Mercogliano Rangers Expected to Sign Lafreniere to 2-year Bridge With $2.5–2.75m AAV

[Scott]

I'm sticking with as long as Dolan is around they will be on the hamster wheel of chasing championships at all costs. Slapping pieces that come with names some past their prime together along with some bargain basement jags and sprinkle in some homegrown talent and a couple studs They'll continue to be hamstrung by bad deals, I don't think Drury is bullet proof in the sense that all of the sudden this org is going to completely change its stripes and go through the process of bringing a lot of guys along slowly especially when there's no guarantee they work out to begin with. 

 

I don't think Lavy is coming here with anything on his mind but chasing cups this late in his career, why would he? Frankly as was said here already the thought of Chytil, Kakko and Laugh being the first line once everybody else cycles out is mind numbing to me. I just don't see them ever risking the possibility of missing the playoffs for maybe 2-3 years which was mentioned here as well just to bet on well let's give these kids a real chance. (which is funny in itself) It will never happen in my opinion. 

 

The thought of it all is pretty frigging scary. Lavy can bring a hell of a system but you've got to also have high quality parts. Talking about turning the keys to the car over to the kids just to see what they've got burns years off your existing  best players. Example the PP something was said along the lines oh well it's not like it's been good. I believe it was @Long live the King pointed out it was tied for 4th over the last 4 seasons. You know what you add to that? More creativity from the coaching staff, not plugging in a turd 1OA or a disappointing 2OA. Leverage your strengths don't tear them down. Don't move your best players off just because. 

 

Blow it all the way up, sure. I say they don't have it in them as a org at the highest level, never have never will. Hamster wheel keep on turning. 

 

The hope is Lavy brings enough structure to what's here and Igor plays out of his mind while he's still here. After that who knows but it's not looking like we have a whole lot to carry us down the road at this point in time. No free passes earn what you get and don't throw away points and possibly playoff opportinies because nothing is guaranteed going forward. 

[RangersIn7]

The kids combined for 45-50 goals and over 120 points last year. 15 minutes. No PP.

At 23, 22, and 21.

 

Behind what essentially amounts to a guy who has 90+ points a season, a proven 35-40 goal guy who also had 90 points, a guy who has nearly 90 goals the last 2 seasons, and a guy who had 20+ goals and 60+ points. And then they brought in Kane and Tarasenko. 
 

Under a coaching staff that did not practice and was heavily lacking structure on ice. 
 

What they did  actually sounds good.

I’m encouraged by that.

 

Way more positive than negative there.

And now a staff comes in that we are all I think pretty enthused about. 

[RangersIn7]

1 hour ago, jsrangers said:

I'm sticking with as long as Dolan is around they will be on the hamster wheel of chasing championships at all costs. Slapping pieces that come with names some past their prime together along with some bargain basement jags and sprinkle in some homegrown talent and a couple studs They'll continue to be hamstrung by bad deals, I don't think Drury is bullet proof in the sense that all of the sudden this org is going to completely change its stripes and go through the process of bringing a lot of guys along slowly especially when there's no guarantee they work out to begin with. 

 

I don't think Lavy is coming here with anything on his mind but chasing cups this late in his career, why would he? Frankly as was said here already the thought of Chytil, Kakko and Laugh being the first line once everybody else cycles out is mind numbing to me. I just don't see them ever risking the possibility of missing the playoffs for maybe 2-3 years which was mentioned here as well just to bet on well let's give these kids a real chance. (which is funny in itself) It will never happen in my opinion. 

 

The thought of it all is pretty frigging scary. Lavy can bring a hell of a system but you've got to also have high quality parts. Talking about turning the keys to the car over to the kids just to see what they've got burns years off your existing  best players. Example the PP something was said along the lines oh well it's not like it's been good. I believe it was @Long live the King pointed out it was tied for 4th over the last 4 seasons. You know what you add to that? More creativity from the coaching staff, not plugging in a turd 1OA or a disappointing 2OA. Leverage your strengths don't tear them down. Don't move your best players off just because. 

 

Blow it all the way up, sure. I say they don't have it in them as a org at the highest level, never have never will. Hamster wheel keep on turning. 

 

The hope is Lavy brings enough structure to what's here and Igor plays out of his mind while he's still here. After that who knows but it's not looking like we have a whole lot to carry us down the road at this point in time. No free passes earn what you get and don't throw away points and possibly playoff opportinies because nothing is guaranteed going forward. 

