See, the problem tool is that when you piss away most of your draft picks every season, your core gets old then your team sucks. Giving up a second rounder for Smith. Another example of incompetent stupidity. This team needs a real GM. Then they need to start a rebuild. Acquire a lot of draft picks. Start drafting some centers with high picks. At this point, there is no reason to keep Shesterkin. He'll waste the best years of his career here.
Oh, I do realize that. And they had cap space, and plenty of it, as Chytil was on LTIR so his money accrued throughout the year. Look, we'll just agree to disagree. If you think Drury is a good GM and did a great job at the trade DL last season, I disagree and said so at the time. We don't have to agree. All good. And once again, no one said piss all the draft picks away, that is a story you have made up in your head. But when your team has a legit chance, you take some smart risks with picks. And BTW, as it is, Drury traded two 2nd round picks to move Nemeth, he traded a 2nd for Wennberg, he traded a 2nd round pick and a 5th round pick for useless and scratched two games ago Smith (I called this one a disaster real time), he traded a 4th for Roslovic, a 4th for Ruhwedel. So sure, he held onto the 1st round pick, but he dealt all their 2nd round picks until 2028. So, he has traded picks, he has just traded them poorly and for crap returns. The bottom line is the guy is awful at his job. I think it is impossible to fairly debate it. But again, we can disagree on that.
This post is exactly what I have been saying for weeks now, welcome aboard. I said weeks ago the Rangers should be major sellers this season. I also said signing Igor for anything more than $11M TOPS, is ridiculous and he should be traded instead (and even $11M is too much, but I would bite the bullet and do it, but not one cent more). We agree on this as I have been saying for weeks, BUT the fly in the ointment continues to be a Pres/GM, who is in over his head and afraid, and won't be able to pull anything off that will actually help the team. That's the issue here, Drury is awful at his job.
One thing we all agree on...Drury was not ready to be GM and he continues to be a major mistake/problem for the organization. They need to move on from him instantly.
In order to do a quick rebuild, Shesterkin will need to be dealt. Only a few places I see as a fit. He has 10 teams in his NTC. Who knows who they are. Buffalo who is looking to do something big. They have 3 centers in the top 100. They have two young goalies they can send back. A lefty defenseman as well. It would be a monster deal which would have to be a sign and trade for Shesterkin on Buffalo's end. Drury is clueless so I doubt he could execute such a deal. Then you have Cozens who for some reason has taken a step back the past two years but it's Buffalo who can't every seem to get it right. That would be the ideal fit IMO. Seattle is another place. Shane Wright who could blossom into a top 2 center. Catton who is rated very high in the top 100 who is a center. Then Utah. Which would center more around young prospects and lots of picks. Of those three, good chance at least one is on his no trade list. Colorado would want him the most but they don't have much to offer in return. I could see them going for Quick at the deadline.
Trade Shesterkin, Fox, Trouba and Kreider and you have a major shock to the team that will revitalize it with talented youth. Z should go too but would be the hardest to trade given his contract and don't think Drury has what it takes to pull it off.
Shesterkin and Fox would probably be the only ones you could deal before the deadline. Other guys, teams would want to wait. I'd probably keep Kreider. Simply for the fact he works with the kids on how to train. I'm finally open to dealing Shesterkin and Fox. Mostly because I don't think you could do a rebuild and acquire top center prospects without dealing those 2 guys. I wouldn't want to deal them but I don't see anybody else bringing back a lot. Miller you could probably get a decent return for because a team that played defense probably would believe they could fix him. Lindgren a playoff team will be interested in at the deadline. Trouba probably won't bring back much. What I do know is that this window is closed. You have a bunch of overpaid, sulking vets who are throwing a tantrum and have quit because Goodrow got waived and they tried to deal Trouba.
Did not realize Kreider works with the kids on how to train, but on the ice he does not merit being here. I like he has been getting fewer minutes at ES where he does nothing, and $6.5M is too rich for a PP/PK specialist. Give his role on the PP to Cuylle who can park himself in front of the net and tip pucks in for a fraction of the cost.
I think Kreider will eventually be a coach in the organization. Fitness or something else. Kreider actually produces in the playoffs. We need a real GM first and foremost. I would go get Marc Bergevin who basically left the Canadians. I would feel comfortable with him running things.
