Tocchet is interesting because Vancouver declined his one-year option and instead offered him a long-term contract for more money, so the ball is in his court, and he may stay with the Canucks. If he does decide to leave, you'd think he'd be a good fit here as a tough, hard-nosed, take no BS coach. He also has a good relationship with, and got the best out of, Miller. I can see Tocchet being at the top of the list if he decides to move on. He is in the same mold as Torts and Sullivan, which is the type of coach this team needs. I don't want to hear about Drury NOW finally holding players he brought in and/or kept here accountable, it is hollow and too late for him after 4 years. As for the new coach, I do want him to hold players accountable. I don't care who it is, if they are lazy, are soft, or don't play D, or stay structured in their own zone, or won't shoot they need to be held accountable, and if they don't listen, they need to be benched. That's what I want in a coach.
I'll tell you this much, Zibanejad needs to be dealt with. Seeing his comments and reading some articles, it's clear he whined and sulked all season after the Goodrow and Trouba situations played out. No one has been more critical of Drury than I have been, and Drury certainly didn't handle either of those situations well, but Zibanejad can go F himself. He's an overpaid and soft mentally and on the ice. I think Drury's hands will be tied with Zibanejad for many reasons, but he needs to be sat down, the air needs to be cleared, and things need to get back on the right track. And if Zibanejad pulls this BS again next season, he should spend every single game in the press box. What he pulled this season, should never ever be allowed to happen again. And whether it is Sullivan or some other coach, they must hold Zibanejad accountable, period. All the players need to be held accountable, a change from the Rangers of recent years, but especially Zibanejad. I'd also make Trocheck the Captain. It will go a long way in the locker-room I'd guess.
I know this isn't the time right now, but I was thinking about the Rangers D today. First, trading for Soucy was a disaster. The guy makes $3.25M next season, with a 12-team NTC. That is a terrible deal for a 3rd pair/depth dman. I don't know what Drury was thinking trading a 3rd round pick for this guy. Oh, wait I do, typical Drury fashion it was a desperate panic move at the DL. Very dumb and a waste of cap space. Second, Miller either needs to be on the 1st pair with Fox, if Drury/Sullivan think he can do it, or he needs to be traded. Schneider needs to be in a top 4 role, so if Miller cannot fill the role as Fox's partner, he needs to be traded, period. Third, Fox needs a legit 1st pair LD partner. If that is Miller and Drury/Sullivan believe, I disagree, but it's their call. If it is not Miller, they need to add a top pair partner for Fox.
Although it would be typical Rangers for them to trade Kreider or Panarin and overpay for Marner. Marner is 5 years younger than Panarin. 6 years younger than Kreider. He's not a great playoff guy either.
Marner has 63 points in 70 career playoff games (13 goals & 50 assists), and he's a +9, those are good playoff numbers if you ask me. Marner just turned 28 two weeks ago, so he is still firmly in his prime. We have to remember, after next season the $11.642M of Panarin goes away, that's a big number coming off the cap in one year. Also opens up the need for a star top-gun player. I'm not saying the Rangers should sign Marner, I'm not saying they should trade for Matthews, what I am saying is they need to make some bold aggressive moves. Bringing back all the main players and working on the fringes adding a guy like Bennett, isn't good enough. Go ahead and add a guy like Bennett, I like him and would be very good with it, but that has to be part of a larger much more aggressive core changing strategy. That's my overall point.
Don’t know enough about Marner but saw the clip where he was yelling at the bench to wake the F up and then visibly upset when the game was over. I like that type of intensity and we could sure use it here.
He was also lazy on some plays in the playoffs and Avery crushed him. Then again, Avery acts like he was this great playoff guy. He wasn't. Marner would make our core younger but Bennett is what we need. Plus, taking him from the Panthers makes them a lot weaker team. He's a huge key for them. I'd like both but in order for that to happen they would have to move Kreider and either Fox or Zibanejad. I don't want to move Panarin. He actually showed up last year and said play the young kids more because he knew other vets were pussies.
I read an article about the Rangers maybe being in the mix for dman Byram (# 4 overall pick in 2019) if Buffalo decides to move him rather than re-sign him as an RFA. Package centered around Lafreniere and maybe a little bit extra from Buffalo. A lot of what the Rangers do, or do not do, on D has to be centered around what their plan is with K. Miller. If they feel he is ready to take a step and potentially be Fox's partner, you re-sign him and move forward. If they do not, you trade him and look to add a top LD to play with Fox, maybe a Byram or similar type player. But I really do think the first decision on D before the draft is keeping Miller or not, the D plan has to center around that decision. Whether it's Byram, Matthews, Marner, other, Drury must be bold and very aggressive this summer. I need to see major core changes here, not fringe moves. I was right last summer when I said it, if possible, I think I'm even more right this summer. As an aside, the Soucy trade looks worse now than it did the day it was made. It was an utterly useless waste of a 3rd round pick, and you are paying $3.25M for at best a 3rd pair dman. I really hope the plan doesn't have him in the top 4, and I don't think it does. Waste of a pick and cap space. To me it was another dumb no plan or strategy panic move by Drury, just like Roslovic at the trade DL last season, and Smith on July 1 last summer.
Friedman said the Rangers are at least testing the market on K. Miller, they may not trade him, but they're seeing what he's worth if they decide to make a move. My feeling on Miller has been unless you feel he is ready to be the # 1 LD partner for Fox, I trade him. I hope Drury/Sullivan take that approach. As a RFA I don't see bringing him back on a 2-year bridge deal to UFA as a smart move, so it's either trade him or sign him long term this summer, and I trade him unless you expect the # 1 LD role for him this season. You put Miller, Kreider, and maybe Lafreniere (in the right deal) on the market, and the Rangers should get some good players back you'd think. That would really reshape the team, which is badly needed.
A team I would be in very close contact with if I were Drury, is the Sabres. They haven't made the playoffs since 2011, and they have a lot of good young talent. On D they are a bit overloaded with young talent who are in line for bigger deals or just got a bigger deal in the case of Power. Upfront it's similar with Peterka for example. One would think they'd have some interest in adding a vet or two to help the kids along and try to make the playoffs, I think they would be willing to part with some youth to do it. There could be a match with us and Buffalo I believe.
I still say the Rangers should not keep their pick next year’s draft is much stronger. If Drury is going to dump some players, I hope he gets first rounders next year.
It's not just about which draft is stronger, you need to have a plan. If you plan to punt on this coming season, sure give the Pens this year's picks and if you are punting on next season, I think there's a good shot you'll get a better pick than # 12 next draft. If you plan to go for it this coming season, which all indications are the Rangers will go for it, you have to keep this year's pick and hope/expect you are much better this coming season, and your pick next year is 20 +, if not close to # 30 (or higher). You cannot make the pick decision in a vacuum, you have to make the decision in a smart, cohesive, strategic way. I continue to believe there is no shot Drury is giving the Pens the # 12 pick in this year's draft.
He can also pick up a first rounder this year. He should not sign Miller on defense under any circumstances. That dumb fuck is gonna be a disaster if he gets a good contract.
I agree on Miller; I would absolutely trade him and Kreider this summer. The alternative is to sign Miller to a long-term bigger money deal, and I think that's a big mistake. If he cannot be the # 1 LD, and he cannot IMO, you deal Miller and sign another dman to play with Fox, then move Schneider up to the 2nd pair where he belongs.
I would keep Miller, he's only 25 and has great size and skill but still needs to improve his mental game, hope Sullivan works with him on hitting, K'Andre is too big to play so small.
