...we should blow it up and tank this year. Get rid of Shattenkirk, get rid of Nash, get draft picks, get a new coaching staff, and bring up our young guys this season to get experience. Because this is a god damn joke watching this team continue to buttfuck themselves out there in the d-zone season after season.
Shattenkirk has a NMC and I'm quite sure he's not waiving. Plus, it's more AV's moronic system than him. Have no problem going with a rebuild at this point. Nash has to go. McDonagh has to be shopped to see what teams would offer.
Shat looks like shit. He’s clueless out there. And for fucks sake, why the hell is Staal STILL out there playing AND wearing the A???!!!???!! That alone is reason enough to fire AV. This is literally the definition of insanity. The same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
Really pisspoor job after having 5 days of rest. I was about re-signing Nash to a 2y deal earlier in the year, but he just dosen't score enough anymore to really make it worth it. The defensemen just suck too much for this team to be taken seriously.
Shatt has a NMC and can't/won't be dealt. Staal will be bought out this summer. Nash and Holden will be dealt before the trade DL. The biggest issue here is AV and his system (bigger than questionable dmen). I am tired of it already. This team covers NO ONE in their own zone. It truly is an embarrassment now, and has been for a couple of seasons. They pinch and take themselves out of position all the time. The forwards don't have any D zone discipline. And we leave guys wide open in front numerous times a game. It has to stop, and the only way it will is by firing AV and getting a coach in here that actually preaches and teaches D. Enough is enough. I really am losing interest in this team right now because I am tired of getting fed up when guys are wide open time and time again. I am a fan of Gorton and trust him, but if he let's this AV thing go on after this season I will flip out. I don't think he will though. If we miss or lose in round 1 or 2 I 100% expect AV to be gone. The biggest question to me will be how you handle the McDonagh situation. I can totally see Gorton taking the next big step and dealing McDonagh as well and going real young next season. That I am not sure of, but outside of a very unlikely turn Staal, Nash, Holden and AV will all be gone before next season, and maybe a few more guys as well.
Plus the team is clearly not playing for AV anymore through 1/2 the season. They come out flat as can be all the time. We have to read not enough guys bringing it or doing what it takes to win comments seemingly everyday. And they put zero effort or discipline into their defensive game. Now that could change tomorrow or next week, but right now through 1/2 this season they simply are not bringing it with any sort of consistency and they are absent on D/in their own zone over and over and over again virtually every game.
With the Kreider injury and the amount of chances they give up every game i'd say it's probably a 30% chance they even make the playoffs. The offense would have to play at a very high level which they don't do enough. It's too bad because HL is having a good year. I don't think Gorton will even trade Nash or Grabner if they're within 5 pts of the WC. Almost better if they get a top 15 pick anyway right now.
I actually think it is a lock he deals Nash unless they are clearly in playoff position and playing well. I would be very surprised if they don't deal Nash if they continue to be up and down and maybe just in playoff position. I think Grabner has a chance to be kept and an effort made to sign him to an extension.
You'd think, but as we know, nothing's ever a lock with this franchise. They were interested in bringing back both but Grabner is probably more likely and the better choice.
Say good bye, Mr. Vigneault. You are not the answer to make these players to perform at their optimum. What a disgrace in front of the home fans. And again such a collapse to a cross town rival. Changes are a comin’.
AV is clueless on coaching defense, cost him his job in Vancouver despite his regular season success and will cost him his job here if the Rangers have another early playoff exit.
