2021-22 Off-Season Thread — Go Into the Sadness

[Phil]

22 minutes ago, siddious said:

I’m with you on that but two things I’d also consider- I know he wasn’t lighting it up but if I’m not mistaken he was getting too 6 minutes when St. Louis won, no?

 

and maybe he’s the exact kinda guy you put with someone like Zib and Kreider.. maybe a little grit and puck retrieval is what they need. I’d argue he might fit better on Panarins wing actually. 

 

He played on the Blues' top line in the playoffs, but he's not a permanent top-6 player, and if he is, you're in trouble.

[H-Dreamer]

28 minutes ago, siddious said:

The difference between this years team and 2015 or whenever they went to the finals is that this years team is younger and more skilled. We gotta be patient, this team is putting something nice together. No team is suddenly amazing, you have to learn to play in the playoffs and do some losing before you do any serious winning. Ask Tampa.
 

The experience laf, kakko, Chytil, Igor, Schneider, miller… hell even Zib got this year is invaluable. 
 

imo if drury can figure out that 2C and 6d spot this team can compete for years to come. 

Maybe, they still have to learn a lot still and all that learning experience doesn't guarantee you will make it back as we know all too well.

[siddious]

4 minutes ago, H-Dreamer said:

Maybe, they still have to learn a lot still and all that learning experience doesn't guarantee you will make it back as we know all too well.

Dynasties aren’t made over night

[jsm7302]

Great season; awesome bantering with you guys. Disappointing end but with a bright future. We saw two rounds more than any of us expected to. Cheers!

[Dr. Jimmy]

It was a fun ride, a team that not many predicted to even make the playoffs took the defending champs to game 6 of the ECF.  As much as I dislike Tampa, it was a good opportunity for the kids (and front office) to see first hand what is required to become a cup winning team, most cup winning teams were once where we are now, and at some point we will be among them.

 

It'll be interesting to see what happens over the summer, who stays, who goes, who comes in etc.... and for the first time in a very long time I am pumped for next season.

[BrooksBurner]

I'll kick some things around because why not. I don't care if it's a day after elimination. The offseason will be shortened and go quickly. My early general sentiment for next season*

 

1) I think Kreider, or possibly even Panarin, might be told to work on the right side this offseason and the plan is going to be to move Lafreniere up. Lafreniere long term extension is signed early before doing this, just like the Devils did with Hughes.

2) Address center holes.

 

Lafreniere - Zibanejad - Kreider

Panarin - <empty> - Kravtsov

Goodrow - Chytil - Kakko

Blais - <empty> - Hunt

 

Lindgren - Fox

Miller - Trouba

Braun - Schneider

 

Early options I see for 2C:

1. Sign Copp or Strome long term. I no longer think this is a good idea. Lafreniere and Miller should get the long term $ and we can't jeopardize that with another long term contract amongst what we already have. Long term now will keep both players' cost down in the long run.
2. Trade for an established long term center. Guys in that Larkin/Scheifele type bracket. I don't think this is a great choice either for the same reasons as above. It's the same reason I am softening the "trade Kakko" stance I've had for some time now. He's fine on the 3rd line for another year, and ultimately if I was going to trade him, it would have been in a deal for a long term 2C. I think they have to pump the brakes for a year on committing any long term money to guys on the outside right now.
3. Trade for an unproven early-mid 20s center who is cost controlled. This is a gamble because it's not guaranteed to work, but if said player is cheap enough, they can pivot from him if needed. I don't like this option because Chytil already fits this criteria, and we don't need two unproven kids at center.
4. Trade for an expiring contract. Another stop-gap to buy Chytil another season to see if his playoff performance was the actual goods or not, and if he can be that future 2C guy.
5. Sign a 1 year stop gap center. The UFA market sucks for this. Not too viable.
6. Go Chytil! YOLO!

 

 

Option 4! The issue will be finding a target that would not cost entirely too much via trade, but still has the potential to replace to not be a massive hit from losing Strome. My current target would be Sean Monahan from the Flames. He's coming off a disappointing season (really two disappointing seasons) and injury. Calgary has $27 million in cap space and needs the $ for Gaudreau, Tkachuk, Mangiapane, and Kylington. If they want to keep all of those guys, they need to clear Monahan's cap off the books. He could be an excellent 1 year center option who I don't believe would break the bank via trade. He has scored 30 goals a few times and pretty good in the dot. I could see him with a decent chance to rebound and replace Strome's production alongside Panarin.

 

4C I don't care. I don't feel like digging in the UFA fodder right now.

