The Kids Are Alright?

[Tomas Sandstrom]

Just now, jsrangers said:

that's just it though for Chytil 340 games in and he's advanced all the way up to "flashes" which are a whopping 20 goals and 39 points so far in his 5th season and I'm sure without checking still pretty awful in the dot. Personally I think that's passed the line where you are what numbers say you are. 

 

Agreed...and that's why I say please don't lump all 3 "kids" in the same boat.  I think Chytil is way more in the "he is what he is" category, than the other 2.  

 

Chytil also was 18th overall selection in his draft.  Still a (relatively) high pick, but not the same as 1 or 2 overall.  

 

 

[Albatrosss]

13 minutes ago, BrooksBurner said:

Banks on him wanting to be here, plus buying lower AAV by giving term. He’s 31. Who’s giving him more than like 4 years? So give him 6…

and Pete's right nut

[Valriera]

Yeah. They're alright. Very solidly alright. Not looking for them to be alright.  

[Pete]

56 minutes ago, BrooksBurner said:

Banks on him wanting to be here, plus buying lower AAV by giving term. He’s 31. Who’s giving him more than like 4 years? So give him 6…

Vancouver?

[Pete]

42 minutes ago, CCCP said:

and Pete's right nut

Which leaves you and @BrooksBurner cat fighting over my left?

[BrooksBurner]

17 minutes ago, Pete said:

Which leaves you and @BrooksBurner cat fighting over my left?

All you @CCCP, but based on years of posting data I imagine you can find it in his wife’s purse.

[Albatrosss]

22 minutes ago, Pete said:

Which leaves you and @BrooksBurner cat fighting over my left?

you'd give your left to keep GG

[Albatrosss]

1 minute ago, BrooksBurner said:

All you @CCCP, but based on years of posting data I imagine you can find it in his wife’s purse.

its right there next to a picture of @Phil

[RichieNextel305]

3 hours ago, Phil said:

 

Yeah, this is probably a better way to look at it. I think my problem is I can't look past the fact that two of them went first- and second-overall, respectively, and I'm being made to feel like I should just be happy because they're playing effective two-way hockey.

 

It's a me thing, I guess, but I just really have a tough time looking past what they were supposed to be, so it makes accepting what they are more difficult.

Oh I totally agree. And I still do hope that eventually they get there. But that is for another day, because for the way this team is currently built, the way they play is actually a pretty good change of pace.

 

I do eventually hope they can develop into the flashy players their draft position dictated they would be.

[The Dude]

It's just frustrating knowing they get favorable match ups and hardly produce. They had a good stretch in the playoffs and a good run like 2 months ago, but they've become a bit stale. 

 

Chytil and Lafrenière have been added to the PP. There's no big uptick in scoring from either. Lafrenière hasn't had a goal in his last 8 games. He had a stretch of 17 games in December to January  of no goals.. Chytil just got out of an 18 game skid. Kakko? 16 straight in the same stretch as Lafrenière,  and just now an 11 game big fat zero. 

 

Your top prospects shouldn't be having these stretches. No matter how you slice it. Kakko and Lafrenière have been disappointments. Kakko more so than any. And I actually LIKE Kakko best of the 2.

 

Chytil on the other hand, gets a bit more slack, because he was drafted later and brought in at an incredibly young age (18), but always showed the flashes that have become more consistent than in the past. I'd say he is easily the one (of the 3) that loses confidence when things don't go their way (robbed by goalie). Yet, I feel like Kakko rarely has had ANY confidence at this level.  Lafrenière on the other hand just seems like he's always having a good time or is in good spirits. 

 

Right now, I like what the line brings.  It's not fulfilling any of the high end potential many of us thought we'd get, but they do contribute to a hockey game. Their cycling is great to see. Just need more of what they brought in mid January. 

