RodrigueGabriel

Sorry, not sure how that snuck through. Thanks for the correction. Still, it was an offensive upgrade for the final stretch. Was happy to see him finish with signs of life.

I even read Gorton's normally taciturn comments as, you try to do a few different things but the fact that all these came together one after the other was a little supernatural. https://www.nhl.com/news/artemi-panarin-biggest-splash-for-new-york-rangers-offseason/c-308163692

Quinn's use of Howden and Pionk after one was completely gassed and the other had lost most of his confidence presents a pretty big question mark for his "talent development" cred, imo. Both needed much more finely tuned usage, but Quinn just left them out there until they broke. Hopefully, he has more tools to work with this year and can see earlier when kids begin to falter and need some rest and regrouping. It's also worth noting that Howden, aside from tying Chytil in points for the season with fewer GP and less TOI straight out of juniors, did rally at the end of the year with 8 points in his last 10 games. Sent from my [device_name] using http://Blueshirts Brotherhood mobile app powered by Tapatalk

Trouba stepped up to 50 points because he got a lot more PP time due to Buff's injury, including 10 more PP assists than he had ever had before. He clamored for opportunity. He got more, he delivered more. On that basis, I would weight last year a lot higher than his 21 yo season (81g, 21p) - regarding it as a strong positive trend rather than a possible anomaly. He is headed for more opportunity than he's ever seen before and is potentially a lynch pin of the team. Don't pay him like you're making an arbitration argument and don't believe in him. $7.5 with reachable performance incentives.

I'll support the Skjei/Howden ticket. Sent from my [device_name] using http://Blueshirts Brotherhood mobile app powered by Tapatalk

I agree about Kakko and Fox, but don't know enough about how the Trouba trade went down to confidently ascribe that to luck. According to the blogosphere, there were at least 3 other teams in the mix (BUF, TOR, DET) and it sounded like Chevy's refusal to let anyone talk to the Trouba camp turned it into a game of chicken at the end while driving the price down. I don't know if JG had inside info (good GMing), believed that Trouba would succumb to the draw of MSG, or just had bigger balls, but he seems to have stuck with the 1st round offer whereas other teams were not willing to without some better indication that they could sign him. (And, as mentioned before, he did have the 2nd 1st in his pocket to play with.) Maybe others have better intel. In the end, he'll get credit for all of it anyway. Sent from my [device_name] using http://Blueshirts Brotherhood mobile app powered by Tapatalk

This is a crack up. Happy 4th of July, everybody. It's been an unbelievable month.

It was an awesome 2-way line. They could check and they could score. He and Tkaczuk were the PK. They used to rag the puck (mostly with Park) in a way that drove the other team crazy.

Quinn said pretty much outright yesterday that the plan is to put Panarin and Zib together. So speculate with that in mind. Also good to remain aware that Chytil was under 39% in faceoff win % last year, which is not a great success rate for a 2C. (Others were Zib (49.7), Howden (48.4), Strome (47.6.), and Andersson (44.2).

My understanding is that relentless forechecking and creating turnovers is Kakko's MO. Sent from my [device_name] using http://Blueshirts Brotherhood mobile app powered by Tapatalk

Your annoying history teacher here again. Bill Fairbairn wore #10 and played RW on the "Bulldog" line with Walter Tkaczuk for 7.5 seasons and scored 138 goals for the Rangers. Was a key part of the early 70s contenders. Part of a fine tradition.

Fair enough. It was in the context of Kreider having said something that had completely eluded him.

At some point I listened to Maloney shoot down the idea that Kreider would either be named captain or be a good captain because he's too intellectual/cerebral for the dressing room gestalt. For me, it's Zib all the way.

Pretty much agree, particularly with the bottom of the list. Panarin is going to make somebody a 30+ goal scorer and it could well be Buch. We now have the elite playmaker, for whom we need finishers or at least some with the raw material as Buch proved last season. If only for the uncertainty of how Kakko and Kravtsov come out of the gate, Buch's usefulness on the right goes up in the short term. We need at least another half season to assess whether ADA is the real thing offensively and whether he can/will mature or ultimately blow up his own career. I look forward to seeing him compete with Fox for stature. His exchange rate could very well go up. Strome has proven a versatile - and relatively cheap - piece that can help maintain flexibility and fill holes while Quinn is working out the issues of who does best where and with whom. Center or wing, secondary scorer (puts up umbrella for SH% caveats) or competent grinder. Also, deserves a chance to show if his career makeover is for real. Again, trade value could rise. If not, wasn't that much to start.

"To me, it?s one of the most tremendous drives to be the best you can be that I have ever seen,? Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella says ... That is some sweet music from Torts. Sent from my [device_name] using http://Blueshirts Brotherhood mobile app powered by Tapatalk

Yeah. Of the 3 teams, Islanders seem to be swinging and missing between the draft and free agency. Philadelphia has a pretty strong stable of prospects and the Devils, well, we know. Lou is still on a roll from this past season, so we'll see if he can deliver above expectations again. I wouldn't count him out yet.

Not sure how you get to that conclusion. The Rangers winning is always paramount. Talk to me in 5 years when we are gone head to head with each of those teams in nasty, protracted playoff series. All the Metro teams are bulking up to levels not seen in a long time. It will go back to being a real rivalry complete with the severe distaste that inevitably comes along. Sent from my [device_name] using http://Blueshirts Brotherhood mobile app powered by Tapatalk

For a team that has overpaid for crap again and again, at least they're buying high on something of pretty proven quality that is not yet on the decline.

That's loony tunes. There's this thing about a rivalry. If they win, we lose bigger than if someone else wins. If at can't be us, I'll always take anybody but the Devils, Islanders or Flyers. Or the Bruins. Or maybe even Pittsburgh. Or definitely LA. Lol.

They're gonna hate this in 3 years.

Sweet mother of fucking gotta be kidding me. Just got out of a "no phones" meeting. I think I'm just going to OD on this off-season. Shut me off.

We haven't started on Season 2 yet. It was hard to find any character to actually root for in 1, but interesting. Meryl Streep as the evil dead guy's mother ought to be a treat. My brother lives in Monterey/Carmel, so it's good for giving him shit about the Cali good life. Sent from my [device_name] using http://Blueshirts Brotherhood mobile app powered by Tapatalk

Publicly, Gorton has talked about how opportunistic they have been/want to be. There is going to be a trade-off against having a fully fleshed out plan.

For what it's worth, Corsica rates Trouba as the 25th best RHD. I don't know the guts of their processs of "stacking" different ratings well enough to defend it or attack it. I do know Trouba was frustrated at being stacked behind Byfiglien and maybe the advent of 1D PP minutes and a leadership role bring out his best. In any case, he has the leverage to demand 1D money and I doubt we're going to walk away from that.

3. (But really 1.) The Olympic committees get all that fat advertising money while the NHL takes the financial hit with an interrupted season. If the IOC, USOC, etc. were willing to share the wealth more, problem would be solved. Sent from my [device_name] using http://Blueshirts Brotherhood mobile app powered by Tapatalk