 

* subject to change 3278497982347289 times this offseason

 

 

 

[H-Dreamer]

5 hours ago, siddious said:

Dynasties aren’t made over night

Don't need one, would love just one Cup in my lifetime*

 

*That happens while I am fan of the team, so 1994 doesn't count.

[-ERIK-]

9 hours ago, josh said:

At 800k, sure. 

You can fit him in on this roster

Need more shoot first players, guy played his ass off and you can slot him up and down, yea he's a little on the smaller side but he showed he can produce in the playoffs.

[josh]

47 minutes ago, -ERIK- said:

You can fit him in on this roster

Need more shoot first players, guy played his ass off and you can slot him up and down, yea he's a little on the smaller side but he showed he can produce in the playoffs.

He can be replaced at a much cheaper cap hit, which is more important than what Vatrano does for the team at a ~4m cap hit 

[-ERIK-]

16 minutes ago, josh said:

He can be replaced at a much cheaper cap hit, which is more important than what Vatrano does for the team at a ~4m cap hit 

Are we replacing him with Kravtsov?

[josh]

55 minutes ago, -ERIK- said:

Are we replacing him with Kravtsov?

Replacing what?

 

there’s a ton of guys to sign. Priority: Centers, prospects, cap space, depth players 

 

unless he’s incredibly cheap, it’s an easy no. 
 

 

 

[RangersIn7]

15 hours ago, rmc51 said:

I'll kick some things around because why not. I don't care if it's a day after elimination. The offseason will be shortened and go quickly. My early general sentiment for next season*

 

1) I think Kreider, or possibly even Panarin, might be told to work on the right side this offseason and the plan is going to be to move Lafreniere up. Lafreniere long term extension is signed early before doing this, just like the Devils did with Hughes.

2) Address center holes.

 

Lafreniere - Zibanejad - Kreider

Panarin - <empty> - Kravtsov

Goodrow - Chytil - Kakko

Blais - <empty> - Hunt

 

Lindgren - Fox

Miller - Trouba

Braun - Schneider

 

Early options I see for 2C:

1. Sign Copp or Strome long term. I no longer think this is a good idea. Lafreniere and Miller should get the long term $ and we can't jeopardize that with another long term contract amongst what we already have. Long term now will keep both players' cost down in the long run.
2. Trade for an established long term center. Guys in that Larkin/Scheifele type bracket. I don't think this is a great choice either for the same reasons as above. It's the same reason I am softening the "trade Kakko" stance I've had for some time now. He's fine on the 3rd line for another year, and ultimately if I was going to trade him, it would have been in a deal for a long term 2C. I think they have to pump the brakes for a year on committing any long term money to guys on the outside right now.
3. Trade for an unproven early-mid 20s center who is cost controlled. This is a gamble because it's not guaranteed to work, but if said player is cheap enough, they can pivot from him if needed. I don't like this option because Chytil already fits this criteria, and we don't need two unproven kids at center.
4. Trade for an expiring contract. Another stop-gap to buy Chytil another season to see if his playoff performance was the actual goods or not, and if he can be that future 2C guy.
5. Sign a 1 year stop gap center. The UFA market sucks for this. Not too viable.
6. Go Chytil! YOLO!

 

 

Option 4! The issue will be finding a target that would not cost entirely too much via trade, but still has the potential to replace to not be a massive hit from losing Strome. My current target would be Sean Monahan from the Flames. He's coming off a disappointing season (really two disappointing seasons) and injury. Calgary has $27 million in cap space and needs the $ for Gaudreau, Tkachuk, Mangiapane, and Kylington. If they want to keep all of those guys, they need to clear Monahan's cap off the books. He could be an excellent 1 year center option who I don't believe would break the bank via trade. He has scored 30 goals a few times and pretty good in the dot. I could see him with a decent chance to rebound and replace Strome's production alongside Panarin.

 

4C I don't care. I don't feel like digging in the UFA fodder right now.

 

* subject to change 3278497982347289 times this offseason

 

 

 

I think Sean Monahan is about done as any kind of an offensively productive hockey player. I hate to say it cause I love the guy and he’s got guts on top of guts playing through all the pain and injuries, but oh my are there so many injuries and surgeries. He’s had at this point I believe something like 8 surgeries. Among those now are surgeries on multiple herniated disc’s, a major surgery on his left hip, and now I believe the same procedure on his right hip.

 

Im not making a direct comparison, but this is similar in ways to Bure 20 years ago. Granted, Bure had not slowed down his offensive production and was still very much a dominant player when healthy. But staying healthy was a major issue for him and when the Rangers acquired, he had already had both knees reconstructed as well as several other surgical procedures. 
Within a year of him having been acquired by the Rangers, he had another injury requiring yet another knee reconstruction and his career was over. He played just 51 games as a Ranger and never played in another hockey game. Bottom line, the Rangers knew he was a huge health risk and it did not work out. 

