Official off season thead

[kreidertime]

Sadly, I told you so. Just was off a game in my prediction. Gallant good guy. Needs to be shown the door. Drury, last year for him before he needs to be canned if he can't figure out how to do a better job. Panarin needs to be asked to waive his NMC. If he won't, he needs to be told he will no longer play on the PP. Miller is young but I don't see the Rangers waiting 4 years for him to figure it out. I could see him being moved. Chytil is not a center and not the center that Lafreniere needs. Lafreniere needs a physical, high intensity center with speed to play with. That sure as fuck isn't Chytil. I really wish they could have gotten Larkin.

Panarin, Chytil, Miller, Goodrow, Vesey. All these guys need to go. A lot of fans like to dump on Trouba but it can't be easy having to play with a turnover prone, clusterfuck like Miller every game. The Rangers are going to have a couple of lean, lousy years coming up here. Basically, pissing away 2 years of Igor's career. Team needs to get faster. More physical. More defensive. Cuylle, Othmann and Edstrom are going to help a lot with the size and physicality of this team coming up here. However, a new coach with a new defensive system is crucial. Drury has to start adding more speed in the draft and bring in more speed via trades or FA.

 

[kreidertime]

Either way, this is going to be one of the ugliest off-seasons in a long, long, time for the Rangers. There is going to be a lot of requests to drop NMC's. If that player won't, that player is going to be treated like shit going forward. I feel good about Cuylle, Othmann and Edstrom coming up and adding the physical element to our forwards. More is needed though. There have to be faster and more physical players on the top lines. I don't know how Drury is going to pull that off.

 

[NYR Fan]

You are such a fake fan troll it is funny.

 

[Ranger71]

Unless they deal one of their U-25 guys, it's basically going to be the same team next year, minus Vlad, Kane and Motte, and adding Othmann, Cuylle(maybe) and Robertson, so they are going to have to figure it out for now.

 

[kreidertime]

Getting Panarin out of here is a must. That has to be priority number one.

 

[Ranger71]

I could see Miller possibly being dealt to open up 3m in space but maybe they give him more time. He's gotta be alot better than he was this season.

 

[kreidertime]

A lot of these fat, lazy, overpaid vets are in for a miserable off-season. There ego is going to take a beating when they are told we don't want you any longer.

 

[Ranger71]

They're in a bit of a tight spot with the cap until it starts going up at a higher rate. Next year it will be really tough to add anything of note at the DL.

 

[kreidertime]

Sadly this is the result I expected. Just in fewer games. Rangers are going in the wrong direction while teams like NJ, Ottawa and Buffalo who properly develop their young players are going in the right direction.

 

[kreidertime]

I've been trying to tell some tards in our fan base along with a few others here for years and years that the Rangers have been clusterfucks developing Lafreniere and Kakko. They act as if they are role players and thus that is what they have developed into. No other team in hockey takes picks that high and does what the Rangers did to them. However, the thickheaded tools in our fan base would rather blame the kids and call them busts instead of examining the fact that this incompetent organization has 1 cup in 84 years for a reason. Because they don't have a fucking clue what they are doing. They are inept in so many different ways. Like knowing that FA's want to play here and never leave here and yet the dumb fucks still continue to give out NMC's and NTC's like it's candy.

 

[kreidertime]

PANARIN MUST GO. End of story.

 

[NYR Fan]

Panarin and Goodrow must go - I just struggle to see how they can move Panarin with a NMC and a huge AAV. Everyone has seen he cannot play in the playoffs, so that one will be tough.

Gallant should get fired also, but I am not sure he will be. And Drury needs to raise his game many levels, but he was not good last summer, and like it or not, his moves this year did not work. I still believe he is in over his head.

 

[NYR31]

If Drury brings back the same team last year +/- some minor changes then he has failed as GM. He needs to send a message that this isn't good enough and that if you want to be here you need to do better. That means one of the big names need to go.

 

[NYR Fan]

I agree one of the big guys needs to go - Pan being the best choice, but it won't be easy with the AAV and NMC's. Drury will have to earn his money this summer, that's for sure. This team isn't close right now as we learned clearly over the past 7-10 days.

