[brooks] Rangers to Add "Muscle and Grit" for Next Season

[Phil]

Larger picture, the front office led by president John Davidson and general manager Jeff Gorton will add some muscle and grit to the organization. Teams can live the high life off flash-and-dash during the regular season, but teams thrive on larger helpings of meat and potatoes in the postseason.

 

The Rangers do not have enough fiber. Not enough sandpaper. This confirmed it.

 

https://nypost.com/2020/08/05/rangers-quick-elimination-may-have-been-best-of-all-worlds/

[Keirik]

What, Ada isn’t enough grit? Lol

[Flynn]

Tanner Glass available? Derek Dorsett?

 

I bet that 2nd 1st rounder could land you a Dylan McIlrath in a deal.

[Phil]

I mean, I know it's a tired trope, but it's accurate. The problem is going to be finding players with that toughness who are also adequate hockey players. It's not about adding brutes, it's about adding the kind of relentless players you need to forecheck aggressively, and play the relentless style this coach wants. A quick glance at the free agent class, they're going to struggle to find many options.

 

Simmonds stinks now. Taylor Hall is going to be well out of their price range. Byfuglien is 35 and hasn't played hockey in forever. They want Namestnikov back? Eakin? Gudas? Haula? Will Toronto let Clifford leave?

[Drew a Penalty]

They need a veteran presence to help set the tempo and make them annoying. Patrick Maroon coming off his one-year deal in Tampa could be a useful addition. He was incredibly useful for St. Louis during their cup run.

 

The team has plenty of size and strength. They need someone who helps represent the team identity, they've been completely lacking one.

[Flynn]

They need a veteran presence to help set the tempo and make them annoying. Patrick Maroon coming off his one-year deal in Tampa could be a useful addition. He was incredibly useful for St. Louis during their cup run.

 

The team has plenty of size and strength. They need someone who helps represent the team identity, they've been completely lacking one.

 

Maroon was EXACTLY the guy I was thinking.

 

Need to find the 24 year old version of Scott Hartnell somewhere.

[Drew a Penalty]

I mean, I know it's a tired trope, but it's accurate. The problem is going to be finding players with that toughness who are also adequate hockey players. It's not about adding brutes, it's about adding the kind of relentless players you need to forecheck aggressively, and play the relentless style this coach wants. A quick glance at the free agent class, they're going to struggle to find many options.

 

Simmonds stinks now. Taylor Hall is going to be well out of their price range. Byfuglien is 35 and hasn't played hockey in forever. They want Namestnikov back? Eakin? Gudas? Haula? Will Toronto let Clifford leave?

 

Agreed. Quinn and Kreider made note that physicality isn't the Rangers brand of hockey. The type of hockey that's made the current roster successful has been possession-based. Getting another player like Lemieux wouldn't help the team. Lemieux is physical, but his game isn't possession-based and he doesn't quite know how to energize the team properly. The announcers were lauding Williams for his ability to energize Carolina with his fight against Strome in game one. You need someone like that who knows how to pick spots well while also being a fairly talented player.

 

I think they could use a physical, veteran presence on both offense and defense.

[Phil]

They need a veteran presence to help set the tempo and make them annoying. Patrick Maroon coming off his one-year deal in Tampa could be a useful addition. He was incredibly useful for St. Louis during their cup run.

 

The team has plenty of size and strength. They need someone who helps represent the team identity, they've been completely lacking one.

 

Yeah, the problem is Maroon is the guy you want in the playoffs, not the regular season. But he'd be fine.

 

Maroon was EXACTLY the guy I was thinking.

 

Need to find the 24 year old version of Scott Hartnell somewhere.

 

Thing is, you aren't going to be able to get him. Just like Hartnell. Teams lock those players up. Just like the Rangers did with Kreider. When these really unique players come around, it's incredibly rare they make it to market before they're on the wrong side of it. Like Simmonds.

 

Agreed. Quinn and Kreider made note that physicality isn't the Rangers brand of hockey. The type of hockey that's made the current roster successful has been possession-based. Getting another player like Lemieux wouldn't help the team. Lemieux is physical, but his game isn't possession-based and he doesn't quite know how to energize the team properly. The announcers were lauding Williams for his ability to energize Carolina with his fight against Strome in game one. You need someone like that who knows how to pick spots well while also being a fairly talented player.

 

I think they could use a physical, veteran presence on both offense and defense.

 

Right. So, if we're using the fourth-line as the example, it's not Lemieux they need, but Letestu. You want relentless hockey players, not enforcers.

[Drew a Penalty]

Yeah, the problem is Maroon is the guy you want in the playoffs, not the regular season. But he'd be fine.

 

I think he's ideal for both. The benefit being that the playoffs are where he becomes more of an asset.

 

It's a shame Beleskey is as broken down as he is because he was actually pretty effective in a Maroon-like role with Hartford this season. Dude just can't skate much.

 

Off the top of my head, I can't think of too many UFAs available this season that meet the physicality criteria.

[Phil]

I think he's ideal for both. The benefit being that the playoffs are where he becomes more of an asset.

 

It's a shame Beleskey is as broken down as he is because he was actually pretty effective in a Maroon-like role with Hartford this season. Dude just can't skate much.

