Jump to content
  • Join us — it's free!

    We are the premiere internet community for New York Rangers news and fan discussion. Don't wait — join the forum today!

IGNORED

What To Do With Henrik Lundqvist?


ThirtyONE

Recommended Posts

Hank is 35 - soon to be 36 years old. He has three years left at the end of this season, a season which looks to be going the wrong direction. On a larger scale, the Rangers organization is also going in the wrong direction if you're Hank. Rumors of a fire sale were swirling around the ASG. Articles are being written about what Nash, Grabner, McDonaugh, and Zuccarello could fetch in a trade. Rangers fans are looking forward to making a move to get in the top 5-10 of this year's draft.

 

With just 3 years left (possibly in his career), if Henrik wants to win the Stanley Cup it's becoming obvious it's not going to be with the New York Rangers. He is NYC. He is the face of the Rangers. But the next three years with Hank could potentially be a rocky path - assuming he'll eventually lose his starting job in his last season to Igor Shestyorkin.

 

Will there come a point where Jeff Gorton pulls Hank aside and attempts to give him one more chance (ala Ray Bourque)? Would Hank give up his well established life in New York for one final go of it? Until Hank proves otherwise, he gives the Rangers a fighting chance every night and it's possible they could make an unlikely run in the next few seasons if he wanted to stay, but that seems unlikely with the direction things are going.

 

It would be a massive mistake by the Rangers to sign a 38yo Hank unless he was resigned to being the backup - a role I have a hard time seeing him accept.

 

What do the Rangers do moving forward?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 65
  • Created
  • Last Reply
The fire sale hasn't happened yet, and we are not sure it will. I don't think Hank will be "pulled aside" in the manner you describe unless we are in more of a full blown rebuild than we are actually likely to be.

 

Nash and Grabner might not be a true "rebuild" but if Mac goes, there's nothing else to call it. If Mac goes, Hank will likely have to weigh his options. If he does want to go somewhere else, I'd love it if the Rangers didn't let the "Henrik asked for a trade" rhetoric to get out there. The man deserves a final shot, if that's what he wants. If he wants to stay and help usher in the new core, then that's awesome as well and I'd imagine the Rangers would have a job for him somewhere when his career ended.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not sure they'll have much of a choice but to keep him. Great as he is, his contact isn't, and neither is his age. You need a perfect storm scenario to get value while also giving him the best chance to win. Which contender is in need of an elite, albeit aging goalie to put them over the top? Tampa, Vegas, Boston, Nashville, etc are all set.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Blueshirts Brotherhood mobile app powered by Tapatalk

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not sure they'll have much of a choice but to keep him. Great as he is, his contact isn't, and neither is his age. You need a perfect storm scenario to get value while also giving him the best chance to win. Which contender is in need of an elite, albeit aging goalie to put them over the top? Tampa, Vegas, Boston, Nashville, etc are all set.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Blueshirts Brotherhood mobile app powered by Tapatalk

 

I don't think it'll be this season and I think the Rangers would eat salary to do it. If this draft comes and the team is all new faces, Hank may ask Gorton to look for an option. Any other team you didn't mention would take him for half the price for instance.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Teams don't trade much for goalies these days anyway. Can anyone give me the last few big trades in the league where a goalie yeilded some big returns? Given his age and salary what are we really getting in return.

 

You want some cap flexibility and prospects? Trade Nash, trade McD, Holden, DD and find a way to get rid of Staal. Maybe attach him to a rental to reduce compensation.

 

Those moves would give us plenty of room for a bunch of players w/o needing to dump Hank. That is my rebuild on the fly. Of course it means we sign a FA or two and get a top player for McD. And maybe even manage to get into the top 4 this draft, if we accumulate some assets to move. Edmonton, for instance, might prefer a proven NHLer to another high pick.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

a team would have to think they were just a goalie short of being a stanley cup contender to pull the trigger, and lundqvist would have to think he would have a better chance with the new team than the rangers. really unlikely to see him move, imo, given those conditions. lundqvist can keep us in games, but we need a better team in front of him to make a deep playoff run. going to have to be really creative to rebuild on the fly, it is a tough ask
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'll say this much, if they get rid of Hank, that new team instantly becomes my biggest rooting interest. Hank deserves a Cup, and he deserves to play for a team that goes for it all. I haven't said much in any other chat about the "fire sale", but I HATE the idea of selling in a Playoff Race. The Preds were the SIXTEENTH seed in the Playoffs last year. Anything can happen in the NHL, keep Hank and get hot at the right time, and let's win him a Cup here.