[BrooksBurner]

A hypothetical to consider, and I’m going to rule out Copp from this hypothetical because he has not made a lot of money in his career relative to Strome ($12M total career contract value for Copp versus $25M for Strome ).

 

What if the market isn’t that good and the long term offers aren’t that good? Might there be potential for Strome to take a 1 year deal to run it back here and re-visit UFA status next summer? I fully expect Strome to lock in a multi-year bag if a good offer comes his way, but I think there’s a chance that might not happen. He seems to have a stigma around him that he is largely a product of Panarin, and that he doesn’t particularly shine in traditional center traits. There may be a lot of skepticism from teams offering him the bag that people seem to be expecting him to get.

[RangersIn7]

6 minutes ago, rmc51 said:

A hypothetical to consider, and I’m going to rule out Copp from this hypothetical because he has not made a lot of money in his career relative to Strome ($12M total career contract value for Copp versus $25M for Strome ).

 

What if the market isn’t that good and the long term offers aren’t that good? Might there be potential for Strome to take a 1 year deal to run it back here and re-visit UFA status next summer? I fully expect Strome to lock in a multi-year bag if a good offer comes his way, but I think there’s a chance that might not happen. He seems to have a stigma around him that he is largely a product of Panarin, and that he doesn’t particularly shine in traditional center traits. There may be a lot of skepticism from teams offering him the bag that people seem to be expecting him to get.

That’s fair speculation.

 

But even in the flat cap climate, one thing about UFA’s that always rings true is that they always get something of an offer to smile at.

 

The market is never really so bad as to have guys get nothing that they want to take.

Theyll be long-term deals available to those guys at good money. 
 

Now if you’re saying that neither get offers in terms of destination, dollars, term and clause, that they’re in absolute love with, that’s possible. Or if you’re saying one or both might love it here enough and take a lesser deal to stay, ok.

 

But they’ll both get viable offers elsewhere if they go UFA.

Edited June 13, 2022 by RangersIn7

[BrooksBurner]

1 hour ago, RangersIn7 said:

I think Sean Monahan is about done as any kind of an offensively productive hockey player. I hate to say it cause I love the guy and he’s got guts on top of guts playing through all the pain and injuries, but oh my are there so many injuries and surgeries. He’s had at this point I believe something like 8 surgeries. Among those now are surgeries on multiple herniated disc’s, a major surgery on his left hip, and now I believe the same procedure on his right hip.

 

Im not making a direct comparison, but this is similar in ways to Bure 20 years ago. Granted, Bure had not slowed down his offensive production and was still very much a dominant player when healthy. But staying healthy was a major issue for him and when the Rangers acquired, he had already had both knees reconstructed as well as several other surgical procedures. 
Within a year of him having been acquired by the Rangers, he had another injury requiring yet another knee reconstruction and his career was over. He played just 51 games as a Ranger and never played in another hockey game. Bottom line, the Rangers knew he was a huge health risk and it did not work out. 

I admittedly was not aware of just how many injuries and surgeries Monahan has been through. It’s a big risk. It’s also why he would be significantly cheaper.

 

Actually, he’s almost more attractive as a depth option to me because he might wind up being a buy out option for the Flames. Hard to see anyone consuming that full $6M cap hit, and the ones that could would probably be on his 10 team NTC. If he’s bought out, he could probably be had for a dirt cheap amount of $1-2M. Can you think of a better situation for him to try and rejuvenate his career than coming here and possibly playing with Panarin?

But yeah, counting on him to stay healthy might be too big of a stretch to not have more depth.

[RangersIn7]

3 minutes ago, rmc51 said:

I admittedly was not aware of just how many injuries and surgeries Monahan has been through. It’s a big risk. It’s also why he would be significantly cheaper.

 

Actually, he’s almost more attractive as a depth option to me because he might wind up being a buy out option for the Flames. Hard to see anyone consuming that full $6M cap hit, and the ones that could would probably be on his 10 team NTC. If he’s bought out, he could probably be had for a dirt cheap amount of $1-2M. Can you think of a better situation for him to try and rejuvenate his career than coming here and possibly playing with Panarin?

But yeah, counting on him to stay healthy might be too big of a stretch to not have more depth.

He may also be an LTIR player. That’s a real possibility given his medical history. 
 

If he could honestly get back healthy, near the player he was, and stay there, then yes. I like the prospect of him playing with a guy like Panarin. 
 