I didn’t think things would start going this badly but the poor play doesn’t surprise me. They were clearly a win now team with their cap situation. That’s the reason they needed to be more aggressive going for it at the deadline last year. Can’t change the past now. The cap has been mismanaged and they didn’t win shit.
You either believe that for some reason half the Rangers have decided to play well below their baseline or the coach is the problem, more specifically the coach's system does not work with the personnel he has. There have been a few articles written about this on the various Rangers sites with impressive graphics to bolster their claims and you can see the disorganization, nobody seems to know what their teammates on the ice are doing or where they're going to be. I've watched most of the other good teams this year since my football season has been over for years and have noticed that no team retreats with the puck deep into their own zone like the Rangers to "reset" their offense especially on the PP. The team's play now is eerily reminiscent of GG's last year, I'm still a Trouba fan but he needs to go out of here swinging and might have to hurt a few feelings to turn the ship around. This is why Lav was hired, now he's supposed to do his thing with all his experience getting several teams to the Cup and even winning one. Lav needs to get his head together with all these former great player now coaches and figure out a new formula.
Another problem outside of the absentmindedness defensively is a lack of overall team quickness, which compounds it when trying to recover quickly when out of position. Even if they were more structured they still might have problems, being one of the slower teams in the league, but at least Shesterkin wouldn't have to face as many wide open chances.
Kakko-Chytil-Cuylle was one of the better young lines in the NHL. Why they haven’t been put that back together is moronic. I mentioned yesterday that because the Rangers are so stupid defensively that they might start having to play the trap. Also because they are not a fast team. However that doesn’t change the fact that you need smart defensive, defenseman, which is why Miller has to be the first one to go. He’s a fucking moron despite his talent. Sadly, Shesterkin will probably be dealt. His salary demands are beyond fucking stupid and the team is going to need a rebuild soon.
There are A LOT of issues with this team. The D is fixable in that they have flexibility and can make moves on D. The forwards are a much bigger challenge given clauses and contracts. I am highly confident Lindgren will be gone by the trade DL for a mid-pick and Trouba will be gone by next season. Fox and Miller both can be moved for very good and good returns. So, the D can be improved, and I expect the D will look very different next season, with at least 3 new players. Upfront, I am not sure what you can do unless you really want to trade Kreider and/or you convince Zibanejad to waive his NMC. It will not be easy to rework the forwards. In goal, Drury better not give in to Igor and his crazy demands, if he does, we all should revolt. Let's not lose sight of the fly in the ointment though, does anyone really have faith in Drury to have the balls to make the needed moves AND make the right moves if he does find his balls. I know I don't unfortunately.
Let me put it this way. Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is the definition of insanity. What do you expect when you come back with a weaker group that wasn’t good enough last year?
He tried to trade Trouba but our loser captain has zero pride and insisted staying on a team that told him they didn't want him. The wife thing was a pathetic excuse. Guy just wants to sit at home half the season and collect a paycheck.
While I don't disagree about the Trouba situation, I blame Drury for that 100%. Speculation, but reading everything it sure seems like Drury handled it as poorly as possible from a communication standpoint. In addition to that, centering your whole off-season plan around trading a player who has at least some control with a MNTC without even speaking with the player to determine what he would and would not be open to, is terrible. Not sure how else to say it or spin it. At best Drury did a terrible job communicating and understanding what Trouba would or would not be open to. Maybe if it was handled and communicated better, the result would have been different, and maybe not, but the way Drury handled it was bush league at best. I see a clear trend where Drury is caught without a seat when the music stops, and then he panics into poor moves just to do something. See trading for Roslovic last second when everything else failed, see trading for Smith late on July 1 when everything else failed. It screams to me that Drury has no plan and panics, which is the worst way to operate. Again, add it all up and the guy clearly is awful at his job, and is in way over his head. As for Chytil, what do you do with him. He is a huge risk and major damaged goods. What team will trade for him knowing you may get 5 games and then he's out for the season. I'd think best case is you package Chytil with an asset or two and try and get out from under his cap hit, but even that is tough because the Rangers need all their assets to improve, not to trade Chytil. Really tough spot to be in, and I don't blame Drury for this one, it's just unfortunate for all Chytil has concussion issues.
