Youth Has Been Served

[Bleed Ranger Blue]

Originally Posted by Zil

That's a lot closer to a ppg rate than what he put up this year. Prior to this year, when he's been on the ice he has produced. They have to assume he's going to bounce back.

The organization has to worry about him bouncing back AND staying on the ice. And lets face it, when it comes to the original question in this thread regarding goal scoring, he is it...probably the most important component to future success.

That, like so many other assumptions being made regarding this team's future, is riddled with question marks.

[Puckhog27]

What the Rangers should do is just let the hired guns walk or try to unload them even if it means getting nothing back in return. After that let the young guys play and hopefully the team will be bad enough to get a high draft pick. With any luck there will be some good players available to draft and build around. Building your team around overpriced free agents doesn't often work. It's better to bite the bullet and build through the draft. You can also better appreciate the talent of a player when you draft them yourself. Remember guys like Zubov, Leetch, and Kovalev who were important to winning the cup in the 90s.

[SingnBluesOnBroadway]

Originally Posted by Zil

That's a lot closer to a ppg rate than what he put up this year. Prior to this year, when he's been on the ice he has produced. They have to assume he's going to bounce back.

It's also far from a 40 goal scorer.

Also the fact that he was on the ice and not producing is a concern.

[Zil]

Originally Posted by SingnBluesOnBroadway

It's also far from a 40 goal scorer.

Also the fact that he was on the ice and not producing is a concern.

It's a concern, but they have to go with the hand they've got. Unless someone comes knocking offering something great in return for him, they have to move forward with him in the plans. They have to assume it was just an off season.

Originally Posted by Bleed Ranger Blue

The organization has to worry about him bouncing back AND staying on the ice. And lets face it, when it comes to the original question in this thread regarding goal scoring, he is it...probably the most important component to future success.

That, like so many other assumptions being made regarding this team's future, is riddled with question marks.

Every team's future is riddled with question marks. That's why they play the games. We'll see if they can land Richards and go from there.

Originally Posted by Puckhog27

What the Rangers should do is just let the hired guns walk or try to unload them even if it means getting nothing back in return. After that let the young guys play and hopefully the team will be bad enough to get a high draft pick. With any luck there will be some good players available to draft and build around. Building your team around overpriced free agents doesn't often work. It's better to bite the bullet and build through the draft. You can also better appreciate the talent of a player when you draft them yourself. Remember guys like Zubov, Leetch, and Kovalev who were important to winning the cup in the 90s.

What hired guns? This team is almost entirely made up of home grown guys already. Gaborik's not going anywhere. Other than Prospal, who is there to even let walk? Drury has to be bought out. Ditto for Avery. And if you want them to tank then they'd have to get rid of Lundqvist and that's not happening.

[Puckhog27]

Originally Posted by Zil

It's a concern, but they have to go with the hand they've got. Unless someone comes knocking offering something great in return for him, they have to move forward with him in the plans. They have to assume it was just an off season.



Every team's future is riddled with question marks. That's why they play the games. We'll see if they can land Richards and go from there.



What hired guns? This team is almost entirely made up of home grown guys already. Gaborik's not going anywhere. Other than Prospal, who is there to even let walk? Drury has to be bought out. Ditto for Avery. And if you want them to tank then they'd have to get rid of Lundqvist and that's not happening.

Good point, but I was thinking of Gaborik, Drury, Redden, and Avery.

[chosen]

Originally Posted by Zil

The defense isn't part of the top-end talent? As far as top-end forwards go it's simple: Since our little renaissance started in 04 we just haven't really focused on forwards too much in the first round. In 04 we took Korpedo, 07 Cherepanov, and 09 Kreider.

Korpikoski didn't turn out too well, but there wasn't a marquee top-end forward to grab there (Zajac would've been nice, but he's no high end guy). Cherepanov died. Not much else to say about that. And Kreider looks good and hopefully he's part of the answer. Most of the high end forwards get taken higher than we've had a chance to draft anyway.

The focus on defense has given us an excellent young defensive core. You said it yourself. We have to wait on see on our young forward prospects, but the signs are encouraging. In the mean time, it's not unlikely that Gaborik will return to form. Richards would certainly help too. I also think healthy seasons from Cally and Dubi and improvements for Anisimov and Stepan could be reasonably expected to help. If we're lucky, Del Zotto will bounce back too.

I keep saying we lack high end forwards and you chirp about defense and a nebulous future.

[dedalus]

Originally Posted by Zil

Every team's future is riddled with question marks. That's why they play the games.

That's just glib. We all know that some teams are FAR better equipped than others to coping with the loss of a key player to injury or ineffective play. Please don't tell me that Pittsburgh without Crosby and Philly without Giroux is the same as the Rangers without Gaborik. We both know that's just not the case.

[Zil]

Originally Posted by chosen

I keep saying we lack high end forwards and you chirp about defense and a nebulous future.

I just pointed to why we lack the high-end forwards though. There's a connection. Look how much of our first round has leaned toward defense in the years since we've started drafting well. Our 05, 06, 08, and 10 first rounders were all spent on D-men. not all of those picks have panned out, but we do have an excellent young defense and if Del Zotto bounces back it's even better.

In contrast we've drafted forwards in 04, 07, and 09. One of those picks turned into a serviceable NHLer, one died, and one isn't here yet. The highest end forward we missed with any of those picks was Zajac, who we missed under Maloney to take Korpikoski. Even Zajac's not really a first-liner. Hopefully Kreider turns out well and hopefully the focus shifts to drafting forwards from now on. At the very least you have to give them a mulligan thanks to the horrendous luck on the Cherepanov pick and agree to revisit this conversation when we know more about Kreider. I'd rather point to our bright, "nebulous" future and improved drafting record than our craptastic, pre-04 draft past. Short of picking in the top five, they couldn't have done much better since then.

Originally Posted by dedalus

That's just glib. We all know that some teams are FAR better equipped than others to coping with the loss of a key player to injury or ineffective play. Please don't tell me that Pittsburgh without Crosby and Philly without Giroux is the same as the Rangers without Gaborik. We both know that's just not the case.

Pittsburgh without Crosby and Malkin didn't put the puck in the net any better than we did. They played the same kind of tight, defensive-minded, grinding game we did. And just like us, they lost in the first round to a team with actual gamebreakers and offensive depth. Philly is better able to cope with the loss of Giroux because they have been a well run organization for longer than the Rangers have. Excuse me for not blaming Clark because Renney made the worst pick in franchise history (http://www.snyrangersblog.com/2010/1...rts-from-2003/). So yeah, when you compare us to a team that bottomed out and got top pick after top pick or a team that is further along than us, we're not gonna look good. That's the nature of putting together a young team without the benefit of gimme picks.