A partial housecleaning is in order

[kreidertime]

Nash, Kreider, Yandle, Staal, Boyle, Etem and Glass at the top of list.
Though, you probably couldn't give the last 2 away unless you made a team take them to get one of the other guys on the list.

Started looking at this deal for the first time. Kings trade a second, Brown and King to the Rangers and agree to pay half of Brown's salary, Rangers send back Yandle, Glass, Stallberg and Etem. Money is about even. Penalty for taking half of Brown's awful contract is they have to take Glass back in the deal. Brown might absolutely suck for the money but he's a righty shot and this team needs a physical leader. They are gutless. I've always wanted King.

 

[kreidertime]

Make no mistake, Brown has one of the worst contracts in hockey and he is no longer the leader on that team. However, at half the price, I'd trade Yandle to get King in the deal which is the kind of players the pansy Rangers have been lacking for a decade. Go with Skjei.

Maybe you can get Staal to agree to go to the Canes who have tons of cap room and a ton of UFA's next year, take back Nash and Liles and perhaps get them to give you the Kings first rounder next year which they own. Maybe you can pull that off. It's not a bad idea for them to add Staal with as many young defenseman as they have. We can only dream that our moron GM can make creative deals to save this floundering team. As bad as our fans think Staal is, other organizations probably don't see it that way. They most likely see him as a player a heck of a lot better than what they use.

 

[chuckd3534]

I agree with that. Now I'm not going to get into fantasy trades that will never happen and start pulling names out of a hat to deal for, but I do think we need a little shakeup here. The team is stale right now. Not a lot of life. Same mistakes and questionable plays mentally game after game. I would try and do something if we can.

With Skjei and McIlrath we have two solid building blocks on D I think. Add in McDonagh still young, and solid Klein, and I think the D is in a good spot. Between Staal, Girardi, and Yandle I think one has to be dealt this season. I wish it could be Staal or G, but their contracts and NTC might dictate it will be Yandle. Issue there is as a UFA to be his value will really only be to teams thinking they are right there for a cup, so the potential suitor list is smaller, and it's unlikely we get now players back in a deal like that. I would love to find a way to get Staal or Girardi to waive their NTC...especially Staal.

Upfront Nash is always a question mark to me. What do you do with him? He is very good. If we dealt him we'd have a huge hole. BUT we also know he has a huge cap hit AND he has big game/playoff "issues". I would deal him in the right deal, but I just don't think his value will equal a player of his skill level given his cap hit and some of his issues. We might be stuck here.

I do think guys like Miller, Hayes, and Kreider have value. Issue there is we are right up against the cap, so we cannot deal these guys who don't have big cap hits and get back bigger cap hit guys. Maybe we can package a desirable forward like Miller or Hayes or Kreider with a dman like Staal or Girardi and get back a big nasty forward who is a proven performer and a lesser dman to help backfill Staal or Girardi.

Don't know, but I do truly believe we need to do something here to mix things up.

Truth is we all talked about Miller, Hayes, Kreider, and to a lesser extent Etem as needing to have big step up seasons for us to be the team we all hoped, and through 35 games NONE have done it. Without that I think we all knew we'd have some big concerns. Stalberg swing and a miss. Yandle has not done much here if we are being honest. Lindberg has cooled big time after a great start, and is having a bad December.

The guys we hoped to step up haven't. The moves we made have turned bad. Name the players on this team having good years. Zucc. Maybe Klein. Lindberg started hot and has cooled, but count him. Who else really? It isn't good. No one has really stepped up, and almost all the recent moves have failed. Still trying to figure out how you cut Stoll to keep Glass...that was an awful decision.

To me I think that means we need a mix up here to jump start things. It will be interesting to see what Gorton and AV think and do.

 

[NYR2009]

It starts with the coach. AV has to go first. He will never win the cup, period. Put him on Hawks or Kings and he will lose too. I understand there is noone available, but at least start the rebuild now without him. If he keeps Glass over Stoll then he deserves to be fired. Yesterday faceoffs were a huge issue and Stoll would have been a big help, I am sure. I understand Glass is not the reason why we suck now, but if you are Glass at least finish the hit. He just skates by.... When things don't go right and you are a physical forward, isn't it your job to energize the team. Hit someone, do something. Loss is a loss but bring some life. And that goes to everyone, noone does anything anymore. Lose 7-0, fine, but at least show your anger, frustration, not by fighting but by legal hits. That what frustrates me with this team, not only losses. And Nash is trying by the way more than anyone else. Zucarello, Nash and Brassard are the only 3 who are playing. Hayes, Krieder, Fast, Etem, Glass, Stallberg, G or Stall, has to go. Even Boyle is better than Stall now. Please, Please bench Hayes. I cannot watch him anymore! I think he is even dumber than Krieder.

