As Much As I Would Love a Top-Five Pick...

[josh]

The fan in me wants them to make a run with all these new faces. There's no doubt they're more fun to watch after blowing everything up.

 

The wannabe-GM in me wants them to get the pick I know they need. They don't need a 5 game series against Tampa. They need a game changing draftee to change this organization. Either way, I guess I'd be happy. I just don't want them finishing one point out of the playoffs in 9th place and having no chance at the lottery. It's literally the worst way to end this mess of a season.

 

 

The chances of getting that after the top 3 or 4 picks is incredibly low. I'm not sure if you are going to get a much better guy at 8-10 as you will 18th.

 

Regardless, they either need to turn it on, or turn it off. Top 4 pick or top 4 team. Let's go.

[Gravesy]

The chances of getting that after the top 3 or 4 picks is incredibly low. I'm not sure if you are going to get a much better guy at 8-10 as you will 18th.

 

Regardless, they either need to turn it on, or turn it off. Top 4 pick or top 4 team. Let's go.

 

There are a couple of potentially brilliant players in the 5-10 bracket to be fair. Boqvist, Bouchard, Dobson. No guarantees of course, but the same is probably true for everyone not named Dahlin.

[josh]

And that might help encourage teams to move back a bit.

[ThirtyONE]

And that might help encourage teams to move back a bit.

 

Per things I’ve read, the top 10 is far better than the rest of the field. I think it’s an absolute must to get a player in that range.

[Guest]

Right now, the Rangers are the 10th worst team in the league at 66 points. If they had lost the last three instead of winning them, here's how the lottery race would look today:

 

1 Arizona - 50pts

2 Buffalo - 53pts

3 Ottawa - 54pts

4 Vancouver - 59pts

5 Rangers - 60pts

6 Edmonton - 60pts

7 Montreal - 61pts

8 Detroit - 62pts

9 Chicago - 64pts

10 Islanders - 66pts

 

The Rangers are most likely not going to make the playoffs. They are still 5 points out needing to leapfrog 3 teams for the final wildcard. Even that just sets them up against both Tampa and Boston just to make it to the Conference Final. If they somehow got into the playoffs, a first round sweep is the most likely outcome.

 

Winning is absolutely the worst thing this team can be doing right now. They are going nowhere this season. They should be one spot out of the fourth best position for them with a very outside shot of making it into the top three. That's a huge downgrade from the 10th spot they're in now as far as their chance to capture what this team needs more than anything, top end drafted talent.

 

Hope is no strategy. And I honestly can't for the life of me figure out what the team's strategy is for the remainder of this season other than some misguided hope.

[Mike]

Right now, the Rangers are the 10th worst team in the league at 66 points. If they had lost the last three instead of winning them, here's how the lottery race would look today:

 

1 Arizona - 50pts

2 Buffalo - 53pts

3 Ottawa - 54pts

4 Vancouver - 59pts

5 Rangers - 60pts

6 Edmonton - 60pts

7 Montreal - 61pts

8 Detroit - 62pts

9 Chicago - 64pts

10 Islanders - 66pts

 

The Rangers are most likely not going to make the playoffs. They are still 5 points out needing to leapfrog 3 teams for the final wildcard. Even that just sets them up against both Tampa and Boston just to make it to the Conference Final. If they somehow got into the playoffs, a first round sweep is the most likely outcome.

 

Winning is absolutely the worst thing this team can be doing right now. They are going nowhere this season. They should be one spot out of the fourth best position for them with a very outside shot of making it into the top three. That's a huge downgrade from the 10th spot they're in now as far as their chance to capture what this team needs more than anything, top end drafted talent.

 

Hope is no strategy. And I honestly can't for the life of me figure out what the team's strategy is for the remainder of this season other than some misguided hope.

 

What do expect them to do? No one loses on purpose. Forget the jobs and money at stake, they all play and coach for W’s as a major pride factor. You can root for them to lose, but it won’t be done intentionally by the players.

[Phil]

Honestly? Nothing. The losing should come on its own. They averaged 47.7 shots against and less than 40% of the shot attempts across their last three games. That, in and of itself, is reason to disbelieve in their chances of making the playoffs, or worst case scenario, doing a fucking thing in them.

[Gravesy]

Looking at the upcoming schedule the tank is likely to take care of it self. Surely no one expects the team to throw games. The teams behind us are desperately poor however, and I’m not convinced the Oilers/Habs/Wings will be able to overtake us.

[Future]

Looking at the upcoming schedule the tank is likely to take care of it self. Surely no one expects the team to throw games. The teams behind us are desperately poor however, and I’m not convinced the Oilers/Habs/Wings will be able to overtake us.

Yea - outside of getting extremely lucky or bribing the sweet bejesus out of Bettman, the Rangers were never going to get Dahlin. As far as getting a top-3 pick, you're not in a much different spot at 10th-worst than you are at 6th-worst. It's only a 9% difference.

[Rangers4Life]

They got their Dahlin already in Hajek, there?s no need trade their way to the 1st pick.

[4EverRangerFrank]

The young guys coming up for a taste of the NHL (and playing less than 9-10 games to avoid burning a year) and the new guys recently added want to win. It is about playing for jobs and therefore money. But as a sports-athlete, it's mostly about being a winner, playing like a winner and being able to feed your inner drive to succeed. Elite athletes have to do it this way. (Parallel them with thoroughbred horses...they are born to run and need to run.) For the guys at this level, winning is the only thing.

