Brooks Rangers Need to Move on From 'Lame Duck' Captain

[Phil]

Quote

The Rangers have a lame-duck captain who seems to have checked out. Perhaps that’s only natural. Trouba knows the Rangers had every intention of trading him in the offseason, before he used whatever leverage he could to block a deal. He knows he is on the block now.

 

I was wrong about Trouba. I had thought his bond with his teammates would exceed his distaste for the hierarchy. But, and likely subconsciously, Trouba has become a pedestrian, which is something no one would ever have said before.

 

Quote

Negativity seems to have swamped this team that has been off-kilter since the start of the season. Something has to give, and someone needs to go.

 

I am not talking about Aaron Rodgers.

 

https://nypost.com/2024/11/29/sports/broken-rangers-must-waste-no-time-for-change-after-philadelphia-fallout/

[RichieNextel305]

I posted this in the other Trouba thread but I’m going to repeat it here. Its time. They have to put him on waivers and get rid of at least some of the stink coming out of that locker room. And you know what? If it fractures it more, if these guys continue to whine and be displeased, then they can be the next ones out the door.

 

This isn’t like the late-90s/early-00 Rangers where it was a country club atmosphere. Not entirely at least. But this group definitely has an entitlement to them that you’d expect from a team that has proven it could get it done and has gotten it done before.

 

They haven’t. So these remarks about them being displeased with the openness of the GM being willing to wheel and deal to get the season back on track is hilarious. Want to not put the GM in this situation? Don’t play like fucking dog shit. Simple solution. Earn your mega contracts instead of bitching and moaning and whining and throwing your head back and not fighting to get your game back.

Edited November 30 by RichieNextel305

[Phil]

Yeah, the other thread was about sitting him. This is a whole new prescription. Brooks has publicly called for his immediate exit from the team. Sitting him is a shot across the bow. This is like Defcon 3.

[jsm7302]

11 minutes ago, Phil said:

Yeah, the other thread was about sitting him. This is a whole new prescription. Brooks has publicly called for his immediate exit from the team. Sitting him is a shot across the bow. This is like Defcon 3.

Brooks is more in that locker room than any of us (I think). It's pretty obvious Trouba is going through the motions and can't wait to leave once his wife is done with her residency or whatever. This team is in shambles. Strip his C, waive him/trade him/whatever need be done. We need a change and not a small one.

[fletch]

The NMC and NTC are really killing this team right now.  It used to be you could just  bitch about Zib, Miller, and Trouba…. but Kreider has been injured and even Trocheck and Panarin have not been as good the last few games.  The vets are in a funk and the young players like Cuylle are the bright spots.  I think 2 or 3 vets have got to go in order to change the locker room dynamic which  is hard to do in season.  If you dump a vet or 2 in season it helps the off-season moves.  At some point you have got to stop axing coaches and start holding players accountable.  I don’t think getting rid of Trouba is enough to save the season but maybe I am wrong I am nowhere near the room.

[RichieNextel305]

15 minutes ago, Phil said:

Yeah, the other thread was about sitting him. This is a whole new prescription. Brooks has publicly called for his immediate exit from the team. Sitting him is a shot across the bow. This is like Defcon 3.

Yep, all good. Just saying I had added this there and added my thoughts about it. All good in the hood.

 

Im sure the added attention from the media isn’t going to sit well in the locker room with the team. But, so be it.

[Phil]

4 minutes ago, jsm7302 said:

Brooks is more in that locker room than any of us (I think). It's pretty obvious Trouba is going through the motions and can't wait to leave once his wife is done with her residency or whatever. This team is in shambles. Strip his C, waive him/trade him/whatever need be done. We need a change and not a small one.

The way I see it, they have no choice now. I think they go to him and tell him accept a trade or we're waiving you. If you're claimed, great. Best of luck. If you're not, we'll assign you to Hartford. If you refuse to report, we'll suspend you and move to terminate your deal for breach.

[RichieNextel305]

3 minutes ago, fletch said:

The NMC and NTC are really killing this team right now.  It used to be you could just  bitch about Zib, Miller, and Trouba…. but Kreider has been injured and even Trocheck and Panarin have not been as good the last few games.  The vets are in a funk and the young players like Cuylle are the bright spots.  I think 2 or 3 vets have got to go in order to change the locker room dynamic which  is hard to do in season.  If you dump a vet or 2 in season it helps the off-season moves.  At some point you have got to stop axing coaches and start holding players accountable.  I don’t think getting rid of Trouba is enough to save the season but maybe I am wrong I am nowhere near the room.

Panarins effort is there. He is just a guy that I feel has the weight of the world on his shoulders right now. When he’s not on the ice, we are seeing zero time in the offensive zone. He is overskating pucks, he’s trying to force passes. He’s shooting even more than he did last year, which is good. But he is far from the problem. Panarin is frustrated and is trying to get this team out of a funk. But the only good shifts we’ve seen with sustained pressure have been with him and Lafreniere on the ice. Not to take anything away from guys like Cuylle, who has played very well also. I’m just saying from our “top guys” the only ones really doing anything as far as keeping some sustained pressure are Panarin and Lafreniere.