Never been a fan of Dolan. Just not a great franchise owner. Even if he is way more hands off with the Rangers.

But we are stuck with him unfortunately. And probably some combination of his 6 sons too. 

Cause he ain’t selling anytime soon.

 

[Scott]

6 minutes ago, RangersIn7 said:

Never been a fan of Dolan. Just not a great franchise owner. Even if he is way more hands off with the Rangers.

But we are stuck with him unfortunately. And probably some combination of his 6 sons too. 

Cause he ain’t selling anytime soon.

 

Agree! That's why imo the more things change the more they'll stay the same. It's a bad way to go about it, kinda like being half pregnant. 

 

Thankfully in 94 I was old enough to truly appreciate how special it was and it very well could have to last me a lifetime. 

 

Hoping to be dead wrong and loading my plate with crow with a huge smile on my face. 

[RangersIn7]

48 minutes ago, jsrangers said:

Agree! That's why imo the more things change the more they'll stay the same. It's a bad way to go about it, kinda like being half pregnant. 

 

Thankfully in 94 I was old enough to truly appreciate how special it was and it very well could have to last me a lifetime. 

 

Hoping to be dead wrong and loading my plate with crow with a huge smile on my face. 

They don’t have to win in spite of him though. He’s not that level bad, at least not with the Rangers. He doesn’t meddle with them much.

Need good GM and an owner who doesn’t meddle much. I think they have that.

 

 

What really set them back was 15 years of Sather, who had 10 years of amazing success as Edmonton’s GM, then nearly a decade of no success as Edmonton’s GM. 
He should never have been here that long. 

 

[Br4d]

I've been watching the Rangers since '71 and what sets them back over time is they never have a moment where they can just rebuild the way every franchise has to once a generation or so.

 

Early in my fandom it was 1940 and first the Flyers and then the Islanders becoming really strong cup winning franchises.  Later it was the frustration of never being able to get over the top despite spending as much as anybody on free agents.  They finally won in '94 because they put it all together for a season but things degraded really quickly after that with the usual suspects (Gretzky on Broadway!!!) and plans in motion and no way to put it all together again.

 

The Rangers basically can't get out of their own way and so we get this pattern over the years where they're competitive almost every year but the favorite never and always with half the team closing on the slower years of their career in a hurry.

 

I don't know how you fix this but I've seen the pattern repeat over and over again.

[Sharpshooter]

1 hour ago, Br4d said:

I've been watching the Rangers since '71 and what sets them back over time is they never have a moment where they can just rebuild the way every franchise has to once a generation or so.

 

Early in my fandom it was 1940 and first the Flyers and then the Islanders becoming really strong cup winning franchises.  Later it was the frustration of never being able to get over the top despite spending as much as anybody on free agents.  They finally won in '94 because they put it all together for a season but things degraded really quickly after that with the usual suspects (Gretzky on Broadway!!!) and plans in motion and no way to put it all together again.

 

The Rangers basically can't get out of their own way and so we get this pattern over the years where they're competitive almost every year but the favorite never and always with half the team closing on the slower years of their career in a hurry.

 

I don't know how you fix this but I've seen the pattern repeat over and over again.

Neil Smith basically put all of his eggs in one basket in 1994. Yeah they finally won, but they also traded a lot of young talent and the franchise just bottomed out in the late 90's. Getting Wayne was awesome, but then Messier leaves for Vancouver and everything was kind of in limbo. Everything came to a head and it was just a crash and burn that led to a decade or so of awful hockey and no playoffs.

[jsm7302]

Can this cat file for arbitration? I'm not sure how that all works. If not, he is wasting a lot of time not signing knowing the team has no more $$ to offer. We need stuff to talk about. Sign already so we can talk about what a team guy Laf is to take less than the standard 1mil per ten points.

[Phil]

No, I believe the deadline to file for arbitration has already well since passed. Brandon Scanlin was the only Rangers player/free agent to file.

[Cash or Czech]

Lafreniere wasn't eligible for arbitration

[RangersIn7]

2 hours ago, Sharpshooter said:

Neil Smith basically put all of his eggs in one basket in 1994. Yeah they finally won, but they also traded a lot of young talent and the franchise just bottomed out in the late 90's. Getting Wayne was awesome, but then Messier leaves for Vancouver and everything was kind of in limbo. Everything came to a head and it was just a crash and burn that led to a decade or so of awful hockey and no playoffs.