 

There's no excuses. Teams have their hands full with the Rangers top 6. These high end prospects need to do a better job at producing when they are out there against other teams 3rd and 4th lines. They're on the PP now too (sorry Kakko).

 

It's time to step up and help this team be an even bigger threat to have a shot at the cup. Make your way. It's right there for all of you. 

 

Buuuuttt, if stupid Gallant has unreasonable expectations (like he had for Kravtsovs game), and constantly rips these kids.... I'm not sure they can succeed. 

[Br4d]

Not to deflect the topic but at the age of 21 Mika Zibanejad scored 20 goals in 80 games.  At the age of 22 he scored 21 goals in 81 games.  At the age of 23 he scored 14 goals in 56 games.  Chytil's season this year at 23 is likely to surpass all 3 of those seasons.  And yes, Zibanejad was more consistent early on but he clearly didn't have a ceiling much above what Chytil's is now and Zib was a #6OA in his 5th season in the NHL at 23. 

 

Chris Kreider scored 37 points in 66 games at the age of 22.  He scored 46 points in 80 games at the age of 23.  He scored 43 points in 79 games at the age of 24.  He had 18 goals on the powerplay over those 3 seasons.  I would posit that Laffy is ahead of him at the same age.  He was of course #19OA which is a difference in quality but if we look at where Kreider was at 24 with the opportunities he was given we have to accept that by 24 Laffy is likely to be the better player at the same age and quite possibly in actual performance between the two of them in his 24 season.

 

It's hard to find a comp for Kakko because the Rangers haven't had particularly good RW's for awhile but it's not hard to see that he might develop into something very good still at this point.  He basically has one real weakness at this point which is that he doesn't finish well.  That's the kind of weakness that can go away in one season when he gets some confidence and puts things together.

 

But really look at Zibanejad and Kreider at the ages that Chytil and Laffy are at and you realize that sometimes stars develop through hard work and just a bit of luck in the process.

[Pete]

I just can't take the rationalizations anymore.

 

Whatever happens these kids are the biggest disappointments at number one and number two in over a decade.

 

 

[RangersIn7]

39 minutes ago, Pete said:

I just can't take the rationalizations anymore.

 

Whatever happens these kids are the biggest disappointments at number one and number two in over a decade.

 

 

It’s a totally valid feeling at this point.

Put it this way… what’s there from these 3, at this point, is fine. All points considered. This team now. What that trio is giving. It’s just fine. Like reliable transportation.

Its nowhere near great.

Every once in a while it’s fantastic.

But it’s usually kinda… Meh.

 

You wanted more 

Expected more.

Fair expectation.

But I’m not honestly not disappointed 

Cause here’s the thing.

 

Best hockey for all 3 still in front of all 3. 

We talk about the eye test

 

Here is what I see from the eye test.

Right now my eyes see 3 pretty above average to good NHL players, with some real shortcomings right now too.

And not enough production 

 

But I also see 3 guys who are all getting better as hockey players too. All getting better in other areas and all-around game improving. Plus physically still rounding into form too.

And also they’re 23,22,and 21. 
 

 

 

So I’m not selling stock there.

Especially while it’s still relatively cheap.

You’re really going to want them at ages 24/25-29/30
 

[Pete]

51 minutes ago, RangersIn7 said:

It’s a totally valid feeling at this point.

Put it this way… what’s there from these 3, at this point, is fine. All points considered. This team now. What that trio is giving. It’s just fine. Like reliable transportation.

Its nowhere near great.

Every once in a while it’s fantastic.

But it’s usually kinda… Meh.

 

You wanted more 

Expected more.

Fair expectation.

But I’m not honestly not disappointed 

Cause here’s the thing.

 

Best hockey for all 3 still in front of all 3. 

We talk about the eye test

 

Here is what I see from the eye test.

Right now my eyes see 3 pretty above average to good NHL players, with some real shortcomings right now too.

And not enough production 

 

But I also see 3 guys who are all getting better as hockey players too. All getting better in other areas and all-around game improving. Plus physically still rounding into form too.

