Staple Ducks' Frank Vatrano and Adam Henrique on Rangers Radar

[Keirik]

3 hours ago, Pete said:

A team can't have more than 1 defenseman with offensive upside?

Of course they can.  That's why they gave Zellweger a taste already as well who is their very highly touted prospect. Plus, Fowler, and Mintyukov already. I don't think Zac Jones moves the needle that much for them. We're overvaluing him in my opinion. 

[Pete]

2 minutes ago, Keirik said:

Of course they can.  That's why they gave Zellweger a taste already as well who is their very highly touted prospect. Plus, Fowler, and Mintyukov already. I don't think Zac Jones moves the needle that much for them. We're overvaluing him in my opinion. 

Okay, we can agree to disagree. 

[The Dude]

7 hours ago, siddious said:

I dunno we are still reeling from losing Gauthier

[The Dude]

7 hours ago, Phil said:

 

I'm not giving up two firsts for these players. I'm just not. One. Max. And it's conditional (Conference Final appearance).

 

If that's a no-go, then go trade them somewhere else.

Or include Kakko instead of a 1st. 

[Br4d]

2 minutes ago, The Dude said:

Or include Kakko instead of a 1st. 

 

Kakko would probably be on somebody's list if they were giving up a UFA to be that they had no intention to re-sign and they couldn't get a 1st round pick out of anybody for him.

 

He might be on somebody's list if they were trying to dump a contract and getting no serious offers.

 

We probably value Kakko at a higher level than the NHL at large.

[The Dude]

34 minutes ago, Br4d said:

 

Kakko would probably be on somebody's list if they were giving up a UFA to be that they had no intention to re-sign and they couldn't get a 1st round pick out of anybody for him.

 

He might be on somebody's list if they were trying to dump a contract and getting no serious offers.

 

We probably value Kakko at a higher level than the NHL at large.

He might be on somebody's list as an equivalent to a high 2nd round pick or as a valued  change of scenery player. 

 

I'd be kinda ok with Henrique and Vatrano half retained for Kakko, Sykora/Jones and a 2nd. 

 

That's just me though. I have no problem keeping Wheeler in the lineup.  Others want Kakko there instead. I do too, but what else are they going to trade? 

 

I think they're hotter for Henrique than they are for Vatrano. Henrique is probably cheaper to attain. 

 

I hope they look elsewhere, judging by some of these proposals.  

[jsm7302]

The prospect of Henrique finding success here and resigning for 2-3 years for half of what he makes now is legitimate plus Vatranos contract, this could be a longer term fix than rentals. I like this idea more and more. The packages flying around here aren't terrible. Giving a first or two to complete your roster for the next few years isn't a bad deal. (Assuming Henrique would stick around).

[Pete]

1 hour ago, jsm7302 said:

The prospect of Henrique finding success here and resigning for 2-3 years for half of what he makes now is legitimate plus Vatranos contract, this could be a longer term fix than rentals. I like this idea more and more. The packages flying around here aren't terrible. Giving a first or two to complete your roster for the next few years isn't a bad deal. (Assuming Henrique would stick around).

I Don't want a soon to be 34-year-old Henrique signed for two to three more years. 

[Albatrosss]

I think RW is no longer a need.  Krappo is doing fine on the 3rd line and Wheeler is fitting in with Z/CK.  A solid NHL center is someone the rangers could even overpay a little for, since the assets that were planned to go for the RW can be moved for a center.  

[Drew a Penalty]

Quote

The next domino multiple sources are expecting to fall among the available centers is Anaheim’s Adam Henrique. He’s a quality two-way player, but the fact that the 34-year-old is considered the best remaining option who’s a sure bet to get dealt speaks volumes about the state of the market.

 

The Rangers think highly of his hockey IQ and have some interest, according to one source, but not at the expense of the first-round pick the Ducks are believed to be asking for. A second-rounder and/or B-level prospect (perhaps defenseman Zac Jones?) might be as far as they'd go for an aging player with 33 points (15 goals and 18 assists) through 49 games played and limited speed. Perhaps a compromise could be a conditional second-round pick that elevates to a first if they reach the Eastern Conference or Stanley Cup Finals, similar to what they did in the Andrew Copp deal a couple seasons ago.