In terms of trades, Smith made the choices he had to make, but they all caught up with him.
Three that wound up being a huge part of them winning in 94, but really hurt immediately afterwards.

One that was beyond inexplicable and totally indefensible.

 

 

1)  Amonte for Matteau and Noonan.

I don’t put this all on him. Keenan pushed for this. Keenan was probably right at the time, and obviously Matteau scored 2 HUGE OT winners vs the Devils. And Noonan gave them size and physicality they needed and was a solid contributor in the ‘94 run.
But afterwards, neither Matteau or Noonan did dick. Both were gone back to Keenan in St Louis within a year.

And in the next 8 seasons in Chicago, Amonte had 6 seasons of 30 goals, 3 of which were over 40. 

 

2) Weight for Tikkanen in 93.

Panic trade to try and make the playoffs in 92-93. Weight hadn’t blossomed yet. Tik was an established 2-way center. He was very good for them in 94, but was gone to Keenan in STL in 95, and was basically done by 96. 
Weight blossomed in Edmonton into a 1C.

 

3) Marchant for MacTavish in 1994.

Marchant was just a prospect. MacTavish was great for them in that Cup run. But he left immediately after and was done.Marchant quickly established himself as a premium defensive C and went on to play nearly 1200 games and was huge for Anaheim when they won their cup.

 

4) Nedved and Zubov for Robitaille and Samuelsson 

This is the disastrous one. Panic trade to add size and experience after the Flyers thumped them in ‘95 playoffs.

Samuelsson was only average as a Ranger. Zubov was only 25 already established as an elite guy and went on to a HOF career.

Total loss there.

Robitaille was still a very good player and he’d still be a contributor and have good seasons and won a Cup with Detroit, but wasn’t awesome as a Ranger, would never approach his best again, and in decline.

Nedved immediately had a 45 goal, 99 point season.

I could speak forever on Petr Nedved.

They lost big on that deal.

 

You can throw in the deal they made for Kurri and McSorley that sent Mattias Norstrom to the Kings for honorable mention.

 

Granted they won that Cup.

 

But imagine the Rangers in 95-99 with Amonte, Weight, Nedved, Zubov, Norstrom, and Marchant… coupled with Mess, Graves, Kovalev, Leetch, and Richter.

 

[RJWantsTheCup]

I’ve been saying for years the deadline deals to win the cup in 94 hurt the team in the long run but most fans overlook it because they won the cup.  

[Ozzy]

I questioned the Gartner for Anderson trade the most, but they won the Cup.  Mess wanted Anderson here and he got it.  They won the cup....Can't complain about that!

 

Weight turned into a gem, but I was never really a huge fan of Amonte.  He had a really good career, but I just didn't see him as a playoff phenom.  I just don't think we win that Cup without Noonan and Matteau though.

[RangersIn7]

I can’t help but expand on Nedved.

He’s always been a fascinating and paradoxical player to me.

 

From the standpoint of just true physical skill and tools, he’s one of the most gifted players I’ve ever seen.

Tremendous skater.

Excellent speed. 
Great stick handler and puck carrier.

Wonderful vision.

Very good passer/playmaker.

And one of the best wrist shots I’ve ever seen.

All in a 6’3” 200lb frame.

Really just a WOW kind of player when you consider that ability level and skill set at that size.

 

But… 

He could be selfish. Had 2 significant contract disputes and holdouts in his career. And forced 2 trades as a result.

Despite his offensive skills, he was poor defensively and didn’t make the best of efforts there.

And he wasn’t a physical player despite his size.

 

Never consistently lived up to his potential.

 

 

But I’ll make 2 points on him.

 

1) Had he not come into the league and played at a time when the game transitioned towards tight checking and defense, there’s no telling how much he would have produced.

 

2) Consider this…

The Rangers played Vancouver in the Finals in ‘94. Nedved with Vancouver, had already established himself as a 35+ goal guy in 92-93, then had a contract dispute with them going into 1993-94, and wound up holding out, playing for Team Canada that season, where he in total had  24 goals and 35 points in 25 GP, before being able to sign with St. Louis late that season, and was a point per game player for them the rest of the way that year.

Do the ‘94 Cup Finals go differently if Nedved is with Vancouver?

