys love Kakko for a reason.

 

...ah fuck I just realized who the mid six UFA is.

Every team knew Buchnevich was available. If this was the best offer for Drury to take for the team, it was the best. Perhaps someone else offered a 1st + mid prospect, and Drury decided Blais made up the pick difference. Whatever the offers were, I have to assume this was about as good as he was getting. It surprises me some it wasn't a bit more, but we also don't know what number Buch was looking for such that we could sign now and trade later for a better return. A number too high might have made him harder to trade. Not to mention if he doesn't repeat his production next season, which is also entirely possible.

 

Possibly - there's always that gap between what we think a player is worth and what a team will give for that player that we often fail to account for in our thinking.

...ah fuck I just realized who the mid six UFA is.

 

 

Brian Boyle?

 

 

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Brian Boyle?

 

 

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Blake Coleman.

Blake Coleman.

 

I don’t see it happening. I think the bottom 6 is more or less what we expect it to be now. Perhaps another depth signing at UFA. If he traded buch because of cap issues I don’t think he’s going to bring in another guy who’s going to take up space.

 

The caveat is what happens with 2c. Is Coleman going to be the guy to replace strome?

 

 

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Minus the fighting, sure. Blais doesn’t fight.

 

True.

We shouldn't look at this as Buch for Blais and a 2nd without knowing what we're getting next with Buch cap space.

 

Look at all the trades going down over the last 2 days, it's obvious cap/salary is an issue for everybody.

 

You'd think a healthy Zib, full season of Panarin, development of Kakko, Krav and Laf more than make up for Buch.

 

The Rangers played this by the book. They took an RFA with arbitration rights and gave him all the ice time in the world... And he overachieved and they sold high. They know who he is.

 

And look, if he doesn't sign for term in STL then bring him back as a UFA at what 28?

I just think he's going to be everything we hoped Lemieux could have been, and wasn't.

 

Yup. Feels like that's the hope/plan.

 

 

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I think it's obvious that Kakko takes his spot on the top line, but who sits on the second? Kravstov?

 

Do they move Laf out of position?

We shouldn't look at this as Buch for Blais and a 2nd without knowing what we're getting next with Buch cap space.

 

Look at all the trades going down over the last 2 days, it's obvious cap/salary is an issue for everybody.

 

You'd think a healthy Zib, full season of Panarin, development of Kakko, Krav and Laf more than make up for Buch.

 

The Rangers played this by the book. They took an RFA with arbitration rights and gave him all the ice time in the world... And he overachieved and they sold high. They know who he is.

 

And look, if he doesn't sign for term in STL then bring him back as a UFA at what 28?

 

This. And I think Rangers fans who are upset with the return are grossly underestimating the effect of Buch’s status as RFA on the return. The options as a buying team is either give him his pay day or treat him as a one year rental. Both are negatives in setting his value.

I think it's obvious that Kakko takes his spot on the top line, but who sits on the second? Kravstov?

 

Do they move Laf out of position?

 

Krav for sure. Assuming no moves are made for a top LW Rangers are gambling that both guys take a step forward with a new coach, a new role, and more responsibility. I don’t hate it. But it’s a risk.

More ice time is certainly a good way to help ensure that they do take a step forward

 

 

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That’s fair but the sold high part is just not true in my opinion. Even if they paid him in his one year arb deal, they likely get more in futures at the trade deadline. The return was very mediocre.

That’s fair but the sold high part is just not true in my opinion. Even if they paid him in his one year arb deal, they likely get more in futures at the trade deadline. The return was very mediocre.

If they resign him, and expect to make they playoffs, then they wouldn't trade him at the deadline. And if they did it would be for a rental like Cally for St. Louis.

 

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Kakko made an enormous jump last season even if the points didn't say so. He's going to fine in the top 6. Brooks is saying Laff is going to switch to the right, so whatever that means to you. The return for Buch is kind of what I was expecting. We all said a trade was coming where points/skill was going to be moved for grit/brawn and people were not going to like how it looked. Dunny said it, that this is a move hoping to get what they thought they'd get from Lemieux. Lemieux never took hold here. However when you find the Clutterbuck/Prust type guy, they become invaluable to the makeup of your team. Hopefully Blais becomes that. If he does this trade will be looked back upon as the beginning of the Rangers identity. Something this team hasn't had in years.

My only issue with Kravstov going to the second is that it strands Laf on the third.

Kakko made an enormous jump last season even if the points didn't say so. He's going to fine in the top 6. Brooks is saying Laff is going to switch to the right, so whatever that means to you. The return for Buch is kind of what I was expecting. We all said a trade was coming where points/skill was going to be moved for grit/brawn and people were not going to like how it looked. Dunny said it, that this is a move hoping to get what they thought they'd get from Lemieux. Lemieux never took hold here. However when you find the Clutterbuck/Prust type guy, they become invaluable to the makeup of your team. Hopefully Blais becomes that. If he does this trade will be looked back upon as the beginning of the Rangers identity. Something this team hasn't had in years.

 

Pretty much this, exactly.