 

Off the top of my head, I can't think of too many UFAs available this season that meet the physicality criteria.

 

Right. I was looking through before. There's maybe one or two guys who can maybe work. This is probably solved via trade unless they just plan on of overhauling the fourth line because fourth-liners are really all that's gonna be available.

 

This is the same reason I wanted them to pick up O'Reilly when this whole Quinn era began.

[-ERIK-]

Sandy McCarthy available?

[Drew a Penalty]

Right. I was looking through before. There's maybe one or two guys who can maybe work. This is probably solved via trade unless they just plan on of overhauling the fourth line because fourth-liners are really all that's gonna be available.

 

After just checking UFA. Not really too many options. Philadelphia's FAs are really the guys to target: Derek Grant, Nate Thompson, Tyler Pitlick.

[Sod16]

The list of players added by the Rangers to enhance their "grit" over the years goes on and on and on. What they need is not so much grit but simply higher quality hockey player for the bottom six. The fourth line surrendered the two key goals yesterday because they couldn't touch the puck. Grit is useless if you can't touch the puck.

[BlairBettsBlocksEverything]

I would love to pluck Warren Foegle but he's an RFA and im not sure what it takes to get him in a trade. Carolina loves him. I think I've mentioned him in the past on here as someone I think the Rangers could use. Not exactly the tough guy per se, but as Phil pointed out, relentless. backchecks hard.

 

Maybe after a down year with injuries, Josh Anserson might be available?

[Keirik]

They need an actual 4th line. Not a line of never have beens. I said I wanted Brian Boyle for the 4th line center role and I think he would still fit. Maroon, Boyle, Lemieux I think would be a great 4th line and probably not above 3.5m total for the entire line. Just a thought.

[BrooksBurner]

The series shows how much they need players like Fast. They need to keep him and find more like him that fits the bill of relentless forechecking, "toughness".

 

He also needs to be on the 3rd line, but I'm much more open to a 3yr/3M or 4y/3M kind of deal for him than I was.

[Drew a Penalty]

The series shows how much they need players like Fast. They need to keep him and find more like him that fits the bill of relentless forechecking, "toughness".

 

He also needs to be on the 3rd line, but I'm much more open to a 3yr/3M or 4y/3M kind of deal for him than I was.

 

Fast isn't gonna come super cheap but if you can get him to re-sign for sub $3M per then you should. Something like 3 years at $2.5M per would be great for what he provides.

[Phil]

They need an actual 4th line. Not a line of never have beens. I said I wanted Brian Boyle for the 4th line center role and I think he would still fit. Maroon, Boyle, Lemieux I think would be a great 4th line and probably not above 3.5m total for the entire line. Just a thought.

 

Maroon and Boyle, yes. Lemieux, no. He's not good at anything. Below replacement level in almost every facet. They should be looking to move him, honestly. He's like an even shittier Ryan Hollweg.

 

The series shows how much they need players like Fast. They need to keep him and find more like him that fits the bill of relentless forechecking, "toughness".

 

He also needs to be on the 3rd line, but I'm much more open to a 3yr/3M or 4y/3M kind of deal for him than I was.

 

Agreed. He's also, clearly, a leadership staple.

[BrooksBurner]

Fast isn't gonna come super cheap but if you can get him to re-sign for sub $3M per then you should. Something like 3 years at $2.5M per would be great for what he provides.

 

Ideally, yeah. Around 2.5 was the max I had in mind previously. I'm more willing to exceed that some. I'd go to 3 if needed. 3.25 would be a tough call.

 

If it approaches that deal Hagelin got several years ago, then we have to just develop more of our own...somehow.

[josh]

Who ever you add must also have skill.

 

Under contract/down seasons with teams in cap trouble:

Dzingel

Roussel

Komorov

Sam Bennet

Josh Anderson

 

Annoying Fast replacements:

Kapanen

Lehkonen

 

UFA

Matt Martin

Byfuglien

Simmonds

Boyle

[josh]

The series shows how much they need players like Fast. They need to keep him and find more like him that fits the bill of relentless forechecking, "toughness".

 

He also needs to be on the 3rd line, but I'm much more open to a 3yr/3M or 4y/3M kind of deal for him than I was.

 

I'd rather not. He's replaceable. And he is always hurt. I doubt that improves in the soon to be 29 year old.

[BrooksBurner]

I'd rather not. He's replaceable. And he is always hurt. I doubt that improves in the soon to be 29 year old.

 

I don't think he is replaceable for less than he will get. I don't see the price tag on replacement players being any cheaper. Probably more expensive actually, and may cost assets to boot.

 

True about injuries, but the players that play his kind of game are at increased injury risk. Damned if you do, damned if you don't.

[Sharpshooter]

So, the Rangers need more.....sandpaper??

 

[josh]

Lawson Crouse is another guy I like. Similar to a Gauthier, but a little more pollished as a hockey player. Has some good skill, too. Probably more of a Kreider-lite than a Hartnell, though.

[Dunny]

This is why the Lias total failure hurts.

 

I've said this before, and I don't want to sound even a hair down on Zibanejad or Panarin, but they're both super, super soft hockey players, even so I don't want to judge them much based on the three pseudo playoff games we saw, but I think there's plenty of logic here.