article: How We'd Run The Rangers

[LindG1000]

https://theathletic.com/2260364/2020/12/16/new-york-rangers-expectations-contenders/

 

The Rangers have a lot of elite pieces, but also a lot of large holes from the left side on defence to the bottom six up front. There are some great young talents coming up to fill those holes and I think patience is the play here for a team that?s still in the rebuilding stage. Last season was exciting but the team will likely fall back a bit. New York had a 51 percent goals percentage on a 47 percent expected goals rate, and though they have the talent to outscore their territorial issues, that?s a large gap to bank on.

 

The Rangers have a lot of ?ifs? on their roster that will require some patience. Kaapo Kakko, Filip Chytil and Brett Howden have plenty of potential but aren?t difference-makers yet. This season will reveal a lot about their future and the team will have to react accordingly. If Chytil and Howden continue to struggle at the NHL level, the Rangers have a serious center depth problem they?ll need to address. Unlike every other team that holds on to their prospects too long only to see them lose value, it might be prudent for the Rangers to cut ties sooner rather than later to help address some of those depth issues. Otherwise, the team risks another Lias Andersson situation. It?s tough to do and carries a lot of risk if the player ends up breaking out, but the Rangers need to be realistic about the development path of some of those players.

 

A lot of what we already know, but a very interesting read for those of you who subscribe to The Athletic. A few of the more interesting points made include:

 

-Few if any teams have ever had their future 1D, 1G, and 1W on ELCs all at once (referencing Fox, Shesterkin, Lafreniere)

-The financial realities of the NHL, the Rangers now-and-future ELCs, and the huge amount of cap coming off next season position the Rangers to flex their financial muscle

-With a little good luck, 2021-22 could open the Rangers' contention window

[josh]

PATIENCE!!!

That's what the Rangers need, patience. Stop trying to rush guys and expect magic just because of where you drafted them.

(For the sake of this thread, I wont discuss Hartford, but that's obviously the biggest issue as far as lack of development)

 

Well, its obvious the Rangers are looking for upgrade C depth, but they dont want prospect. Rangers twitter had a huge hardon for Lundell in the draft, and the Rangers wanted to trade up to get Schneider.

 

But, the way they dealt with Strome's contract this summer, has to make you think they were targeting a 2C.

 

LHD - I do NOT acquire a LHD at this time. That's something you can do at the deadline if the team overachieves, or during next offseason if they take a big step forward - but that also depends on the develpment of Miller (who may spend the season with the team if they have no AHL and expanded NHL rosters), Robertson's progression, as well as your outliers like Reunanen, Hajek, Rykov. Again, you are looking for someone to play bottom 6 D. Don't need a Spurgeon or Lindholm yet.

 

Also, the problem being, what without patience, the Rangers could make a move for a C or a LHD, the teams not ready, now you wasted a year... who knows which player might price himself out of... Tampa, or Colorado in a few seasons (if Rangers prospects dont pan out). By then, the Rangers will have hundreds of millions of dollars of buyout dead cap gone.

 

This season has to be treated as another step forward in the process. Last year, outside of Panarin, Fox & Zibanejad, we saw DeAngelo mature, we saw Buchnevich become a more all around player. This season, I think its success if Shesterkin establishes hes a true NHL starter, Trouba regains his game, Lafreneire/Kakko truly adjust to the NHL, and maybe Kravtsov gets his NHL debut (he's going through a growing phase like Buchnevich did last season, really working on the other aspects of the game, not ONLY scoring). Rangers needs to wait to see how these specific guys respond before they can make any [premature] drastic moves. Main focus should be the continued development of these players to prevent low ceilings that we saw established for Andersson, Howden, and maybe Chytil.

[LindG1000]

PATIENCE!!!

That's what the Rangers need, patience. Stop trying to rush guys and expect magic just because of where you drafted them.