 

It’s worth wondering how much the Blueshirts would pay if they could fill two holes with one deal, and it’s no secret that they liked what they got out of Frank Vatrano during his 22-game stint (plus another 20 in the playoffs) with the team in 2022. He’s still the most-effective RW to play alongside Kreider and Zibanejad since Pavel Buchnevich was traded in 2021, with that trio posting a 56.07% xGF in 186:34 time on ice together, according to Natural Stat Trick. And he's only gotten better since then, with 22 goals through 50 games played during this all-star season.

 

Vatrano is under contract for 2024-25 at an average annual value of $3.65 million, which New York could probably afford with the cap ceiling expected to rise to $87.7 million. But fitting both him and Henrique for the remainder of this season would be difficult, even if Drury convinced Anaheim to retain 50% of Henrique’s $5.825 million AAV. That would leave the Rangers on the hook for a combined cap hit of over $6.5 million for both players, which they couldn’t swing unless they were sending a chuck of salary back to the Ducks.

 

It would work if Kaapo Kakko and his $2.1 million AAV were included in the deal, with the young forward’s name recently surfacing in trade rumors. But those whispers are believed to stem from opposing GMs trying to buy low on the former No. 2 overall pick, as opposed to the Blueshirts actively shopping him.

 

Then again, of all the feasible offers that might entice Drury to move on from Kakko, a Henrique-Vatrano package is among the most intriguing because it would solve both the 3C and 1RW dilemmas. That’s why some said it can’t be ruled out, while others pointed out that historically a trade of that magnitude is more likely to happen over the summer.

 

What’s clear is that, if it comes down to one or the other between Henrique and Vatrano, the former has the higher probability of getting moved due to his expiring contract status.

 

https://www.lohud.com/story/sports/nhl/rangers/2024/02/08/ny-rangers-possible-trade-deadline-partners-latest-news/72509626007/

[Pete]

24 minutes ago, Drew a Penalty said:

 

https://www.lohud.com/story/sports/nhl/rangers/2024/02/08/ny-rangers-possible-trade-deadline-partners-latest-news/72509626007/

Go tweet at Vince for offering Zac Jones.

[Drew a Penalty]

15 minutes ago, Pete said:

Go tweet at Vince for offering Zac Jones.

 

Probably because they're reported to be shopping Jones and Robertson as Vince later writes in the article:

 

Quote

One source wondered if the Rangers might be shopping one of two young defensemen who are blocked in their path to the lineup, Jones and Matthew Robertson.

 

And not your belief that Anaheim explicitly needs Jones as a PMD because you didn't know about Mintyukov and Zellweger.

[Pete]

23 minutes ago, Drew a Penalty said:

 

Probably because they're reported to be shopping Jones and Robertson as Vince later writes in the article:

 

 

And not your belief that Anaheim explicitly needs Jones as a PMD because you didn't know about Mintyukov and Zellweger.

[Drew a Penalty]

6 minutes ago, Pete said:

[Pete]

1 minute ago, Drew a Penalty said:

Nice selfie.

[Drew a Penalty]

Just now, Pete said:

Nice selfie.

This is weak for you. You’re slacking.

[Pete]

1 minute ago, Drew a Penalty said:

This is weak for you. You’re slacking.

I don't have the time or the crayons to deal with you.

[Drew a Penalty]

1 minute ago, Pete said:

I don't have the time or the crayons to deal with you.

I prefer pastels.

[Pete]

5 minutes ago, Drew a Penalty said:

I prefer pastels.

[RichieNextel305]

Quote

So I should tell you that, A) Anaheim’s Frank Vatrano remains very much on the Rangers’ radar…

Quote

…the BFFs scored at a rate of 3.54 goals per 60:00 with Vatrano over 187 minutes down the 2021-22 stretch

https://nypost.com/2024/02/24/sports/lindy-ruffs-excuse-for-devils-poor-power-play-is-weak-as-it-comes/

[jsm7302]

1 hour ago, RichieNextel305 said:

https://nypost.com/2024/02/24/sports/lindy-ruffs-excuse-for-devils-poor-power-play-is-weak-as-it-comes/

I'm down. Bring in Vatrano; good depth options at that point. Forget Henrique though and I was on board that train initially. Lets ride the chemistry this year. The big swing failed MIGHTILY last year.

