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Tomas Sandstrom

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Everything posted by Tomas Sandstrom

  1. Dare I say that the Rangers this year sort of remind me of when the Yankees swapped Buck Showalter for Joe Torre. The Yanks were good in '94 (strike year cancelled playoffs / WS) and '95 (lost to Seattle in Best of 5), but then when Joe took over, things just clicked. Sometimes the right leader can join an already good team and help them achieve greatness.
  2. This is negotiation...why wouldn't Pittsburgh ask for the moon? Doesn't mean the Rangers will pay it.... Deadlines make deals...often times, teams don't make their best (and final) offers until we get close to the actual deadline... Would love to see Guetzel added, he's a pain in the butt to play against...I thought he was Pittsburgh's best player not named Sid in our series a few years ago...The guy can score and he knows how to win. The way I view what gets traded away in deadline deals are in a many ways shaded by the results. For instance, I never thought the Rangers gave up "too much" in '94, even though they gave up (what turned out to be) good / great players. They won the cup. Nothing else matters. I kind of feel same way this year...if they go on to win the cup, I don't care what they gave up. Of course, no one can see into the future. If they go out in Round 1, and end up giving up a young guy who goes on to be a star, it will sting. In general, I trust Drury to make the right move(s) here. I think he probably has learned a thing or 2 from the past few trade deadlines, and all that experience should come into play.
  3. That's not so bad, as I can think of a few things which would have been worse resting against your chin...
  4. Don't know why I ever doubted Vodka Drunkenski....you were right all along, good sir!
  5. Hot Damn, we should have a multi page thread about "the kids" before every game!
  6. Agreed...and that's why I say please don't lump all 3 "kids" in the same boat. I think Chytil is way more in the "he is what he is" category, than the other 2. Chytil also was 18th overall selection in his draft. Still a (relatively) high pick, but not the same as 1 or 2 overall.
  7. One more thought... A lot of times, it's not about ability, rather it's about atmosphere, coaching, and ultimately, confidence. I am having a real hard time trying to determine if these guys just can't score consistently, or if there are other factors at play here. I'm honestly not sure. Because they have had opportunities on the top lines, and they really didn't produce consistently. But, at the same time, all the yo-yoing between lines has to also mess with confidence, especially in young players. I am holding out hope that before this season is over, we see some sparks. Preferably in the playoffs. Hoping this line stays together, keeps working hard, and has some sustained success as the Rangers battle through the playoffs. I think we all sort of viewed Chytil differently after his strong playoffs last year. And we've seen some flashes also this year, but not as consistently as we'd like. Hoping we get similar from Kak and/or Laf this year. Confidence is crucial to build towards consistent success.
  8. I hear ya, this is my internal struggle also. The way I see it, once they fired JD and Gorton, to me, that signaled the end of the build and the start of "Win Now". In Win Now mode, by definition, you do not prioritize developing the kids and putting them in the best position to grow. Does that totally excuse the lack of goal scoring from 1OA, 2OA, and 18OA picks? No. However, to say it has nothing to do with it is also not correct. The truth lies somewhere in between. Fact: If they had more PP time, and 1st or 2nd line minutes, they would probably score more. Also Fact: The way this team is currently built, and given that they are aiming to win the cup this year, they are not being asked to carry Line 1 or 2 scoring burden. Now, you can argue all day about this or that, but these are the facts. At the end of the day, I come back to the fact that these are still 21 (LAF) and just turned 22 year old (Kakko) kids. We've seen more bursts of scoring from Chytil, but he's also older with more time. And he was the old whipping boy until he had those hot steaks. Now it's just Kak and Laf getting whipping boy treatment. I agree that you want more from 1 and 2 overall picks. But, at least for the next year or 2, there's still time, still room to grow and improve. I think the prudent course of action is to be patient, take what you can get from them through the end of this season, and let's see what happens next year. Personally, I hope all 3 kids remain on the team, at least into next year, and I hope they get expanded roles next year to see if they can grow. I am hoping being around guys like Vlad and Kane, will rub off and they learn a thing or 2 about goal scoring.
