Keirik

Well I respectfully disagree. I'd say bringing up how the owner has to pay guys bought out to not be here is a perfectly understandable argument as to why at some point he might have had enough. I don't know why you are bringing up 20 years ago. I'm talking about current dead cap, paying guys to stay home, etc. So if in an owner and I made mistakes 20 years ago in a non cap Era, I'm expected to forever be okay with the same monetary irresponsibility? It's not a big difference if it hapoened 3 games left or 3 weeks into the offseason which is days away for us. Reeks of what? What are we saying? Dolan did this not because of a lack of progress? Like I said elsewhere. Our biggest rival 3 years ago had 3 more points than us as we finished last and they finished second to last. They also missed out on our 11m+ guy that preferred to be here. They lost their captain Tavares. Yet they went to the semi finals last year, are poised to go far this year if not all the way, and are going into a brand new arena next year. Dolan sees that. Meanwhile we buy out our franchise goalie, buy out a defenseman we signed to a big contract that wins a cup last year while we pay him, and send home another guy we are currently paying almost 5 million right now as we get our ass handed to us in the last few weeks to show just how far away we are. I'm not saying I 100% agree but what other reasons do you think there are?

It’s not a bad argument. It’s just not one you agree with. This is also the longest playoff drought since the lockout in 05. I don’t think I would have fired Gorton but I can understand it. He’s been mediocre. I’d have fire the coach first. When push came to shove (literally) we looked less likely to make the playoffs this year than last year leading up to the pause. I’m sure that was pretty sobering. I’m guessing at some point there was some meeting where Gorton said “we’ll Mr Dolan we feel like we are building but we are a good 3 years or so away from competing” and that was that especially when you consider the window for guys like Kreider, Zibanejad, Panarin, and Strome are more within the next three years. I kinda can understand that. There is no reason this team can’t be a playoff team with guys like that on the roster sprinkled in with a very good goalie in Shesty, a current Norris candidate in Fox, and a 7 million dollar Trouba. I’m just more confused that Quinn is still here but I really do think that’s just a formality since they don’t plan on replacing him from in house. That is unless Knoblauch really impressed them and they just didn’t want to mess with the Pack so late in the season. Normally I’d think that’s ridiculous but Drury did bring up the Pack today.

Say that to the guy writing checks to guys not even on the team anymore with results in sight. We were 9 games over .500 last year and right now we are 2. Business men eventually gonna look at it from that angle I guess.

I’m only saying I’m not shocked. As you said, he lucked into plenty of things. He’s also managed to screw up a couple of things he lucked into like overpaying Trouba with leverage. I just think if someone is looking at this in utter shock, there’s a few things I think they are missing quite a few things.

But it’s not hindsight. Lemieux didn’t scare anyone in the NHL, JJ went into this year as the worst defenseman in the league no one really wanted, and ADA was k own to be a problem to this team so much that they apparently were shopping him all offseason, was in the doghouse a ton last year, and Gorton gave him an ultimatum like two weeks into the season knowing damn well Tony would open his mouth again. You can say hindsight on some things, but I don’t see how any of those 3 were. Besides, management is judged on outcomes of their decisions. Nature of the beast.

Honestly I don’t know with Martin but I do remember the Isles were in bad cap space until Boychuck went on LTIR. I’m sure Martin was privy to that but as I said, I don’t know. As for Simmonds and or Perry. I wanted Simmonds. I thought he would have been perfect. I said so. I’m not sure any gm cares what we say so that’s not really a big deal. Maybe guys here would have lost their shit but it wouldn’t be the first time the fan base was wrong lol. Hell Perry has two less points this year than Blackwell and we wax poetic about how he’s been this year. I imagine if we had him and saw the leadership or even the no nonsense he would have given against the tougher teams, we would have bed. Waxing poetic too. Simmonds is only 32 FYI. Think if we had two on the 4th line of Perry and Simmonds we get out muscled as much in the last two weeks?