 

[chuckd3534]

He will never win a cup period...LOL. He can make it to two SCF's, get to game 7 in one of them, but he can never win a cup period...LOL.

This is like Torts all over again. Some of you guys are really funny how you overreact.

I do think we are stale and could stand to mix things up a little with a trade, but I do not think this is on AV or that we need a tear down or total rebuild.

 

[NYR2009]

Chuck, AV does not have the cup! Almost does not count....

He refuses to get tough players, it is not Glen Sather or Gorton. We had tough guys on this team with Torts. Obviously coach influences the players that he gets. This team has no energy and that is because of AVs players selection. Yeah we did not win the cup with Torts and by no means I like Torts, but at least he could generate the spark when needed and he has players who could do that for him. We have noone now. Avery probably was the lease talented player ever on this team, but look up the record with Avery in the lineup and without him. I am talking about energy that is needed to win the cup! AV has none, nor he could generate it. He has to go!

 

[Ranger71]

I still think Ladd would be an important piece to add up front, both from a skill and experience standpoint. His cap hit will only be around 2m in March, but i guess it also depends on how they stand. I would send them either Hayes or Miller plus Fast, and maybe a 2nd. I think Fast has good hockey sense but can easily be replaced. Then try and get PB over by Feb and maybe add one more vet Dman if possible.

 

[chuckd3534]

Agreed 2009...I am with you bro. He can make 2 SCF's, make game 7 in one of them, make another ECF, but clearly doesn't have what it takes as a coach to win the cup. We agree bro.

Just like with Torts...it is the coach. We agree.

 

[kreidertime]

I like AV. I would not fire him. He's a dumbass with Glass. All coaches have their stupidity with certain players. The one thing that is for sure is that this team is no longer a threat to win a cup. Not with this roster. A lot has to do with too many players, making too much money, not enough hunger to win any longer. It's not that Staal, Girardi, Nash and Yandle forgot how to play. It's that they are overpaid, comfortable and a few need to be shipped out to send the right message to the team. That's win, or you're gone.

The roster is soft. I don't think much of Brown any longer but I do know that he and King would bring much added size, toughness and grit to a bunch of forwards who are candyasses. I'd take 2.9 of Brown for another 3-4 years if we lose 1.5 of Tanner "I suck moose dong" Glass and we can pick up a second and King as well.

Point is that there is a lot of trades out their if our GM can convince Girardi and Staal to waive their NTC's. Girardi, Staal and Yandle will have a lot of value despite what our fans think. Our fans think if they are included in trade offers, they suck and have no value. That's not the way GM's think. Most Kings fans probably think nobody on the planet would want Brown at any price. I would.

 

[Ranger71]

It's not the coach for the umpteenth time.

 

[chuckd3534]

Sure it is 71...LOL. He cannot win the cup...period. He can only make the SCF's twice, and get to game 7 in one of them. But he cannot win the cup.

Torts had to go. AV has to go. It is the coaching man....

 

[Ranger71]

Ridiculous..it's the soft, slow, relatively unskilled, aging team he has.

 

[kreidertime]

No way in hell you trade Miller, Fast and Hayes for freakin Ladd. Ladd won't make any difference with the crap defense on this team. You also don't trade three of our young players. People want to make this an old fart team.

Like I said, dump Yandle and some garbage, help L.A. rid themselves of half of Brown's horrible contract, pick up a second and King in the deal.

 

[Ranger71]

Not all 3 Dump..either Miller or Hayes. Brown and King won't make any greater difference than Ladd and i think Yandle is still important to have here if they viably consider themselves in contention. Otherwise just deal him for a pick or prospect if we're out of it to help stock the system.

 

[NYR2009]

He lost 8-1 in game 7 against Boston if I remember. Almost does not count! And dump is right, too many players are comfortable. AV does not know how to make them uncomfortable.

 

[kreidertime]

Yandle is completely replaceable with Skjei. I absolutely think Brown and King will make a bigger difference than Ladd because you won't have to give up anything but Yandle and garbage to get those 2 guys and a pick. You'll have to give up a lot to get Ladd. He's not worth it consider the shambles this team is in.

 

[Ranger71]

I don't think the Kings would really be willing to deal either guy being as they are doing well this year and already have a Yandle type in Doughty and even Ehrhoff to some degree. Maybe you could get King.

 

[kreidertime]

Maybe dumbass Kreider will learn something from Brown. If he played the way Brown did when he was younger, he would be 60 points in his sleep. Move Kreider to right wing. He's useless on left wing. Put him on the 4th line until he learns how to be a man and not a pussie on the ice.

King-Brassard-Zucc
Nash-Stepan-Miller
Hayes-Lindberg-Brown
Kreider-Moore-Fast

 

[kreidertime]

Kings would jump for joy to dump Brown. Basically they are a 4 or 5 forward team. That's it.