(For the sake of this thread, I wont discuss Hartford, but that's obviously the biggest issue as far as lack of development)

 

Well, its obvious the Rangers are looking for upgrade C depth, but they dont want prospect. Rangers twitter had a huge hardon for Lundell in the draft, and the Rangers wanted to trade up to get Schneider.

 

But, the way they dealt with Strome's contract this summer, has to make you think they were targeting a 2C.

 

LHD - I do NOT acquire a LHD at this time. That's something you can do at the deadline if the team overachieves, or during next offseason if they take a big step forward - but that also depends on the develpment of Miller (who may spend the season with the team if they have no AHL and expanded NHL rosters), Robertson's progression, as well as your outliers like Reunanen, Hajek, Rykov. Again, you are looking for someone to play bottom 6 D. Don't need a Spurgeon or Lindholm yet.

 

Also, the problem being, what without patience, the Rangers could make a move for a C or a LHD, the teams not ready, now you wasted a year... who knows which player might price himself out of... Tampa, or Colorado in a few seasons (if Rangers prospects dont pan out). By then, the Rangers will have hundreds of millions of dollars of buyout dead cap gone.

 

This season has to be treated as another step forward in the process. Last year, outside of Panarin, Fox & Zibanejad, we saw DeAngelo mature, we saw Buchnevich become a more all around player. This season, I think its success if Shesterkin establishes hes a true NHL starter, Trouba regains his game, Lafreneire/Kakko truly adjust to the NHL, and maybe Kravtsov gets his NHL debut (he's going through a growing phase like Buchnevich did last season, really working on the other aspects of the game, not ONLY scoring). Rangers needs to wait to see how these specific guys respond before they can make any [premature] drastic moves. Main focus should be the continued development of these players to prevent low ceilings that we saw established for Andersson, Howden, and maybe Chytil.

 

Agreed. This is not a year to be pushing the chips all-in - it's another growth year, especially given the cash situation.

 

The Rangers should be positioning themselves to leverage their liquid cash, the expansion draft, and next years FA period for the next few key pieces. They're holding a ton of the cards right now and there's no good reason to play the hand before they have to, especially with some teams likely needing to get out of some good, higher cash deals. Just strike at the right time.

[siddious]

I wouldn't exactly call what Chytil has been doing as "struggling". Out of all of our prospects so far besides maybe Adam Fox he has arguably been the best one. Sure there have been bumps as there usually are with 18/19 year olds in the league but he has looked fantastic at times too. My hopes for the year; Kakko plays like a 2nd over all pick this year and Laf is as advertised. Smith & Johnson are forced to be seat warmers because some of the kids look great.

[Scott]

On the whole I don't think Chytil has been good on a consistent basis and on many occasions I would say he's struggled. Comparing him to the others I don't think elevates how he's done but that's just my opinion. I also don't think it's an indictment of how he's going to pan out in the end. I think it's a huge year to see what he's going to be, if I had to bet today I'm not sure the ceiling is all that high. Maybe a decent 3rd line center on a good team? Would love to be wrong.

[josh]

I wouldn't exactly call what Chytil has been doing as "struggling". Out of all of our prospects so far besides maybe Adam Fox he has arguably been the best one. Sure there have been bumps as there usually are with 18/19 year olds in the league but he has looked fantastic at times too. My hopes for the year; Kakko plays like a 2nd over all pick this year and Laf is as advertised. Smith & Johnson are forced to be seat warmers because some of the kids look great.

 

It's not so much struggling, but at somepoint, he needs to take the next step.

Chytil, like Andersson, is not going to get the same chances as a Buchnevich because there are so many other guys that can take that ice time(Vesey, Fast, Lindberg, Jooris, Nieves, etc vs Lafreniere, Kravtsov, Kakko, Gauthier). This will be Chytil's 4th professional season in NA, and his 3rd season as a FT Ranger. His career high is 23 points. Chytil isnt Jesper Fast or Brendan Lemieux. He's a skilled guy that needs to put up points (or seriously develop the other parts of his game). Not so much about Chytil, but the situation he's in. Andersson didnt put up points or show much value otherwise. Chytil trending that way, other than 1 spectacular play every 10 games.