  9. OK, we'll see. Great regular season, but playoffs are a different animal. Just saying, if Boston had their choice, I bet the Rangers rank towards the bottom, if not dead last.
  10. Let's try to look at this situation from another perspective: Let's say you are a team like the Hurricanes or the Bruins... Just going based off of what "the kid line" did in last year's playoffs, and given the roster construction...don't you think the last thing you want to see in the playoff this year are these New York Rangers coming to town? I mean, we all want to crap all over these kids, but would it really surprise anyone if they step up in the playoffs and produce some timely goals to help them win playoff games? Think about having to defend these Rangers, given their top 3 lines, plus now a legit 4th line.
  11. Well, that goes to experience and maturity, right? It's those flashes, especially with young players, that you want to see. It's in them, just need to harness and know when and how to best use those skills, translating them into consistent success. Painful process for sure, but IMO, it's not too late for any of these kids. I'm actually excited to continue to watch them mature and develop, and hopefully they all get where we want them to be at some point.
  12. Yup, I completely understand that. He was so hyped, and was viewed as the "prize". When the Rangers ping pong ball came up, I literally jumped out of my seat. I think my wife and daughter thought I was crazy LOL I sorta feel like this is quintessential Rangers, right? Do they win the lottery the year there's a Lemieux, Crosby, Lindros, McDavid, or MacKinnon.....nope. We win the year there's a....Lafreniere. So, when measured against those type expectations, I completely get it. Makes me want to pull my hair out. However, if you forget about those inflated expectations...Time to be patient. I know it's difficult, but again, he's a 21 year old kid. He hasn't been *awful*, he's been underwhelming and inconsistent....but I believe there have been flashes. Hopefully as time goes on, it comes together and he becomes a top player for the Rangers.
  13. OK, fair enough. Can't necessarily disagree with you, but again, he's 21 and could still improve. I hope you're wrong about Laf and have to eat your words one day (and I hope he's on the Rangers if/when it happens LOL)
  14. Just want to point out you are talking about kids...one who just turned 22 (Kakko) and a 21 year old (Laf). Question to those of you who want to call them busts or want to get rid of them: Do you really not think they will improve as they get older and mature? This whole discussion is sort of silly to me...and I know we can go back and find similar silly discussions about Chytil when he was a similar age. Yes, in a perfect world, you would draft an 18 year old kid with a high draft pick, and when they are 19 they are playing on line 1 and scoring 30 goals and 30 assists. But the world doesn't always work that way. Look, if in 3 years, these guys aren't producing much more than they are now, I will agree with you. But, my lord, can we give them some time to develop and mature? Can we at least give them until they are 23 years old? Patience is a virtue.
  15. Take a deep breath and practice Patience... Kakko certainly hasn't lit the world on fire, but he's still young. He's getting experience, and (as slow as it may seem), he IS getting better and growing more confident. I, for one, am not panicking or wishing we had a different player with the pick. Rooting hard for Kakko to continue to grow and produce more as time goes on in his, still very young, career. Besides, what's his actual role on this team? Do they need him to be a top scorer? Maybe in a year or 2, the Rangers will need to move him up and count on him to produce more on the scoreboard. Maybe he'll also get the PP time and more minutes to do so.
  16. True... But it's also one of those things where you are kind of hoping there will be a spark. Truth is, if VK was productive, that would be awesome for this team. They can certainly use another reliable scoring RW. So, you do what you can and try to see if you can get there. Problem with that, is if he doesn't play well, it not only hurts the team, but hurts the player and his confidence. Sort of a damned if you do / damned if you don't situation here. And lets face it, games in Nov, Dec, and Jan are very different than games in March, April, May...
