After a long but encouraging off-season we are back to playing meaningful hockey! Home opener against Winnipeg!
I don't think it will be too long before Gorton pulls off a massive deal for a young, super talented 2nd line center with a team that stinks. IMO, Chytil will be traded along with Lindgren and probably a couple of prospects like Huska, Reunanen, Gettinger or Rykov. It's invevitable. Not enough room for all the prospects. Using them in a deal is a no brainer. This move will happen. For who I don't know. I'm thinking Reinhart. He's a RFA after this year. They have Mittledope as a replacement behind Eichel. Their defenseman and goalies blow. You put together something like Chytil, Lindgren, Rykov and Huska and both teams are better.
Only one game but the offense looked fine, defense not so much. I'd rather see them get a physical crease clearer like McQuaid, won't cost much and is a higher priority. I agree Chytil needed to be sent down but hesitant to trade a 19 year old with his size and skating ability, think CK would be more attractive to other teams.
If we did that panze who replaces kreids. I’d rather work on an extension for kreids and trade the excess pieces like dump suggested. Our defense is extremely young and will get better as the season goes on. A lot of nerves out there for our young defense that hopefully get out of their system sooner rather than later.
I've always been a fan of CK Mel but the question remains whether the Rangers can afford him. I think when you're looking for super talent you have to give something more than pieces that don't fit or you don't have room for but Gorton has puuled off some great deals in the Rangers favor so we'll have to wait and see. My point was the Rangers need a dman who is a physical crease clearer or teams are going to take liberties. During the Jets game there was a sequence when Wheeler took an extra whack at Hank after he covered the puck and Skjei embarrassed himself trying to step in. I don't want that to be the norm.
Yeah, I liked McQuaid also. I don't like Skjei. For what he got paid, he blows. I didn't like that contract from day one. I'd sell on him this year while they can. With Miller coming. Hajek, Rykov and Lindgren. There is no reason to keep him.
I think there is very little chance Kreider is back next season. If he is looking for 6 mill plus per, no shot we pay that, and I agree with that thinking.
Of course you do. That's why you aren't running this team. You would destroy it in about 2 months and it would suck for the next 10 years. If you had any clue on this team and this sport you would realize the guy to not bring back is Skjei. The teams strength in the organization is on defense and in goal. They are loaded. Especially on the left side with prospects. You have Miller, Lindgren and Rykov all waiting in the wings. Hajek already up. While at forward, you most likely are probably looking at losing one player there in the expansion draft. You aren't keeping Strome. You aren't keeping Fast. You aren't keeping Namestnikov. So basically, you would be throwing a bunch of young kids to the wolves with no substantial vet players other than the first line. Good luck with that.
If you think the Rangers are resigning disappearing Chris Kreider for a deal over 6 mill per, you are nuts, and the Rangers would be nuts for doing that as well. For YEARS this guy has been great for some games and totally invisible for others. That is not what we need. You let this season play out, and then you move him unless we are very good come DL time and then you roll the dice for a run and keep him. Hayes got over 7 mill per. Kreider will surely get over 6 mill per for many years, and no shot he is worth that, and neither is Hayes. It only takes 1 dumb team as the Flyers showed.
The only shot he stays is if he gives the Rangers a big discount. I am talking a number that starts with a 5. That is doubtful to me.
Skjei hasn't ever looked the part for any extended period of time. A lot of hype but, little results. He has shown flashes of brilliance and complete incompetence. Players like that should not be rewarded with lucrative long-term deals. If you can bring them back for a reasonable/modest cap hit you do it. Otherwise you look to move them for more assets. Feel free to substitute Kreider for Skjei in that first sentence as it surely applies to him as well.
You can't throw kids to the wolves or you will end up like the Oilers with high picks and suck. Kreider and Skjei are nothing alike. Kreider has always been spotty but he's still probably one of the top 3 net presences in the league. He's elite at that. He's also an elite skater. He's elite winning puck battles. Skjei is elite at nothing. He's more than capable of helping a young player on his line develop. I would much rather pay Kreider 6 million who is a fitness freak and will put up 50 points at 33-34 than Skjei who looks like he isn't even in shape for half a season. I don't see any way Skjei at 30 is any good. I'd much rather trade Skjei. You can always sign a vet d-man for a year or two to help a young D man out. We always expected more out of Kreider but the reality is that he is elite in several different areas of the game and you don't get rid of guys like that. His fitness routine is evidence that he cares. Stepan became a lazy dog. Same with Brassard. Same with Dubinsky. Thus, why they aren't here.
Kreider is a UFA after this season and will want over 6 mill per easy. Skjei is signed for multiple years with a cap hit in the 5's. Can we please stop acting as if this is an apples to apples comparison just because you don't like Skjei. Bottom line is zero % chance Kreider is here after this season unless he takes a big NYR discount. There is no world where I see the Rangers signing him for anything starting with a 6 (let alone anything starting with a 7). If they would have a deal would be done already, and from what I have read they haven't even been talking. Enough with disappearing Chris...not for 6 mill plus per season. Is he going to be back in the lineup against the Oilers on Saturday? I didn't read he was hurt, but no way he could have played in the first 2 games, as I never heard his name mentioned.
Kreider finished tied 102 in the league in scoring last year. Would have been more but he played at least 10 to 15 games at the end pretty hurt from all reports. You take 32 teams, 3 first line forwards. That's 96 players. Twelve players above rank 102 were defenseman. So basically around 90 forwards in the entire league were as good as Kreider offensively last year and I'm sure intangibles wise, a lot of them suck. Kreider is a second line player. 1st PP unit player because of his net presence. You pay a guy like that with his fitness level. Nelson and Lee got 6 million. I'd take Kreider all day over those 2 assclowns. You're totally wrong about Hayes. What Hayes got was because the Flyers are retarded. Teams aren't going to pay that because Philly is retarded. Kreider if he wants to stay here will take a little more than what Lee got. Probably 6.3. If Kreider ask for more than Hayes I'm pretty confident Gorton's first words would be, "Philly is retarded. We aren't paying that for Chris because Philly is retarded."
Strome and Namestnikov are coming off the books next year. That's 2 forwards. Together they make over 7 million. Easily enough money to keep Kreider. Plus Smith and Staal will have one year left on their contracts. Easy to buyout. Easier to trade.
The Flyers are a laughing stock around hockey with their contracts. They have been giving out moronic contracts for years. I doubt any GM's or arbitrators use anything the Flyers do contract wise.