 

 

 

 

[RangersIn7]

20 minutes ago, RJWantsTheCup said:

I’ve been saying for years the deadline deals to win the cup in 94 hurt the team in the long run but most fans overlook it because they won the cup.  

 

16 minutes ago, Ozzy said:

I questioned the Gartner for Anderson trade the most, but they won the Cup.  Mess wanted Anderson here and he got it.  They won the cup....Can't complain about that!

 

Weight turned into a gem, but I was never really a huge fan of Amonte.  He had a really good career, but I just didn't see him as a playoff phenom.  I just don't think we win that Cup without Noonan and Matteau though.

Yeah.

 

Its just a question we can’t answer.

 

But the prospect of a forward group of:

 

Mess/Weight/Nedved/Marchant at C

Graves/Kovalev/Amonte/Verbeek at W

 

Leetch/Zubov/Beukeboom/Norstrom/Karpovtsev on D

 

Plus Richter in goal.

 

Potentially would have been very good.

 

Again… that era was so centered on defending, really tight checking, lots of physicality, and goaltending, it’s hard to say. 
 

But there’s a ton of skill there. 
 

 

[RangersIn7]

Nedved always chased the money.

 

But I can’t blame him.

 

He grew up in Czechoslovakia, under Communist rule of the Soviet Bloc, with pretty much nothing.

Then defected at 17, at a tournament in Calgary. Had $20 in his pocket, was 5000 miles from home, and didn’t even speak English.

Plus, he didn’t even tell his parents he was defecting, and they were forced after the fact to make efforts for him to come home, with basically a gun to their head. 
 

Balls. 

 

Edited July 19, 2023 by RangersIn7

[Pete]

25 minutes ago, RangersIn7 said:

I can’t help but expand on Nedved.

He’s always been a fascinating and paradoxical player to me.

 

From the standpoint of just true physical skill and tools, he’s one of the most gifted players I’ve ever seen.

Tremendous skater.

Excellent speed. 
Great stick handler and puck carrier.

Wonderful vision.

Very good passer/playmaker.

And one of the best wrist shots I’ve ever seen.

All in a 6’3” 200lb frame.

Really just a WOW kind of player when you consider that ability level and skill set at that size.

 

But… 

He could be selfish. Had 2 significant contract disputes and holdouts in his career. And forced 2 trades as a result.

Despite his offensive skills, he was poor defensively and didn’t make the best of efforts there.

And he wasn’t a physical player despite his size.

 

Never consistently lived up to his potential.

 

 

But I’ll make 2 points on him.

 

1) Had he not come into the league and played at a time when the game transitioned towards tight checking and defense, there’s no telling how much he would have produced.

 

2) Consider this…

The Rangers played Vancouver in the Finals in ‘94. Nedved with Vancouver, had already established himself as a 35+ goal guy in 92-93, then had a contract dispute with them going into 1993-94, and wound up holding out, playing for Team Canada that season, where he in total had  24 goals and 35 points in 25 GP, before being able to sign with St. Louis late that season, and was a point per game player for them the rest of the way that year.

Do the ‘94 Cup Finals go differently if Nedved is with Vancouver?

 

 

 

 

I think Nedved earned the right to be selfish, considering his path to get to the NHL.

 

Side note, I pissed next to him in a club once. Plaid, on E13th.

 

EDIT Hadn't seen this post yet, but we're on the same page.

 

10 minutes ago, RangersIn7 said:

Nedved always chased the money.

 

But I can’t blame him.

 

He grew up in Czechoslovakia, under Communist rule of the Soviet Bloc, with pretty much nothing.

Then defected at 17, at a tournament in Calgary. Had $20 in his pocket, was 5000 miles from home, and didn’t even speak English.

Plus, he didn’t even tell his parents he was defecting, and they were forced after the fact to make efforts for him to come home, with basically a gun to his head. 
 

Balls. 

 

Edited July 19, 2023 by Pete

[RangersIn7]

9 minutes ago, Pete said:

I think Nedved earned the right to be selfish, considering his path to get to the NHL.

 

Side note, I pissed next to him in a club once. Plaid, on E13th.

 

EDIT Hadn't seen this post yet, but we're on the same page.

 

I have actually met him several times.