 

But if I was Hank and they traded Zucc, Nash, Mac.. I'd walk in and ask to be traded to a team that is a stud goalie away from a Cup. He has the ability to put a team on the brink, over the top.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not sure they'll have much of a choice but to keep him. Great as he is, his contact isn't, and neither is his age. You need a perfect storm scenario to get value while also giving him the best chance to win. Which contender is in need of an elite, albeit aging goalie to put them over the top? Tampa, Vegas, Boston, Nashville, etc are all set.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Blueshirts Brotherhood mobile app powered by Tapatalk

 

There doesn't appear to be a team that has a burning need for the goalie being The One Last Piece. His contract for a goalie is really an impediment. NYR are going to need a goalie anyway until the day 2 seasons from now Igor gets here. Lets' keep a good one. Plus if they do the fire sale, hope would be this is a competitive squad next year. Lundqvist had a shaky start and some rough outings but most nights he's been NYR's best player. No reason to think he would not be very good for only 2 more seasons.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There doesn't appear to be a team that has a burning need for the goalie being The One Last Piece. His contract for a goalie is really an impediment. NYR are going to need a goalie anyway until the day 2 seasons from now Igor gets here. Lets' keep a good one. Plus if they do the fire sale, hope would be this is a competitive squad next year. Lundqvist had a shaky start and some rough outings but most nights he's been NYR's best player. No reason to think he would not be very good for only 2 more seasons.

 

Good points on the whole situation. There really isn't a playoff team that needs a goalie. The closest would be St Louis with Jake Allen, but Hutton has been lights out as their backup. The Wild with Dubnyk is questionable, but he is streaky and has played better lately. That's it. Best to forget trading Hank. Let's see if we even move any of our pending UFAs or McD before we get crazy.

 

Bugg, your other point is right on too. We probably want and need Hank as our starter, the next 2 years. Then Shesty will step in. We should be able to compete the next 2 years if mgmt adds a few new assets before next season begins.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd love to see Hank lift the Chalice, but his contract is going to get in the way of any deal...forget return! Just unloading that contract would be a gift in itself. I think he's going to finish his career here. That being said, he's going to have to endure another slight rebuild along the way. I can't think there are many teams out there willing to take on even half his deal for an aging superstar.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I cant see any team that is currently in the top 8 in either conference that would be in the market for Lundqvist besides the Sharks.

Washigton, Devils, TB, Boston do not need goalies in the East. Cant see a trade happen with Pitt, Columbus, Philly for Lundqvist. Toronto??? but how would they be able to afford him?

WPG, Nashville, STL, Vegas, LA, DAL, MIN dont really need goalies. That just leaves SJ.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don’t think they find a willing partner with that salary and I see little value in eating any salary.

 

Let him stay, he can help mentor Igor when he arrives.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Even if that were the case, the return we'd get would be underwhelming.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'd love to see Hank lift the Chalice, but his contract is going to get in the way of any deal...forget return! Just unloading that contract would be a gift in itself. I think he's going to finish his career here. That being said, he's going to have to endure another slight rebuild along the way. I can't think there are many teams out there willing to take on even half his deal for an aging superstar.

What are you going to do with the savings?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It’s up to hank. If he wants to stay he’s earned that but he can’t dictate how they build their team. If he wants to go for a better chance then you try and move him where he wants to go. He’s earned that too. You would never get back equal value if you get anything much st all. Somebody had to be willing and able to absorb his contract. Forget the return getting over that hurdle will be hard enough
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.




×
×
  • Create New...