 

Comparing Chytil to Kravtsov, Kravtsov is being a well-rounded player. Chytil hasnt done that - which means he's a top 6 complimentary player - and he's not beating out Buch, Kreider, Panarin, Lafreniere, or Kakko. So where does that leave him?

[4EverRangerFrank]

Patience should be our team motto this coming season. IF there is a magical, miraculous happening where NYR go on a run and blast through the league with wins, we should NOT jump the gun and over-pay for the odd piece or two at the deadline. JD has espoused a strategy of deliberate and consistent growth for the long-haul. My fandom is a long-haul view. I'd much rather build a team that goes on a Red Wings-like run or replicates past NYR team playoff appearances for multiple years instead of a sudden grab at the brass ring. Deliberate. Steady. Focused. Patience.

[Tomas Sandstrom]

PATIENCE!!!

 

As much as anyone, I want to see the Rangers win consistently. However, please keep in mind, we are talking about 18/19/20/21 year old young men here. So much more growing and maturing, both physically and mentally, will happen over the next few years. It would be a huge mistake to take what we see from a kid in this age group, and conclude that this is what they are and will be for the rest of their career. Of course we all want these kids to all be finished products and to gel, becoming a contender this season. But not only is that not fair, that is pretty unrealistic. Enjoy the journey folks. These players will be a work in progress in a lot of ways for YEARS to come. That's not saying they can't contribute or be a big part of the success of the Rangers. Coaching will be very important, need to form good habits and continually work on areas of improvement.

 

I get a bit uneasy when some on this board talk as if these young men don't meet these lofty expectations, that they are busts and we should move on. That is ridiculous.

 

Look, the reality is the Rangers will be relying on a lot of very young players in 2021. Hope for the best, but please do not write off a 19 or 20 year old should they fail to produce up to your lofty expectations this year. It doesn't mean they are bad players or will never produce to that level, it just means that perhaps a young player needs to grow / mature a bit more before they can reach a peak to their career.

 

Stay the course...let things play out, and above all, remember we are talking about young men here. There are sure to be peaks and valley's. There will certainly be flashes of brilliance, but will come with wild inconsistency. This is all to be expected. Hopefully there is more good than bad. Hopefully enough good to get the Rangers to the Playoffs, and this time, let's at least win 1 game...then let's get greedy and win a series. That would be a phenomenal accomplishment. But if they fall short, it doesn't mean we aren't on the right path or that these young men won't improve in time.

[Ozzy]

I think we're all pretty much on the same page....No pun intended! Ok, Maybe a little bit :rofl:

 

Most of know the deal with this squad and even though I get antsy and wanna see them bloom tomorrow, I realize that it's going to take some time. I learned that from some wise-men on this site many moons ago! (You know who you guys are!!!) =)

 

This team is in great hands, in my estimation and the road ahead looks prosperous!! We'll get there when we get there!

[Rosenvold]

I'm still worried that the Rangers rush players in from Europe or Juniors. Lias, Chytil and Kravtsov (and maybe Kakko) should all have been given at least one more year in Europe before bringing them over. It does them no favors to have them struggling and failing in the NHL insted of growing slowly in Europe. Why the rush? All it does is give the guys a dent in their confidence and adds to the pressure.

 

Hopefully, that lesson has been learned with regards to K'Andre Miller and Nils Lundkvist. Let them develop slowly and bring them in when they are truly ready. The NHL is not a good developing environment - but it's not meant to be either.

[LindG1000]

PATIENCE!!!