 

[Messiah717]

He lost 8-1 in game 7 against Boston if I remember. Almost does not count! And dump is right, too many players are comfortable. AV does not know how to make them uncomfortable.

lol he. The team lost. People act like getting to the finals is easy. A lot of coaches haven't gotten to the finals. That means none of them is any good? This reasoning is ridiculous.

 

[strudwickisthebest]

who cares, let them make it in the playoffs as an 6th seed. Just go from there, the regular season means squat

 

[Ranger71]

They'll be lucky to make it at this rate.

 

[Stepupstepan]

Maybe I went overboard last night with firing AV. He does not deserve to get fired. However, just based on his first two years here he shouldn't be getting a pass always. He does need to start adjusting as other coaches have caught up to him now. I also do agree that they need to make some changes to the current roster to help him. Tomorrow should be interesting with Ovie and his posse in town.

 

[Messiah717]

Maybe I went overboard last night with firing AV. He does not deserve to get fired. However, just based on his first two years here he shouldn't be getting a pass always. He does need to start adjusting as other coaches have caught up to him now. I also do agree that they need to make some changes to the current roster to help him. Tomorrow should be interesting with Ovie and his posse in town.

Step I understand how emotion can certainly take over. It happens so don't worry about it. Like I mentioned last night I have more of an issue with this roster than I do with the coaching. A shake up of the roster I think is going to be necessary. A trade might send a message as well.

 

[chuckd3534]

Yeah, I think the 3 of us agree on that Mess. We need something to shake it up here. Stale right now and making a deal to mix it up a little I think may be needed. Wake up some of the guys who appear to be sleep walking through the season and make the same mental mistakes game after game.

Staal or G or Yandle should go. Miller or Hayes or Kreider may have to be packed as well to make something work. But we need to do something here otherwise we risk falling apart. The vibe and body language of the team tells me something needs to be done to wake them up and get them focused again.

 

[cagedlion]

So, what are the odds that the Blackhawks or the LA Kings
win the Stanley Cup this year? LMFAO

 

[Stepupstepan]

Even Zucc was having some words with Kreider in the wild game. Maybe there is something going on in that locker room we don't know about. They always seemed to be a tight group. It is just a speculation but maybe there are bad tensions in the locker room.

 

[mrmel29]

Some things I see need to change to get better are : either AV's or ulf's defensive system. Too many slow d-man to play man which could be a reason why there always seems to be a wide open forward 10 feet in front of hank with 2 d-man behind the net somewhere. Need to adjust and play a zone system. On the right side a trade of girardi to open up the spot Dylan has shown he could step in and play is needed. Remains to be seen if girardi will waive the nmc under the right circumstances(team he wants to go to or rest of the season rotating in and out of lineup). If no trade doubtful AV takes him out of lineup as he's proven rightly or wrongly intensely loyal to the veterans. After watching us have to bring up summers to be 100,000 under the cap we can simply not trade Klein. On the left side one of either steaal or yandle needs to go. Either one will bring assets back and skjei can step in as the 3rd pair guy there. On offense I hear everyone and agree my Kreids, hayes, miller and for the last month lindberg have been sucking wind but I think because of their youth and cap hits we need to swallow hard at least for now and stay with the kids and look for them to come out of it. The guy I think we should move is Nash who has the biggest cap hit but is a soft player and a non factor in the playoffs. I'm still disgusted in Nash taking a smack in the face last night and instead of going after a guy who was 2 inches smaller and about 20 lbs lighter he looked like his usual pussy self backing away expecting I guess zucc to step in for him. He has a list he's given the rangers and while I don't know who is on it I'm sure a trade can be worked out bringing back player and draft picks. These moves lower the cap for us so we can make moves later and shake up the personnel a little. Hope Buchenich as rumored gets here sooner than later. And last but not least our captain's choice Mr McD which I never liked (too young and too soon) needs to either step up and be assertive or do the right thing and give it up to somebody who will. He's one of the only captains I never see working the officials on some of these horseshit calls we either don't get or are called for. Even if nothing happens at that moment it puts something in the officials ears going forward. Step back now and klein on his way should help also but gorton also needs to make a couple of moves to give the team a kick in the ass.

 

[RagFan4Ever]

Step I understand how emotion can certainly take over. It happens so don't worry about it. Like I mentioned last night I have more of an issue with this roster than I do with the coaching. A shake up of the roster I think is going to be necessary. A trade might send a message as well.

I know I'm old fashion but what happened to benching a player who is not performing? Why not try doing that to Kreider (like Torts did)

 

[strudwickisthebest]

Kreider has 5g and 10a in 34 games. Sad thing is he is about on pace for his average numbers - 17g 25a. He obviously hasn't taken that next step that everyone thought he would take after 2 great playoff performances