 

I agree with several comments made here that the schedule will take care of itself. IF we are really not that good of a team yet, then the upcoming games will expose that. On the other hand, if we have made improvements then we should see the results of those changes too.

[Fatfrancesa]

Yea - outside of getting extremely lucky or bribing the sweet bejesus out of Bettman, the Rangers were never going to get Dahlin. As far as getting a top-3 pick, you're not in a much different spot at 10th-worst than you are at 6th-worst. It's only a 9% difference.

 

Yes but the difference is the odds in moving down? At 6 the worst you can pick is 9 and the chances of dropping 3 spots is almost the same as picking in the top 3 I believe. At 10 you could pick 13. That’s a huge difference in talent 6 compared to 13.

 

To me it has nothing to do with Dahlin. That would be a huge bonus. To me what is the worst case scenario in where we finish? Finishing 10th could end up being almost the same as qualifying for the playoffs as the 16thteam if the lottery goes wrong. It going wrong has the same odds of it going right

[Slobberknocker]

What do expect them to do? No one loses on purpose. Forget the jobs and money at stake, they all play and coach for W’s as a major pride factor. You can root for them to lose, but it won’t be done intentionally by the players.

 

this. jobs are still on the line. AV needs to show he hasn't lost the room. as much as i'd like to tank for a top 3 you can still do that and get screwed in the lottery.

 

in taking a glass half full approach, you have to like the picks they've accumulated and in reading some of the stories the prospects could develop. Plus you have two under 20 centers already in the pipe.

 

play hard the rest of the way and address your needs in the off season. they still need a veteran strong leader on this club. imho it's why they parted with Mac, as while he was a good player for us he was never gonna be that type of guy.

[4EverRangerFrank]

they still need a veteran strong leader on this club. imho it's why they parted with Mac, as while he was a good player for us he was never gonna be that type of guy.

 

Agree 110%! Who is our strongest leader right now outside of Henrik? Zucc is probably our guy who is closest to a big-balls, "I don't take shit!" kind of player. Is that a leader? Not necessarily on it's own merits, but it is the kind of trait I'm looking for in a "C." Someone who can deliver on the ice and who commands attention in the locker room.

[Drew a Penalty]

They got their Dahlin already in Hajek, there’s no need trade their way to the 1st pick.

 

I'm assuming this is sarcasm. If not, there's a discussion to be had.

[Rangers4Life]

I'm assuming this is sarcasm. If not, there's a discussion to be had.

 

No sarcasm at all. Hajek is the 2nd best defenseman in juniors behind Dahlin, what's the need to trade assets to get the number 1 for Dahlin too? It's a deep draft, make the picks. I would only trade to number 1 if it was a centerman.

[Slobberknocker]

id read that to say there have been a few nice writeups on Hajek.

[Fatfrancesa]

wash rinse repeat.

[Drew a Penalty]

No sarcasm at all. Hajek is the 2nd best defenseman in juniors behind Dahlin, what's the need to trade assets to get the number 1 for Dahlin too? It's a deep draft, make the picks. I would only trade to number 1 if it was a centerman.

 

Hajek isn't remotely the second best defensemen in junior. He's good, but I wouldn't say he's second best. Dahl?n is a generational defensive talent. Hajek is probably a steady second pairing defenseman in the future. There's really no comparing the two at all.

 

Secondly, Dahl?n doesn't play in junior. He plays in the Swedish Elite League against other men where he's been dominant.

[Gravesy]

I like (the admittedly little) I’ve seen of Hajek.

He isn’t in the same stratosphere as Dahlin as a prospect however.

[Rangers4Life]

Hajek isn't remotely the second best defensemen in junior. He's good, but I wouldn't say he's second best. Dahl?n is a generational defensive talent. Hajek is probably a steady second pairing defenseman in the future. There's really no comparing the two at all.

 

Secondly, Dahl?n doesn't play in junior. He plays in the Swedish Elite League against other men where he's been dominant.

 

I meant the WJC, my mistake

[Drew a Penalty]

I meant the WJC, my mistake

 

Don't get me wrong, Hajek was great at the WJC, but it's an incredibly small sample size. Eeli Tolvanen had three goals in 11 WJC games despite being the best goal scoring prospect not in the NHL. It's not always the best way to gauge talent given that it's mostly competition against a very particular set of peers. I say particular in that you're not even always facing the best competition.

 

Hajek was a nearly 20-year-old defenseman playing alongside two former first-round picks in Chytil, and Necas, and likely another two in Zadina and Kaut. That's not to totally discredit what he did, but to provide context. He definitely benefited from his surroundings. That said, he was actively engaged offensively and didn't look out of place for a guy whose specialty is not moving the puck.

[Fatfrancesa]

There is zero basis for comparing Hajek and Dahlin. Not to diminish Hajek at all. Dahlin is considered a generational talent at defense. Not only does Hajek matchup with him nobody does not playing in the nhl. Of course these are all projections but that’s the discussion, projections. This is nothing more than overrating our prospects. Again he’s a good prospect but he’s not even a given long time nhler. Dahlin is a guarantee

[Phil]

The only things Hajek and Dahlin share in common are position and the fact they're both hockey players. In the same way that a Mack Anthem and Ford F-150 are both trucks.

[Gravesy]

I had a look at TSN’s mid season draft show the other day.

They concluded that Dahlin is the best defensive prospect in a draft since Denis Potvin. That might be over cooking it a bit, but he’s quite clearly a very, very rare talent.