He’s a huge risk though. In all honesty, I think that means hands off till he actually plays again before  anyone takes a shot with him, almost regardless of price. He was awful this year. And yes, it’s all because of injury. He’s still admittedly young enough to where if he did have enough time off to heal and rehab, then yes, it’s possible that he gets back to being the player he was. But that’s probably a long-shot. It actually wouldn’t surprise me if his career was basically over at this point.

 

I wanted Sam Bennett 2-3 years ago.

Rangers could’ve gotten him for a song.

They didn’t. 

[RangersIn7]

17 minutes ago, rmc51 said:

I admittedly was not aware of just how many injuries and surgeries Monahan has been through. It’s a big risk. It’s also why he would be significantly cheaper.

 

Actually, he’s almost more attractive as a depth option to me because he might wind up being a buy out option for the Flames. Hard to see anyone consuming that full $6M cap hit, and the ones that could would probably be on his 10 team NTC. If he’s bought out, he could probably be had for a dirt cheap amount of $1-2M. Can you think of a better situation for him to try and rejuvenate his career than coming here and possibly playing with Panarin?

But yeah, counting on him to stay healthy might be too big of a stretch to not have more depth.

Also, food for thought… I believe the hip issue he has had and the surgeries required is what Gaborik had, at basically the same age. And Gaborik came back and was still an electrifying player who was a in 3 seasons worth of games as Ranger and was basically a 35-40 goal player for them.

Point being… Guys do come back from this injury. 

 

BUT!…. Gaborik didn’t need surgeries on both hips, just one. And Gaborik was a better, faster, more powerful skater than Monahan to begin with. Plus, when Gabs had the surgery, he also had a long stretch where he didn’t play much, and was really able to rest, rehab, and build up strength again. He had the injury and surgery mid-season. Had like 10-12 weeks off. Came back and played maybe 10 meaningless games to test it out at end of season, then had another 5-6 months off. 
 

In 10 months Gabs played like 10-15 games.

That helped.

[CK20]

On 6/11/2022 at 10:54 PM, Karan said:

I wasn’t either…being eliminated after such a good run hurts so bad

[Keirik]

[jsm7302]

21 hours ago, Dr. Jimmy said:

It was a fun ride, a team that not many predicted to even make the playoffs took the defending champs to game 6 of the ECF.  As much as I dislike Tampa, it was a good opportunity for the kids (and front office) to see first hand what is required to become a cup winning team, most cup winning teams were once where we are now, and at some point we will be among them.

 

It'll be interesting to see what happens over the summer, who stays, who goes, who comes in etc.... and for the first time in a very long time I am pumped for next season.

This is a great resounding point; management as well as they players needed this run to evaluate what we have here. Anemic 5v5 play is the glaring issue. How do we address it?

 

Need goalscorers and game changers. We have em on the backend. We gotta shore up lines 2 and 3.

 

Kreider- Zib- Vatrano

Panarin- Chytil- Kravtsov

Laffy- ?- ?

Motte- Goodrow- Reaves/Hunt

 

Yay?

[CK20]

 

[Ozzy]

36 minutes ago, Keirik said:

 

$5.1666 million/yr for 3 more years....those numbers may just work, Big Man!!!  I'd be stoked if we finally landed him!

[Sod16]

12 minutes ago, jsm7302 said:

This is a great resounding point; management as well as they players needed this run to evaluate what we have here. Anemic 5v5 play is the glaring issue. How do we address it?

 

Need goalscorers and game changers. We have em on the backend. We gotta shore up lines 2 and 3.

 

Kreider- Zib- Vatrano

Panarin- Chytil- Kravtsov

Laffy- ?- ?

Motte- Goodrow- Reaves/Hunt

 

Yay?

Vatrano may be too dear.  I imagine they'd give Laf yet another shot on the first line over him.  What about Laf on second line with Panarin on off wing?  Rooskies are all experienced doing that.  Gotta have Blais over Reaves/Hunt.  Reaves has got to go in trade for puck bag or waivers, no matter how much Turk likes him.  I'm all for giving Kratsov a shot, but I wouldn't pencil him in for anything.

[jsm7302]

8 minutes ago, Sod16 said:

Vatrano may be too dear.  I imagine they'd give Laf yet another shot on the first line over him.  What about Laf on second line with Panarin on off wing?  Rooskies are all experienced doing that.  Gotta have Blais over Reaves/Hunt.  Reaves has got to go in trade for puck bag or waivers, no matter how much Turk likes him.  I'm all for giving Kratsov a shot, but I wouldn't pencil him in for anything.

Cmon....stop thinking reasonably with your head!! Haha You're right on each of those points.

 

I tend to get a point out only to really disect it and identify the errors or have them pointed out. I should post how my Dad taught me to measure. Check twice and cut/post once. Haha

[Scott]

1 outta 2 ain't bad.