Fuck yeah baby! The cup is coming!

[kreidertime]

Suck it!

 

[Ranger71]

Unreal!!

 

[strudwickisthebest]

Wow nice

 

[RangersFan]

Unbelievable. I went nuts when they turned the ping pong ball and it showed the Rangers logo. When the ball first came up I was like I think that's the Rangers logo, but I didn't want to jinx it until he turned it and it clearly showed the Rangers logo.

Starting in 2 years the Rangers will be a dynasty...period. I don't remember a team being this loaded with young talent. Absolutely stacked.

Now we still need a # 2 C, I think you have to deal a winger and a D prospect, and I would even say their other 1st round pick, for a proven # 2 C. You do that and have Panarin, Kakko, Lafreniere, Kreider, Buch, Kravtsov, Zib, Chytil also upfront...WOW.

Dynasty....

 

[Ranger71]

He'll have to get rid of #11 though.

 

[RangersFan]

Every handful of years there is a kid who is an absolute elite franchise guy. Crosby and McDavid come to mind. Everything I have read and seen says this kid is on that elite stud franchise changing level. Only difference is not a C, but outside of that this is a transformative player. The best since McDavid.

 

[Ranger71]

They should bump up that Carolina pick as far as they can towards the top 10, or use it with one of their 3rds and a prospect in a deal.

 

[RangersFan]

BTW - conspiracy theory here. Did anyone see the guy drop the Rangers ping pong ball by accident before Bettman confirmed the Rangers logo? He then took it out of the machine and held it up again for Bettman to confirm. I wonder if he dropped it because the ball was marked or had some sort of magnet in it...LOL.

 

[SaveLundy]

2020 Officially doesnt suck that bad. This is amazing for our organizations future, we will definitely see some moves to complete the top two lines and balance out the defense. This is other worldly great news. still in shock

 

[RangersFan]

They should bump up that Carolina pick as far as they can towards the top 10, or use it with one of their 3rds and a prospect in a deal.

I don't see a need for that pick at this point. Also moving up doesn't do much for me. We are stacked with top young prospects. # 2 pick from last year. Elite stud # 1 pick from this year. The only thing missing is a # 2 C to go with Ziban. That should be the all out focus. Deal the pick, and a couple of prospects for a legit # 2 C. You do that and this is a SC team in 2 years.

Next year let Miller and Hajek play on D with Trouba. Let Staal play out his last season. Get rid of Smith. Hank retires. And in 2 years SC team.

 

[kreidertime]

Suuuuuuuuuuck it Rangers haters.

 

[RangersFan]

For a LONG time Ranger fans cannot say a word about luck. Move up to # 2 in a two top player draft last season. Move up to # 1 with a 12.5% chance in an elite stud # 1 pick draft. What an amazing back to back years in the lottery.

This kid will play and make an impact next season.

 

[Ranger71]

Yeah, identifying who that 2C is exactly is the issue i guess. Monahan isn't a bad idea but i don't see the Flames dealing him right now unless you gave up a real boatload. Toews would be great but Chicago would have to eat alot for our cap.

 

[kreidertime]

Yep. Our luck has been cashed in the last 2 years. Now they need to do something with it. Shame Hank never had this kind of luck when he started his career with the team.

 

[kreidertime]

Thank you Carolina!

 

[RangersFan]

I was just going to type that. Thank god we lost to Carolina. Even if we found a way to beat them, no shot we would have gone far. This is the absolute best case scenario. Thank you Carolina is right.

Move up to # 2 to draft Kakko.
Only a 2.5% chance the # 1 pick would go to a qualifier team.
We get beat by Carolina to have a shot.
Only a 12.5% chance we move up to # 1.

What an amazing run when you look at all the odds we have defied the past year or so.

 

[RangersFan]

The Rangers finished 18th in the NHL standings this season. They are the first team to finish that high and have the No. 1 pick since the 1994 NHL Draft, when the Florida Panthers finished 16th. New York is the first team to participate in the postseason and have the No. 1 pick since the 1983 NHL Draft (Minnesota North Stars).


"Anytime you can pick first, especially this year, it's a special year, we all know that," Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton said. "It was tough up in the bubble (in Toronto, the Eastern Conference hub city). Those three games Carolina gave it to us pretty good, but surely excited to have this happen to us tonight."

"I think along with the skill is his competitiveness," Gorton said. "... Right away you can see that he has the kind of talent that we're all looking for, but he also drags everybody in the battle with him, and we're all looking for a player like that."