  17. BINGO....that's what I'm talking about. Top to bottom, everywhere you look on this roster, it ooozes talent... I mean, you can make an argument that this team right now has: - Best Goaltending pair in Rangers history (although Richter and Vanbiesbrouck may have something to say about that) - Best Defensive unit, 1-6 - Best scoring punch across the entire lineup Time will tell, but I'm telling you, we are watching something rare and special here.
  18. I feel as if VK was the biggest "loser" from the fallout of JD and Gorton being fired. At least as far as players go. To me, that signaled the owner throwing down the gauntlet and saying "Time to Win Now". One of the consequences to that was very little tolerance for non-productive players getting playing time in the NHL. The thing is, guys like Chytil, Kakko, Laf, K'Andre, Schneider, etc. while certainly not at their ceiling in terms of career productivity, they weren't liabilities. So they continue to get in the lineup. Thus they continue to improve. VK was caught in a different situation. So, without the luxury of time on a rebuilding team, it necessarily meant that if he wasn't productive, and was deemed to be a liability, he simply wasn't going to play. And he's done himself no favors by his own words and actions.
  19. Well put. I also fear that these young guys are going to be "too good" to be able to keep them all together, given the reality of the cap. Although, it might be possible if Drury can get creative, and maybe a little luck comes our way (in the form of a player or 2 excepting slightly less than they otherwise could make in order to help keep the team together). Most likely, within 2 years, at least one of of our young core guys are gone. I am enjoying every moment of this team while I can
  20. Tough situation...VK has done himself no favors...and with team in win-now mode, there's little room to develop a guy who night in and night out is giving you next to nothing. Especially this time of year, when we start to hone in on a playoff run, buttoning things up. Hopefully Drury can pull off a deal...something like a solid 4th line center and a first round pick for Krav (and if you have to throw in a sweetener, so be it). I am sure there are GM's out there who believe this kid can be a solid contributor moving forward, and would take a shot. As you said, he's a pick from the previous regime...in all sports, these things happen when there is a regime change. "System Fit" is a real, tangible thing. Sometimes players simply don't fit the system you are trying to run. That really has nothing to do with how talented (or not) the player is. From the player's perspective, life is a hell of a lot easier when you play in a system that fits your style and strengths. This seems like a situation where VK really doesn't fit the system GG is running, and the Rangers don't have the ability right now to allow him to possibly grow into a role. VK also has done himself no favors by his actions. So a divorce may be the best outcome for both sides here.
  21. As a 49 year old, lifelong Rangers fan, I just wanted to take a moment to say how much I LOVE watching this team. Thinking about Valentine's Day today, and realized my heart is truly with this team, right now. These ARE the Good Old Days. The time before we inevitably lose one of our young core to free agency or a trade (that's gonna be a very sad day for me). I'm not sure in my lifetime, I've seen a Rangers team quite as talented overall from top to bottom. Nothing can ever replace '94, that team forever holds a special place at the top, but this feels a bit different. This build feels very home-grown, but with a NY flare to it (I.E. big free agent signing in Panarin...big trade for Tarasenko, and before that, Trouba). When has a Rangers team ever had this much top young talent making such key contributions? Chytil...Shesterkin...K'Andre...Laf....Kakko....Schneider... Even guys like Zib and Fox, although not drafted by the Rangers, but acquired when they were still very young. Being able to watch them grow into absolute superstars is special and should not be taken for granted. So while there are certainly things to complain about, as Valentine's Day approaches, I urge you to take a minute to truly appreciate what we have here: Nothing short of one of the best, most talented teams in the NHL. Happy Valentine's Day, fellow NYR fans!
  22. As much as we hate hearing this, the absolute right thing is to be patient with young talented players. That's probably the most frustrating thing, but also necessary with a lot of young players. "Sometimes, it just takes time". Experience helps. Chytil had a great playoffs last year, which was huge for his confidence, and now look at where he's at. Often times, it takes that one "spark" for the light to turn on...you hope that spark comes sooner rather than later, but as Axl Rose so eloquently put it: All we need is just a little Patience
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