 

As much as anyone, I want to see the Rangers win consistently. However, please keep in mind, we are talking about 18/19/20/21 year old young men here. So much more growing and maturing, both physically and mentally, will happen over the next few years. It would be a huge mistake to take what we see from a kid in this age group, and conclude that this is what they are and will be for the rest of their career. Of course we all want these kids to all be finished products and to gel, becoming a contender this season. But not only is that not fair, that is pretty unrealistic. Enjoy the journey folks. These players will be a work in progress in a lot of ways for YEARS to come. That's not saying they can't contribute or be a big part of the success of the Rangers. Coaching will be very important, need to form good habits and continually work on areas of improvement.

 

I get a bit uneasy when some on this board talk as if these young men don't meet these lofty expectations, that they are busts and we should move on. That is ridiculous.

 

Look, the reality is the Rangers will be relying on a lot of very young players in 2021. Hope for the best, but please do not write off a 19 or 20 year old should they fail to produce up to your lofty expectations this year. It doesn't mean they are bad players or will never produce to that level, it just means that perhaps a young player needs to grow / mature a bit more before they can reach a peak to their career.

 

Stay the course...let things play out, and above all, remember we are talking about young men here. There are sure to be peaks and valley's. There will certainly be flashes of brilliance, but will come with wild inconsistency. This is all to be expected. Hopefully there is more good than bad. Hopefully enough good to get the Rangers to the Playoffs, and this time, let's at least win 1 game...then let's get greedy and win a series. That would be a phenomenal accomplishment. But if they fall short, it doesn't mean we aren't on the right path or that these young men won't improve in time.

 

I'm still worried that the Rangers rush players in from Europe or Juniors. Lias, Chytil and Kravtsov (and maybe Kakko) should all have been given at least one more year in Europe before bringing them over. It does them no favors to have them struggling and failing in the NHL insted of growing slowly in Europe. Why the rush? All it does is give the guys a dent in their confidence and adds to the pressure.

 

Hopefully, that lesson has been learned with regards to K'Andre Miller and Nils Lundkvist. Let them develop slowly and bring them in when they are truly ready. The NHL is not a good developing environment - but it's not meant to be either.

 

Wanted to grab these two posts because they say some interesting things about youth - in no small part because many of our long term spots are quite well spoken for - especially on the wings and on defense.

 

I think when it comes to having the volume of youth we have, a good GM balances expectations, perceptions, and reality. A really good example of this is someone like Filip Chytil; he's probably exceeded expectations thus far (yes, seriously - he's just barely able to drink and he's basically been playing third line minutes in the NHL for his whole career with little special teams), he's rather highly regarded, and he's expected to make the leap to a true top 6 center role this season.

 

The reality of Chytil's situation is that if he cannot play the 2C role for us, there's probably not a long term fit. He's either our 3C (which might be great if he finds a running mate, but much more likely that if he can't outperform Strome, it's a problem), he's a top 6 wing (which on this team, he just isn't. He'd be a LW, and he'd be our 4LW immediately), or he's simply not a fit for the Rangers. He probably doesn't have the Howden option, where if he can't do the offense, people still think he's good defensively and can become a 4C/PK specialist (whether or not that's true). There are three scenarios here where Chytil is a very valuable trade chip because his value exceeds his performance ability on this team, and one where he is a key cog. This is a big year for him because this is generally where a center like him starts to make the jump, and he's due a new deal.

 

That's the balance. If Chytil can't be the 2C, and you can make a deal involving Chytil for someone who clearly can be...you have to think about selling high, especially given the current financial situation of so many teams for the foreseeable future. It's not necessarily "put up or shut up" so much as it is a true numbers game - if Chytil can't be the 2C, he should be dealt. That same numbers game will probably claim Tony DeAngelo within a year or two (he's gotta go LD, or he's probably gotta go), will probably claim Strome (when we eventually figure out 2C, he isn't the guy), will claim Buchnevich or Kravtsov (2 top 6 spots for 3 top 6 RWs, no opportunity to change sides, none of them play center), and will almost assuredly claim all but two of Lundkvist, Rykov, Miller, Robertson, Hajek, Reunanen, and Schneider. Learning to sell high on youth helps you vault into competition and stay competitive, and it's a skill Gorton is going to need to master to simultaneously move into the competitive window and stay competitive.