Again, if it wasn’t available due to cap constraints then that’s on Gorton in the first place. Keep in mind ADA, Lemieux, Jack Johnson are three contracts brought in or extended that aren’t even with us anymore. Right there is nearly 7.5m in cap space used going into this season that could have been used elsewhere for the same 1-2 years in different ways to round out the team.

Well, I didn’t specifically see where Martin turned down the Rangers but it’s possible. He didn’t sign until January though. Ufa period started in October. I’m not sure there was much to anything since they shot all their cap space on day one basically of the UFA period. But guys available were Simmonds Martin Chara Maroon Perry Hell you could have brought in a Boyle or Derek Grant just for faceoffs. That’s an area they’ve been beyond bad for a while. You could have looked to unload a Howden or a Gauthier for a Glendening that pls and wins faceoffs if you were serious about taking steps forward to improving the balance of this team. Both of those guys realistically are never cracking top 6 even if it’s just purely because they will never get top 6 minutes with our top 6 roster. Cant just forever stockpile prospects that’ll never actually play. Doesn’t always have to be from a ufa anyway. Sometimes you have to deal from a strength to help a weakness.

Espo for trivia Yay

I’ve been to morgues with more life than this squad

Probably, but I think it should have been addressed this past offseason. I know a bunch of us were saying it, there were articles about addressing the 4th line, etc.

Lose for laf ! Oh we did that already.

Espo then yeah

Was it Esposito for the trivia? I don’t know if they said one or two other Gms former captains

Lol same.

Not addressing holes in their lineup and no cap space are directly due to Gorton. Cant use things like that as excuses as to why it’s okay when it’s largely due to poor salary evaluation and roster management of the guy himself. Covid. We really have to stop using that as a sole excuse for the Rangers when it’s affected a lot of teams in this league. Our division is our division. Those are just excuses. Everyone in the division plays in it. Sabres just beat the Islanders two straight games and we can’t touch the Islanders. Cant just ignore that stuff.

Well, yes and no. It’s on the coach but that can be addressed in the offseason. Technically so could this move have, but it’s easier to replace the GM and President when you already knew the replacement is currently in the organization than it is coach which is a longer process. I also think both JD and Gorton have said playoffs this year is achievable but is not exactly a requirement. With this roster I think that’s criminal to publicly say. JD is a bit of a head scratcher for sure but I can see it being due to Jd incorrectly taking a stand with Gorton rather than with the Rangers. I get it. Gorton is a hockey guy and Dolan isn’t. Still though, this team should be in a better place than it is considering how much actual talent there is performing on sn elite level right now and it certainly looked like Gorton and JD felt last years 7 week or so hot streak wasn’t indicative of where they are rather than saying “ok top end we are there, what other pieces can we add now to round out and improve our weaknesses.” Losing JD almost feels like kicking that beloved grandfather that’s always been good to you and you have so many fond memories of. Doesn’t mean hockey doesn’t go on though. If it’s because he aided with Gorton though then I don’t feel as bad for JD. He’s a hockey guy that should have looked at this a bit more clearly. We are an underachieving team. We are a soft team. We do have a shit ton of current talent and it’s not all untapped potential. Kreids is 29, Panarin is 28, Ziby and Strome are 27, Trouba is 26. Of that 5, 4 of them are “top 6 guys” and that’s a very solid core of guys at ages ready to compete sooner rather than later. I think Quinn goes bye bye but that’s a longer process if you aren’t going from in house.

So obviously I was watching United. Did Arsenal look bad or was it a case of bad luck to not win that game?

We have a decent shot at finishing 18th in the league (same as last year I think). Go get em slats !

Just lose baby

They fire Quinn yet?

Villarreal keeper looks kind of shaky. United cruising

Urine analysis test?

Hey bro, you can answer them too ! And China was a shit load of fun. Good choice.

1. What is your favorite book? 2. If you could only book a flight to one place and stay for a year, were would it be? 3. If you were ever arrested, what would you be booked for? 4. If you had to bookend three consecutive years of your life as most memorable, which 3 years would it be? 5. If you had the opportunity to book two tickets to see any musician in history live, who would it be and who would you take?