Buchnevich-Zibanejad-Panarin You have two elite offensive, rookies in Kravtsov and Kakko. Use your best vets to develop them quickly. Kreider has great chemistry with Zibanejad. I would do Kreider-Zibanejad-Kakko Buchnevich-Kratsov-Panarin Namestnikov-Howden-Chytil Anderson-Strome-Lemieux Fast There simply isn't enough room if Kratsov makes the team for at least Fast. Which leads me to believe maybe Kratsov if he doesn't have a great camp will get AHLtime. I believe Namestnikov and Fast will be dealt at the deadline. Brooks a moron. Chytil blows at center because the guy can't win a faceoff if his life depended on it. He totally blew off Howden who is going to wipe the floor with Chytil this year. Without Kravtsov I go. Kreider-Zibanejad-Kakko Buchnevich-Howden-Panarin Namestnikov-Strome-Chytil Lemieux-Anderson-Fast On d without DeAngelo who looks like he's holding out his way out of town. Skjei-Trouba Staal-Fox Rykov-Lindgren-Hajek I better not see f'n Smith on this team at all this season.
I think it will depend on our D's performance and what hank looks like. I think offensively we will be tough to deal with.
Goaltending will determine the Rangers success, hopefully Hank has something left in the tank. Have to think he's on a short leash with youth waiting in the wings. Hopefully Quinn will straighten out the defense. I think they're going to be an offensive juggernaut.
I think Georgiev has a chance to be a stud NHL goalie. This is not a Raanta or Talbot situation. This guy was excellent in Finland and is 23. He's not retreads like those guys were. Trouba and Skjei are enormous. If they can play like a first line defensive pair it will go a long way to making the playoffs. Especially on the PK unit which sucked moose balls last year.
At worst with Georgiev he's good enough to possibly get taken by Seattle and it maybe saves us losing a younger forward/dman. I think Shest spends most of this year in Hartford, coming up only if Georgievs up around a 3gaa.
Rangrers won't expose Georgiev. Lundqvist is a UFA in 2021-2022 when the draft is. So they will play Shesterkin all year in the minors so he will be exempt. They will most likely sign a vet the year before so work the expansion draft. Gorton will have it figured out.
The last piece of the rebuild is goaltender. Hank had a great run and even the rare chance to get his name on the Cup but fell just short. He reaped the benefits with a generous contract from Glen but has declined statistically every year. Shesterkin was lights out in the KHL, don't see how much he'll learn in the AHL. I'd think he's coming over here to play in the Garden but we'll see soon enough.
Part of it will be as Dump said keeping Shest protected from Seattle, as well as he may need this year to really get adjusted to the smaller ice and less wide open play. If Georgiev plays ok during the preseason it's hard to see him not opening as the backup to HL.