 

[NYR Fan]

Good article:

https://nypost.com/2023/05/02/there-will-be-consequences-for-massive-rangers-disappointment/

 

[NYR31]

Good article:

https://nypost.com/2023/05/02/there-will-be-consequences-for-massive-rangers-disappointment/

Brooks references Z not having a 5-on-5 SOG. Is that Gm 7 only or the entire series? would be shocking if it was the whole series

 

[Messiah717]

Brooks references Z not having a 5-on-5 SOG. Is that Gm 7 only or the entire series? would be shocking if it was the whole series

He was for the most part neutralized and the Rangers were badly outplayed 5 on 5 so it's pretty believable.

 

[NYR Fan]

Game 7, but still bad - he was a no show for most of the series, and it is a huge disappointment, because I think he is great. This was a big step back for him IMO.

Truth is outside of 2 or 3 players, you can blanket say they all stunk. No 1 or 2 people to call out IMO. Igor, Kreider (who was awful in game 7 and put it all on himself), Tara, the rest were terrible IMO.

 

[Messiah717]

You give the Devils credit for never being fazed. Down 2-0 didn't bother them and playing a game seven didn't bother them. The Rangers were the overwhelmed rattled group. They did a lot to themselves when they came back home up 2-0 and fell asleep. Last night they had PP chances that could've turned the tide and they crapped the bed on them. This team didn't have it and in hindsight Kane obviously wasn't the piece they needed.

 

[Ranger71]

Once the pp failed they were mentally shot. They didn't really start any of these games all that well, Shesterkin just kept them afloat.

 

[NYR Fan]

And something else, and again not all his fault, but look at what Ruff did with changes in the series. Going to kid goalie, made changes to the lineup - didn't work in game 2 but worked after, made changes to lines, got his team to settle down after games 1 and 2 where they could have collapsed. Gallant did nothing at all until some changes in game 6, which was too late. Ironic in a way given how he changed constantly in the regular season, and playoffs...nothing.

I thought coach was big edge us, well that didn't work out, it was big edge Devs.

Again, sorry, but Gallant has to go IMO. This series was an epic fail for him also. Who played up to their level - some of it has to be on him.

 

[theProdigy223]

In the playoffs when teams tighten up defensively you have to make life difficult for the opposing goalie. You have play strong along the walls, maintain possession, battle in front, win loose pucks, and you have to play a simple north-south game with speed and a strong forecheck. You can't wait for the perfect opportunity, fire in weak unscreened shots, and let a goalie find his groove. Especially a young kid who you could have rattled early.

He did not have a good playoff (nobody did) but Trocheck was a step in the right direction on this, style-wise. Enough with the Strome and Copp bullshit and lamenting. Copp is not a center and scored 9 goals this year. Nine. We tried it with Strome and we saw how that went. He is allergic to playoff hockey and you couldn't pay him to battle in front.

We need to identify players that excel in playoff style hockey, and we need to ditch those who do not. If we can find a taker for Panrin, send him out. He is too much money to no-show in the playoffs. I take a long look at Bertuzzi. He was great for Boston who may not let him go if they get guys retiring. There are other possibilities in FA but I am still too angry to think too much.

See what's up with Kane's hip. Maybe we can get a cheap 1 year deal and LTIR him like the lightning did with Kucherov. Tarasenko had a better playoff than Kane but would not be cheap.

Cuylle and Othmann on this team next year in the bottom 6. Cuylle and Vesey are your 4th line wingers. If Goodrow has to go (if not this year then next year for sure) find a stopgap at 4C.

We also need another puck moving D. Jones is just too small when we already have Fox. I don't hate Mikkola but him, Schneider, Trouba and Miller are all a liability with the first pass. I'm not sure who the answer is for the bottom 2 pairs.

It's a shitty situation. Lots of work to do to the roster but little space. Overpaid but underperforming and unmovable stars. Kids not developing but also not forcing the coaches' hand with the minutes they get.