[RichieNextel305]

Just now, Phil said:

The way I see it, they have no choice now. I think they go to him and tell him accept a trade or we're waiving you. If you're claimed, great. Best of luck. If you're not, we'll assign you to Hartford. If you refuse to report, we'll suspend you and move to terminate your deal for breach.

Hypothetically, if he went to Hartford, won’t the majority of the cap hit still remain on the Rangers books? I forget how that works. I know we buried Redden for a few years.

[Phil]

Just now, RichieNextel305 said:

Hypothetically, if he went to Hartford, won’t the majority of the cap hit still remain on the Rangers books? I forget how that works. I know we buried Redden for a few years.

Yes. Teams only get a fraction of relief on these types of deals. It's NHL minimum (changes every year) plus $375K.

[RichieNextel305]

9 minutes ago, Phil said:

Yes. Teams only get a fraction of relief on these types of deals. It's NHL minimum (changes every year) plus $375K.

Gotcha. So we wouldn’t be able to do what we did with Redden where we bury him and his cap hit.

 

Yeah, no listen. I agree. Trouba has had rough spots in big spots for this team over the years. He was brutal in the playoffs last year, then everything this past summer. And now the start here, and there just is no where else to go really. I get that he has his personal reasons for wanting to stay. And I’m not getting into another mans life away from the rink. But this just isn’t working out for the New York Rangers. And the New York Rangers have to look out for their best interest first and foremost, as cutthroat as it may be. They have given this guy more money than he could ever have dreamt of. So, the animosity he may feel will be made up once he takes a look at his bank account the 1st and 15th of every month.

 

He really has to go. And to be honest, I would not be surprised if they lay another egg tomorrow that the hammer comes dropping down at some point during the off day on Sunday before a crucial game against a hot rival at MSG on Monday night.

Edited November 30 by RichieNextel305

[RJWantsTheCup]

Panarin and Lafraniere 2 points each in 5 game losing streak.  That’s less than a 35 point season pace.  They aren’t producing what the team needs.  Cuylle is the only player playing well during this bad stretch.  

[Albatrosss]

There’s a 3 day break for the rangers this coming week. Lets see if Drury is able to make some moves 

[torontonyr]

If they just strip the C I'll die of laughter 

[fletch]

10 minutes ago, RichieNextel305 said:

Panarins effort is there. He is just a guy that I feel has the weight of the world on his shoulders right now. When he’s not on the ice, we are seeing zero time in the offensive zone. He is overskating pucks, he’s trying to force passes. He’s shooting even more than he did last year, which is good. But he is far from the problem. Panarin is frustrated and is trying to get this team out of a funk. But the only good shifts we’ve seen with sustained pressure have been with him and Lafreniere on the ice. Not to take anything away from guys like Cuylle, who has played very well also. I’m just saying from our “top guys” the only ones really doing anything as far as keeping some sustained pressure are Panarin and Lafreniere.

Right, I don't think that we can excuse anyone on the team right now with the funk that we're in but Panarin has been the most reliable player all year - the whole team has been spayed by a skunk and it's impossible to escape without having some stink on you.  Maybe all the line juggling has gotten to him and Laf, maybe he's got the weight of the world on his shoulders as you suggest, maybe he's just had bad puck luck lately.  My comment was in the context that even clearly the team's best player Panarin and one of the most consistent players Trocheck have not been immune from the team-wide funk.  I mean every team in the league has a bad stretch - what was most bothersome was the first 3 games of the losing streak they were giving up lots of shots and high danger chances, had poor effort, were making mental mistakes, and playing poor hockey.  I thought they were better against Carolina but didn't see the game today because of a commitment.

[Albatrosss]

3 minutes ago, torontonyr said:

If they just strip the C I'll die of laughter 

I doubt they’ll do it. They should. He’s definitely not leading this team anywhere 

[Phil]

6 minutes ago, torontonyr said:

If they just strip the C I'll die of laughter 

 

I actually think that would only make matters worse. There's no more lessons to be learned. They need a divorce.

[RJWantsTheCup]

Every morning I look at this thread and think shit he’s still here

[Pete]

1 hour ago, RJWantsTheCup said:

Every morning I look at this thread and think shit he’s still here

But it's okay because he's willing to get beat up for the team.  

[Albatrosss]

He may suck as a player but he did something as a leader. Im not going to bash him for it. Where were the other so- called leaders?

[Br4d]

He had to get traded in the off-season.  That was the biggest organizational failure of the off-season.

 

Having him as the Captain this season was the second.

[Albatrosss]

There’s nothing wrong with him as a captain IMO. He’s just not a $8M defenseman. 

[Br4d]

8 hours ago, Albatrosss said:

There’s nothing wrong with him as a captain IMO. He’s just not a $8M defenseman. 

 

The problem with him as Captain is that the Rangers don't want him here for other reasons and you cannot have a Captain in that status.  It sets up us-against-them mechanics in the locker room with team management and coaching as them.

[Pete]

44 minutes ago, Br4d said:

 

The problem with him as Captain is that the Rangers don't want him here for other reasons and you cannot have a Captain in that status.  It sets up us-against-them mechanics in the locker room with team management and coaching as them.

That ship has sailed. Those mechanics were upset over the summer. You can't put the toothpaste back in the tube.