 

I grew up in Queens. We had a Czech family that lived 2-3 blocks from us. Apparently he had a connection to them through his family and he would visit them from time to time. He used to drive down our street in his BMW and by the park where we all played roller hockey and would stop and get out and watch us and talk to us. This happened a number of times. 

He was super nice. Really cool to us kids and he exuded such love and enthusiasm for hockey in general. 
I was in my early teens at the time he was first a Ranger.

He was always immaculately dressed, so he never played with us. 
But he was so friendly and personable. 
 

 

Really cool guy. He just came from shit and wanted to get and stay away from it.

Edited July 19, 2023 by RangersIn7

[Phil]

I'm still Big Mad™ he didn't get a contract after that incredible PTO run in '08.

[Pete]

1 minute ago, RangersIn7 said:

I have actually met him several times.

 

I grew up in Queens. We had a Czech family that lived 2-3 blocks from us. Apparently he had a connection to them through his family and he would visit them from time to time. He used to drive down our street in his BMW and by the park where we all played roller hockey and would stop and get out and watch us and talk to us. This happened a number of times. 

He was super nice. Really cool to use kids and he exuded such love and enthusiasm for hockey in general. 
 

Really cool guy. 

Yea. Messier (who lost a ton of cache with me as a "leader" the more I learned about him) had this kid vomiting in trash cans before games. Such bullshit.

[RangersIn7]

6 minutes ago, Pete said:

Yea. Messier (who lost a ton of cache with me as a "leader" the more I learned about him) had this kid vomiting in trash cans before games. Such bullshit.

That doesn’t surprise me.

 

I was old enough to recognize that he wasn’t this hyper-competitive Alpha type.

Just really good at hockey and more laid back. He totally loved the game and cared. And he paid attention and had a real mind for the game. But wasn’t a guy who needed to beat a 6-year old girl at Mario Bros. He just was who he was and was going to be himself. 

 

I don’t blame people for being themselves. Ever.

Mess was being himself too.

 

Cant be who you’re not or a way you aren’t.

 

Be yourself.

The jobs being someone else are all taken.
 

Edited July 19, 2023 by RangersIn7

[Pete]

1 minute ago, RangersIn7 said:

That doesn’t surprise me.

 

I was old enough to recognize that he wasn’t this hyper-competitive Alpha type.

Just really good at hockey and more laid back. He totally loved the game and cared. And he paid attention and had a real mind for the game. But wasn’t a guy who needed to beat a 6-year old girl at Mario Bros. He just was who he was and was going to be himself. 

 

I don’t blame people for being themselves. Ever.

Mess was being himself too.

 

Cant be who you’re not or a way you aren’t.

 

Be yourself.

The jobs being someone else are all taken.
 

Mess being himself is one thing. Being a shitty human yet having his "leadership" rammed down our throats is what I take issue with. He wasn't a leader, he was mostly a bully.

[RangersIn7]

11 minutes ago, Pete said:

Mess being himself is one thing. Being a shitty human yet having his "leadership" rammed down our throats is what I take issue with. He wasn't a leader, he was mostly a bully.

He was in many ways.

 

“Alpha people” are usually bullies.

 

In my career as a Chef, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting many dozens of professional athletes, all over the US and Canada.

 

Most of them have been ok.

A lot are really phony in an obvious way.

The very best of them honestly have been really awful in many cases.

A few of them though have been just amazing, and in a really genuine way.

 

I would honestly say that the 3 nicest amongst them that I’ve actually met are

Tony Gwynn

Adam Graves

 

and believe it or not, Nedved

 

Tony Gwynn was a saint.

Had he been a Catholic, still alive today, and, gone into the priesthood, he’d be Pope today. 

Edited July 19, 2023 by RangersIn7

[RangersIn7]

1 hour ago, Pete said:

Mess being himself is one thing. Being a shitty human yet having his "leadership" rammed down our throats is what I take issue with. He wasn't a leader, he was mostly a bully.

Just out of curiosity, and I’ve heard the Nedved story before, but what specifically are you refer to regarding Messier’s actions.

 

Ill be honest, Mess has been retired and mostly out of hockey, so therefore irrelevant and off the radar for 20 years.

 

Eager to hear what you have on that.

[RangersIn7]

3 hours ago, Cash or Czech said:

Lafreniere wasn't eligible for arbitration

Alright Alex, we’ll give you free donuts every Tuesday and Saturday, plus a Friday night dinner at Alain Ducasse if you do this skating drill!