[brooks] Rangers Mishandling Ryan McDonagh Trade Has Been Lightning Boon

[BrooksBurner]

You mean like...

 

Gorton: "We want Sergachev..."

 

Yzerman: "... Uhhhhh... Well as long as you don't want Hajek. He's the REAL non-starter!" ;)

 

Gorton: "Well I want HIM then!"

 

Yzerman: "Only if you sweeten it up..."

 

 

Fuckin Gorton.

 

This is also why we got Strome instead of Draisaitl from the Oilers.

 

Fuckin Gorton.

[Ozzy]

He did get us Fox.....and had a lot of luck with ping pong balls! ;)

[siddious]

Certainly wasn't Gortons best move but lets not forget McDonough was trending down and wasn't exactly looking like a 1st Pair 1A defenseman at the time (and isnt for Tampa either, stellar playoffs aside) and Miller did absolutely nothing as a Ranger (or a lightning really for that matter). It was also a team starting a rebuild and adding assets.

 

If you break it down in essence it was;

 

-1st and Howden for McD- If Lundqvist turns into a first pair dman (I am not even talking all-star, just a top pairing guy or a 2nd pairing guy with good offensive numbers) this trade is even IMO. Especially if they end up trading Howden for anything down the line. What good is McD on a rebuilding team?

 

-Miller for Hajek- Total loss here. I assume they move on from Hajek for a 3rd rounder or so. But again this is through the lense of hindsight, Miller was not great as a Ranger.

[Guest]

Certainly wasn't Gortons best move but lets not forget McDonough was trending down and wasn't exactly looking like a 1st Pair 1A defenseman at the time (and isnt for Tampa either, stellar playoffs aside) and Miller did absolutely nothing as a Ranger (or a lightning really for that matter). It was also a team starting a rebuild and adding assets.

 

If you break it down in essence it was;

 

-1st and Howden for McD- If Lundqvist turns into a first pair dman (I am not even talking all-star, just a top pairing guy or a 2nd pairing guy with good offensive numbers) this trade is even IMO. Especially if they end up trading Howden for anything down the line. What good is McD on a rebuilding team?

 

-Miller for Hajek- Total loss here. I assume they move on from Hajek for a 3rd rounder or so. But again this is through the lense of hindsight, Miller was not great as a Ranger.

 

Miller put up 56 points in 16/17 and had 40 in 63 games before the trade in 17/18 which is a similar pace. He was a good, young player, still developing at 24. Trading him for Hajek, if that's how you choose to break up that trade was, as you point out, a total loss. The Rangers didn't want to rebuild in part around Miller/McDonagh, which is why they were traded. The thought was likely that the two players would be past their prime when the Rangers were ready to contend again, which is probably true if you think that the team is still a few years away from the possibility of legitimate contention.

 

Lets say they make the playoffs this season, get bounced in the first round, make them again next year and get a little deeper. We're probably looking at 23/24 to be legitimately in contention. At that point Miller is 30, McDonagh 34. Moving both was the right call. The debate is only over the return, which we really can't know what other offers might have been available at the time.

[Pete]

Miller put up 56 points in 16/17 and had 40 in 63 games before the trade in 17/18 which is a similar pace. He was a good, young player, still developing at 24. Trading him for Hajek, if that's how you choose to break up that trade was, as you point out, a total loss. The Rangers didn't want to rebuild in part around Miller/McDonagh, which is why they were traded. The thought was likely that the two players would be past their prime when the Rangers were ready to contend again, which is probably true if you think that the team is still a few years away from the possibility of legitimate contention.

 

Lets say they make the playoffs this season, get bounced in the first round, make them again next year and get a little deeper. We're probably looking at 23/24 to be legitimately in contention. At that point Miller is 30, McDonagh 34. Moving both was the right call. The debate is only over the return, which we really can't know what other offers might have been available at the time.

McD and Miller make this team better than it was over the last 2 seasons. They'd be much further along in the rebuild, all IMO of course.

[LindG1000]

Miller put up 56 points in 16/17 and had 40 in 63 games before the trade in 17/18 which is a similar pace. He was a good, young player, still developing at 24. Trading him for Hajek, if that's how you choose to break up that trade was, as you point out, a total loss. The Rangers didn't want to rebuild in part around Miller/McDonagh, which is why they were traded. The thought was likely that the two players would be past their prime when the Rangers were ready to contend again, which is probably true if you think that the team is still a few years away from the possibility of legitimate contention.

 

Lets say they make the playoffs this season, get bounced in the first round, make them again next year and get a little deeper. We're probably looking at 23/24 to be legitimately in contention. At that point Miller is 30, McDonagh 34. Moving both was the right call. The debate is only over the return, which we really can't know what other offers might have been available at the time.

 

Not to play devil's advocate here, but there's probably a reasonable argument that with McDonagh and Miller, we make the playoffs at least one of the last two seasons. Then again, we probably also have neither Kakko nor Lafreniere, nor Fox, nor Trouba given the cap ramifications of extensions and not making that deal, so the whole thing is a ball of confusion.

[siddious]

Miller put up 56 points in 16/17 and had 40 in 63 games before the trade in 17/18 which is a similar pace. He was a good, young player, still developing at 24. Trading him for Hajek, if that's how you choose to break up that trade was, as you point out, a total loss. The Rangers didn't want to rebuild in part around Miller/McDonagh, which is why they were traded. The thought was likely that the two players would be past their prime when the Rangers were ready to contend again, which is probably true if you think that the team is still a few years away from the possibility of legitimate contention.

 

Lets say they make the playoffs this season, get bounced in the first round, make them again next year and get a little deeper. We're probably looking at 23/24 to be legitimately in contention. At that point Miller is 30, McDonagh 34. Moving both was the right call. The debate is only over the return, which we really can't know what other offers might have been available at the time.

 

I hadn't checked his stats before posting and for the life of me dont remember him having a 56 point season so fair point (thanks again brain). I guess I am just going off my memory of him which at the time of the trade I remember thinking "we wont miss him" as he was 24 and I though a bit too old to keep developing. Funny enough hes the exact kind of player they could use now. Regardless of all that, yes it was a loss and to me the worst part of that trade simply because of the underwhelming return for a first rounder who was already NHL ready.

 

As for your other point... I am not so sure about that... they kept Kreider, signed Panarin, etc... All older guys. I think the the entire point of the rebuild was to add skill- something the team clearly lacked during their cup runs the past few seasons and McD was on the decline, and Miller was someone they didn't see as key component in the future as he wasn't a high skill guy. Funny how things work out.

 

And you are right.. it might have been the best deal on the table.

[Capt]

There was no reason to take that deal and not wait for the draft. Including Miller in that deal was the fleecing of it. It made no sense then and still doesn't. When you are rebuilding you hang onto your young assets. Especially those who is among your leading scorers at 23 years old. Miller of course had holes in his game but his potential and actual production to that point was undeniable. He has actually developed into the exact player this team is searching for and they gave him away for basically nothing.

[josh]

Not to play devil's advocate here, but there's probably a reasonable argument that with McDonagh and Miller, we make the playoffs at least one of the last two seasons. Then again, we probably also have neither Kakko nor Lafreniere, nor Fox, nor Trouba given the cap ramifications of extensions and not making that deal, so the whole thing is a ball of confusion.

Butterfly effect.

 

No cap space for Panarin either.