[The Dude]

58 minutes ago, jsm7302 said:

I'm down. Bring in Vatrano; good depth options at that point. Forget Henrique though and I was on board that train initially. Lets ride the chemistry this year. The big swing failed MIGHTILY last year.

Fuck it. Get em both and then some.

 

Need depth. Use alllll of the available cap space. 

[jsm7302]

13 minutes ago, The Dude said:

Fuck it. Get em both and then some.

 

Need depth. Use alllll of the available cap space. 

What do you do with Henrique though at this point? To tell Brodzinski to take a seat is like a wtf moment for a guy who has fought his way on here with decent success and is obviously a part of a solid locker room. Slotting him down is also pointless to his skill set.

 

I feel like grabbing a versatile middle six guy who can play wing and center is the best case scenario with Vesey and Edstrom being the likely swappable depth pieces. It's going to be an interesting couple of weeks. On another note, I find it odd that Othmann hasn't had a chance to be RW on the first line up here, just to see if we even need to make a splash at all.

[The Dude]

2 hours ago, jsm7302 said:

What do you do with Henrique though at this point? To tell Brodzinski to take a seat is like a wtf moment for a guy who has fought his way on here with decent success and is obviously a part of a solid locker room. Slotting him down is also pointless to his skill set.

 

I feel like grabbing a versatile middle six guy who can play wing and center is the best case scenario with Vesey and Edstrom being the likely swappable depth pieces. It's going to be an interesting couple of weeks. On another note, I find it odd that Othmann hasn't had a chance to be RW on the first line up here, just to see if we even need to make a splash at all.

The same thing you do to Vesey if you improve the RW. You play the better player. 

 

Brodzinski is on a (tiny bit above) league minimum deal for a reason. His extension shouldn't be a guarantee that he plays. It's a guarantee he gets paid. It may be a guarantee he stays on the roster. 

 

This extension is clouding a lot of people's vision. Brodzinski isn't or shouldn't be the starting 3C going into the playoffs.  As nice and mediocre as the story of his league minimum extension is,  they have to be looking for a better 3C. Henrique is most definitely better. Resume counts here. 

 

This "bargain" extension is really just a guarantee that the guy gets paid no matter what happens. I'm confident this conversation was had at the time of him signing it. They're going to improve the 3C spot. It's a "no offense " handshake. 

 

They're going to push Vesey to the 4th line or out of the lineup (doubt it but Edstrom and Rempe are organizational and fan darlings). I don't see why they wouldn't do the same to Brodzinski.  

[The Dude]

3 hours ago, jsm7302 said:

On another note, I find it odd that Othmann hasn't had a chance to be RW on the first line up here, just to see if we even need to make a splash at all.

 

Tin foil hat, totally made up speculation by me, but I think something weird happened the night of his first game/call up.

 

He and the team has an excellent,  well rounded game and everyone was a little extra joyus on the bench and coming off the ice. The next game,  Othmann was pretty much benched getting 7 minutes of ice  (vs 12 in his 1st) in his next 2 games and the team spiraled into a funk. 

 

Totally speculating here. Wonder if he felt too comfortable,  and had a shit practice,  or had some off ice stuff. I don't know. It was just odd. His benching and the teams demeanor after, to me reads as if there was an issue.  

 

That ontop of the obvious need for an upgrade in talent on the roster has me scratching my head. He's had a good enough 1st season in the A. He has been doing well for a while.  I myself don't think its a "we learned from Kakko and Lafrenière" situation as some have suggested. He's deserved a shot for 2 months now.

 

A shot. Not a fixed spot. Theres a difference (to those ready to pounce and suggest his trajectory or entry to the league is on par with Kakko and Lafrenière ). 

Edited February 25 by The Dude