And also they’re 23,22,and 21. 
 

 

 

So I’m not selling stock there.

Especially while it’s still relatively cheap.

You’re really going to want them at ages 24/25-29/30
 

I would be willing to bet on Kakko and Chytil. Not Lafreniere. I'd see what I can get for him before paying him and give that slot to Othmann or to Vesey to keep warm for Othmann.

[The Dude]

19 minutes ago, Pete said:

I would be willing to bet on Kakko and Chytil. Not Lafreniere. I'd see what I can get for him before paying him and give that slot to Othmann or to Vesey to keep warm for Othmann.

That's where I'm at.

 

Oddly, I think Lafrenière fetches the bigger return of the 3, despite how little I like his game and how disappointed I am in how mediocre his Ranger career has gone. 

[BrooksBurner]

40 minutes ago, Pete said:

I would be willing to bet on Kakko and Chytil. Not Lafreniere. I'd see what I can get for him before paying him and give that slot to Othmann or to Vesey to keep warm for Othmann.

I can’t lie, trading Lafreniere and Goodrow has some appeal to it because it gets you roughly Tarasenko money, and the top 6 could look pretty sweet for a few years.

 

Kreider - Zib - Kakko

Panarin - Chytil - Tarasenko

 

Even the 3rd line could be nasty to play against. Othmann-Trocheck-Vesey. That would depend on Othmann’s readiness.

Edited March 25, 2023 by BrooksBurner

[Keirik]

1 minute ago, BrooksBurner said:

I can’t lie, trading Lafreniere and Goodrow has some appeal to it because it gets you roughly Tarasenko money, and the top 6 could look pretty sweet for a few years.

 

Kreider - Zib - Kakko

Panarin - Chytil - Tarasenko

 

Even the 3rd line could be nasty to play against. Othmann-Trocheck-Vesey. That would depend on Othmann’s readiness.

Yeah but on the other hand,  trading Panarin probably gives you Tarasenko and Kane money, opens up a LW and solves top 6 RW. 

[Cash or Czech]

9 minutes ago, Keirik said:

Yeah but on the other hand,  trading Panarin probably gives you Tarasenko and Kane money, opens up a LW and solves top 6 RW. 

I don’t really want to keep Kane with what I’ve seen so far

[RangersIn7]

57 minutes ago, Pete said:

I would be willing to bet on Kakko and Chytil. Not Lafreniere. I'd see what I can get for him before paying him and give that slot to Othmann or to Vesey to keep warm for Othmann.

Totally fair.

 

But I think you’ll see LaFreniere at 27 and it’s very possible you’ll say, that’s a really good hockey player and I’d like him on my team.

And that’s still 5-6 years from now.

[Scott]

Could be, but there's no way I would sit around and wait another 5-6 more years. He would have been in the league 8-9 years already by that time. 

[Keirik]

22 minutes ago, Cash or Czech said:

I don’t really want to keep Kane with what I’ve seen so far

Yeah, I can understand that. But I think it’s less dwindling skill and more trying too much to be cute. 

[Albatrosss]

24 minutes ago, jsrangers said:

Could be, but there's no way I would sit around and wait another 5-6 more years. He would have been in the league 8-9 years already by that time. 

Thats what Ottawa thought about Zibby and now they feel like shit. 

[Albatrosss]

Laffy our future captain and a total future leader of this team. Mark my words!!! Remember when this post!!!

[Scott]

Ottawa has zero pressure to win anything, ever. They could of rolled the dice for those 8-9 years, it will never happen here. He can go be the captain of the Yotes wherever their playing if they even still exist in any form that far down the road. 

[Scott]

1 hour ago, CCCP said:

Laffy our future captain and a total future leader of this team. Mark my words!!! Remember when this post!!!

Can we bookmark hot take, reminders 5-7 years down the road?