 

[Ranger71]

Brian Lawton didn't turn out all that great for the North Stars.

 

[speeds]

Lafrenière played two less games than his teammates in the junior tournament and was still 4th in points. Without him, Canada doesn't win gold. He won best forward honours as well, IIRC. I don't watch Rimouski games but my exposure to him in the WJC left me impressed. Great luck for you guys.

 

[Ranger71]

I've been clamoring for them to draft more Canadian players so i guess this is a good start.

 

[RangersFan]

Kreider/Ziban/Buch
Panarin/# 2 C/Kakko
Lafreniere/Chytil/Kravtsov
Lemieux/Howden/Gauthier
Kid

Hajek/Trouba
Lindgren/Fox
Staal/DeAngelo
Miller

Shest/Georgiev

That's a heck of a team man. Studly in 2 years.

 

[BigDaddyAl1973]

Times trade Geiriev with Strom and Tony D for a young #2 center.let hank be the backup to get him a cup

 

[SaveLundy]

Kreider/Ziban/Buch
Panarin/# 2 C/Kakko
Lafreniere/Chytil/Kravtsov
Lemieux/Howden/Gauthier
Kid

Hajek/Trouba
Lindgren/Fox
Staal/DeAngelo
Miller

Shest/Georgiev

That's a heck of a team man. Studly in 2 years.

So Ive been thinking about this the last hour, does the acquisition of Lafreniere make Buchnevich expenable?

would the top two lines be better if it was:

Panarin - Zib - Krieder

Lafreniere - 2c - Kakko

the organization definitely has some options for the future.

 

[Greyvtrayn]

I wouldn't give up on Buch yet. He's still very young and showed he can be a factor/productive in the weeks leading up the pause in March.

 

[RangersFan]

Here is the way I look at it, Gorton has many options now. He can finish off this team in so many ways. We have so many chips to move to add the final piece we need, a legit # 2 C. Be it a roster player like Buch, Strome, DeAngelo (although I think getting the # 1 pick makes me want to keep DeAngelo now and move Strome). Be it our second 1st round pick. Be it a couple of good, but not top, kids. Be it a package around a few of those assets. So many options, and as far as I can see only one real hole to fill, a legit # 2 C. I viewed forward depth as a hole, but with Lafreniere added, I think that gives us the depth we lacked. So # 2 C really is the only hole/need I see.

I have no doubt he'll get it done. I am very curious to see how he does it, and who he gets.

Also, you have to think ultimately Kreider moves to RW to pair with Kakko. And then Panarin and Lafreniere play LW. I am just not sure if that happens next season. Maybe Lafreniere starts as the 3rd line LW to ease him in.

So many options now.

 

[Messiah717]

Hopefully, this works out the way we all want it to.

 

[Ranger71]

They probably could even re-sign everyone right now(not Fast) at the 81.5m cap mark, if they wanted to keep things status quo. Send Smith to the minors and if Lundqvist retires or is traded they will have a 5-6m cushion.

 

[RangersFan]

Times trade Geiriev with Strom and Tony D for a young #2 center.let hank be the backup to get him a cup

I disagree with this. Why would I want to be worse at backup goalie (rather have Georgiev over Hank), keep Hank's 8.5 mill cap hit, worry about who my backup goalie will be after next season when Georgiev is gone and Hank's contract is up, and on top of all that, we are not winning the cup next season anyway. To me the kids need a season to get acclimated to the NHL, a full season for Shest, get the young dmen comfortable, hope Kravtsov and Chytil can raise their games, etc. We need a transition acclimation season to move to legit cup contender IMO.

Lastly, love Hank, thank him for all he has done, but I cannot run my hockey team based on emotion and past performance. Hank had his last shot against Carolina. That was the organization saying thanks Hank. Now it is time to move on for both parties.

 

[RangersFan]

They probably could even re-sign everyone right now(not Fast) at the 81.5m cap mark, if they wanted to keep things status quo. Send Smith to the minors and if Lundqvist retires or is traded they will have a 5-6m cushion.

I think this is true if Hank retires. But I would hope the vision includes upgrading from Strome as # 2 C. Now can you keep Strome for one season, and upgrade at # 2 C, maybe, but if Strome prevents me from upgrading the # 2 C spot he has to go I think.

 

[Ranger71]

Yeah, it'll be interesting to see what options they come up with but they do need an upgrade there. I still think it would be great to move the Carolina pick into the top 10 somehow and go BPA but using it in a trade might be better.