 

As for rushing prospects, I'm not too sure that's the case. True for Lias, for sure, but not for Chytil or Kravtsov or Kakko. I think when the hype doesn't match the initial output, folks get disappointed and it feels that way. Kakko was already running the Finnish men's league - he was the third highest scorer in the Finnish league as a 17 year old, and Chytil basically played .75 PPG as an 18 year old in Hartford. There's an argument for Kakko to have been in Hartford for a bit, I guess, but it's hard to look at the stats and think they weren't ready for a next step. Kravtsov is moving at his own pace right now, and when he finds consistency, he'll be ready for the jump too. It's something that they're really concerned with, as they've invested heavily in personnel to help ease that transition (Tanner Glass, Tuomo Ruutu, and a few others).

[Phil]

Two things can be true at the same time:

 

1. The Rangers will rely on a bevy of youth in the coming years.

2. Not all prospects pan out, and not all prospects can play for your team.

 

It's entirely possible to still be utilizing a patient approach while moving on from select young players to upgrade the roster elsewhere. Not every young player who is traded is "given up on," or "a bust."

[ThirtyONE]

Two things can be true at the same time:

 

1. The Rangers will rely on a bevy of youth in the coming years.

2. Not all prospects pan out, and not all prospects can play for your team.

 

It's entirely possible to still be utilizing a patient approach while moving on from select young players to upgrade the roster elsewhere. Not every young player who is traded is "given up on," or "a bust."

 

I'd say most prospects don't pan out. Which is why you accumulate a whole lot of picks, hoping one or two become something. As much as we talk about the perfect way to develop players and when to bring them to the NHL, the reality is it's a crap shoot for the most part.

[siddious]

It's not so much struggling, but at somepoint, he needs to take the next step.

Chytil, like Andersson, is not going to get the same chances as a Buchnevich because there are so many other guys that can take that ice time(Vesey, Fast, Lindberg, Jooris, Nieves, etc vs Lafreniere, Kravtsov, Kakko, Gauthier). This will be Chytil's 4th professional season in NA, and his 3rd season as a FT Ranger. His career high is 23 points. Chytil isnt Jesper Fast or Brendan Lemieux. He's a skilled guy that needs to put up points (or seriously develop the other parts of his game). Not so much about Chytil, but the situation he's in. Andersson didnt put up points or show much value otherwise. Chytil trending that way, other than 1 spectacular play every 10 games.

 

Comparing Chytil to Kravtsov, Kravtsov is being a well-rounded player. Chytil hasnt done that - which means he's a top 6 complimentary player - and he's not beating out Buch, Kreider, Panarin, Lafreniere, or Kakko. So where does that leave him?

 

Good god has it really been 4 years already?!

 

Let?s hope he turns it on this season. Let?s also hope he gets some steady top 6 minutes to prove himself too.

 

 

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[Scott]

(17-18) 9 games

 

(18-19) 75 games

 

(19-20) 63 games

 

147 total

[josh]

(17-18) 9 games

 

(18-19) 75 games

 

(19-20) 63 games

 

147 total

yes

his will be Chytil's 4th professional season in NA, and his 3rd season as a FT Ranger.

[Sod16]

There's not much to do but stay the course with Chytil, because he would only fetch a modest return in a trade. The rest of the world knows that he has typically had about three excellent games followed by 15 blah ones. I'm not overly optimistic, because it's true that most prospects don't end up amounting to much. I'd like to have seen a little more from him in 147 games.

 

I'm not sure that it is realistic to expect any of our young guys to be "taking the next step" after a ten month period in which we have had only three games, so we should just hope for the best this season, but next year will be the really conclusive one.