Earn your money these next few months Drury, because this season was a complete failure.

 

[kreidertime]

How many years did I say go get Bennett when he was on Calgary if you watch that Boston series that series changed when he came back he was fucking great

 

[theProdigy223]

Credit where credit is due. I would love to have Sam Bennett on this team right now.

 

[NYR Fan]

I will disagree with you on Trocheck. Sure he plays with a bit of an edge, but the guy simply cannot finish, and is not worth the money Drury gave him. Point on Strome and Copp to me is IMO those players are in the same ballpark as Trocheck. You may say one is a bit better than the other, but it's all pretty close directionally, and yet Trocheck got more years and money then the others. Not a good move IMO. Certainly not our biggest issue, but I don't like it.

I totally agree on Drury, this is his summer to shut up or get out. This team needs to be freshened up with playoff type players. One of the big guys needs to go, along with Goodrow IMO. Knowing the NMC's tied to these guys, and their big AAV's, can Drury get it done. Test for him, we'll see if he passes or fails, because I think he failed last summer.

 

[kreidertime]

Cuylle, Othmann and Edstrom all need to be on this team next season. Panarin needs to have his ass kicked out of town. Zibanejad and Kreider need to be taken off the PK unit. Too many minutes and they aren't young any longer. Fox, no PK time. Too many minutes. Chytil to me needs to be moved to wing. Kakko needs to play the point in the PP, Lafreniere on RW where he can one time from that side. No more Panarin. No more relics like Kane. Develop the kids properly for fucking once.

 

[kreidertime]

I was dead wrong on Matt Tkachuk. I never thought he would do this on Florida. Guy is a beast. His brother kicks the living shit out of this team every time he plays us. The number one item on Drury's list this off-season is figuring out what kind of identity he wants this team to have next year. That starts with evaluating if the coach can build that identity and his dumb fuck ass figuring out how to get the players in to create that identity. I said for months this team has no identity. You never know what team will show up.

 

[Ranger71]

Lafreniere 0 points in 7g, i mean c'mon, that's ridiculously bad.

 

[NYR Fan]

I think you need a coach who will hold these players accountable. The last two coaches we've had were players coaches - AV and Gallant (I don't count caretaker Quinn). We need Torts light as I wrote last night (meaning not an a** jerk). Someone with a system, who holds players accountable (you refuse to shoot over and over again - okay take a seat; you refuse to go straight instead of E-W fancy pass over and over again - okay take a seat), and gets this team playing the right way. I think discipline and a system have been lacking for a long time, since Torts really.

Here's a great fit:

While Joel Quenneville still requires clearance from the NHL to return, it appears the three-time Stanley Cup winner could be back behind a bench next season.

TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger reports that with the existing coaching vacancies and speculation around a coaching change for the New York Rangers, Quenneville’s return is "a strong possibility" this off-season.

Dreger adds that a formal interview request will likely encourage the commissioner's approval.

Dreger's tweet:

Joel Quenneville hasn’t been officially cleared by the NHL. A formal interview request will likely encourage the commissioners approval. With existing coaching vacancies and speculation around the NYR, Quenneville’s return to a bench is a strong possibility.


3-time SC winner, Quenneville is the second-winningest coach in NHL history, with his 969 victories trailing only the 1,244 amassed by Scotty Bowman.

He'll be 65 to start next season, so a little older, but he's got 4-5 years left in him I'd say.

 

[NYR Fan]

A few more names - with these guys out there, with Cups on their resumes, again I think you need to move on from Gallant - the team has blown back to back 2-0 leads in series - that is difficult to do in the NHL when you look at %'s of teams up 2-0 winning the series:

Peter Laviolette was just let go by the Washington Capitals and is itching to get another coaching job. He won the Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes back in 2006.

Darryl Sutter was also recently fired by the Calgary Flames with two championships to his name. Both were won with the L.A. Kings in 2012 and 2014.

Mike Babcock is fighting to get back behind an NHL bench. The 60 year-old won a Cup with the Detroit Red Wings back in 2008.


I like JQ the best, but am open to any of these guys.