This has been a long time coming. Team has made the playoffs 10 out of 11 years or something like that. I don't see the hunger in a lot of the players. Which is why our dumb bastard GM and coach need to start replacing guys on the roster with some young guys in Hartford. For starters, I would bring Andersson over. Bring back Chytil. Definitely call up Graves and Gilmour. Start getting these players experience. Trading Nash would be easy. Try to trade Smith. See how big an offer a team will make for McDonagh. If they wait much longer, they won't be able to do a quick rebuild. You have to figure Edmonton would offer up a crap load for McDonagh but I don't see a match there. A sneaky team that might make a huge run at him is the Av's. They are playing really well. They have a crap load of picks from the Duchene deal and cap room. Figure Jost, Timmons, a first and a second might do it. They will still might have a first and will have second in the draft because they have Ottawa's picks. Ottawa's first is protected this year so it's possible they don't have a first. I would have to give that offer serious consideration. It would then free the Rangers up to move Miller back to wing. Re-stock the farm with defenseman. Timmons is a smart, right handed, defensive defenseman which this team needs. I would have to think the Av's make that deal. Let's face it. It sucks for Hank but this is a perfect year to do this. The ban base has seen lots of playoffs and deep runs. It looks like they hit on their first rounders this last draft. Ronning is looking like a real steal. Graves needs to play immediately. With a couple of first rounders and maybe 3 to 5 second rounders from deals, they really re-stock the farm. Especially with defenseman.
I won't get into speculative deals/offers because who knows what's out there, but Gorton has to be smart here. This team is not winning a cup with this utter lack of defensive structure or discipline. The only reason we are where we are in the standings right now is due to Hank. Now I do think we actually have talent, but when you play no D at all and leave players wide open all over your zone you have no shot to win big consistently. Gorton needs to be smart and deal off guys like Nash, Deshar and Holden at the DL even if we are just on the inside of playoff positioning. Grabner to me I'd like to try and resign because we need a player like him on this team. And it is time for AV to go. Gorton has to be aware of what this team truly is, and how it is time for a new voice here that will focus at least somewhat on D. The NHL is a young hungry teams game, and we need to stay up with the times. That means we should take another step in the on the fly rebuild this trade DL and this summer. It should start with dealing Nash, and then getting rid of AV worst case this summer. BTW...I am really interested to see how they play tonight. Rangers usual MO is they will play well when everyone is down on them. If they are flat again and get rolled by the Pens, you could see something happen sooner rather than later.
They need to do something. This team is boring as hell to watch. I went from watching 82 games a season from 03-04 to 14-15 to watching maybe a handful of games this year. Boring team
The Rangers have made the playoffs consistently over the past 10 years because they have a talented roster evidenced by two coaches with polar opposite philosophies still having success. Torts was too defensive minded while AV is too offensively orientated. They need a coach somewhere in the middle. AV had the hands down best roster in the NHL with the Canucks but failed to win the Cup. His best season with the Rangers was his first when he took Torts roster to the Cup finals. Since then it's been a slow slide in the wrong direction. I agree with taking a look at younger players especially on defense, they could not be worse than what AV sends out every game night.
I don't understand how this guy Vigneault continues to be employed by this organization. Coaches with much better records have been fired before. I just dont get it what they see in him anymore.
My tolerance for AV as the coach of this team pretty much disappeared during the Ottawa series last year when I felt he was a HUGE reason why we lost that series with continued late game blunders. Now we look at this season and we allow the 2nd most shots per game in the whole league. We leave guys wide open in the slot time and time again. Virtually the whole team is under performing. Miller scored 22 goals each of the past two seasons, on pace for 15 this season. Nash simply doesn't score anymore. Shatt doesn't get points anymore after a quick start and is a -12 (and the PP has been awful). Zucc is a - player. Buch has been pretty much invisible after a hot start. Smith has been a disaster. The list goes on and on. Outside of Hank (who has masked a lot of the issues this season), Grabner, and maybe Hayes who else has really played well. Maybe a Holden and a few 4th line guys, but all the main guys have stunk. Enough is enough. Gorton is going to be tested now, and he has to show some balls. We all see it. I am all for being patient, you cannot be a fan as a GM who wants to fire the coach every time the team struggles or trade a player every time he has a couple of bad games, but we clearly have seen enough of AV now to see this team plays zero D and is trending in the wrong direction big time and has been for a while. It is time for Gorton to put his big boy pants on and make the move we all know has to be made. And then make the moves at the trade DL we all know have to be made. And follow that up with an aggressive summer. Real soon the spotlight will shift from AV to Gorton if he doesn't step up.
I don't actually know what's worse at this point the offense or the defense. Poor Lundy has to really be at his wits end. AV watch on code orange now. Everyone but Zib, Kreider, PB,Vesey, Skjei and maybe Fast should be on the block.
