Here is how I think the Rangers and Oilers will deal with a lot of question marks this offseason so that they can still be lethal Stanley Cup contenders next year after making it to the final four this year.
Edmonton Notable UFA’s: Evander Kane, Derrick Brassard, Josh Archibald, Colton Sceviour, Kyle Turris, Brett Kulak, Kris Russell
Notable RFA’s: Kailer Yamamoto, Jesse Puljujarvi, Ryan McLeod, Tyler Benson
Draft Picks: EDM 1RD, EDM 5RD, EDM 6RD, EDM 7RD
Why did they exit the Confrence Final.
After a season to remember in the McDavid era in Edmonton, the Oilers wound up with the 2nd spot this year in the Pacific and were able to escape the first round as they won in 7 games over LA, then were able to beat Calgary in short order as they won the battle of Alberta in 5 games, but the great run was halted there as the Avalanche were able to beat the Oilers in a sweep in the Confrece Final, and while they had a great playoffs there were a few things that I think lead to them being dismissed in round 3. First is the fact that the Avalanche were able to do as good a job as they possibly could in containing the Oilers high powered offense. Even though the Oilers scored a combined 11 goals in games 1 and 4 and the Avalanche were able to win high scoring affairs, in games 2 and 3 they held the Oilers to only 2 goals and while McDavid was a 2 point player in almost all the games in the first 2 rounds, the Avalanche were able to hold McDavid and the Oilers better then anyone and that was the number one reason the Oilers were eliminated from playoff contention.
Secondly is the amount of injuries and sever ones that this team went through. We know that Nurse played in the playoffs with a hip injury and that Draisaitl was basically playing on one foot for the last two rounds of the playoffs so with two stars like that being hampered by injuries it really took a big chunk out of those two productiveness in the playoffs and that hurt the Oilers. And lastly is the fact that the Avalanche basically scored at will in the series. We saw that while Smith is good, he is t great anymore as he allowed at least 4 goals in each of the conference final games and especially in game 4 when Edmonton had a couple 2 goals leads, they couldn’t hold on because they just weren’t coherent defensively and all three of these reasons are why I feel the Oilers are not playing in the Stanley Cup Final.
How I think they can improve in the offseason.
As I said before the Oilers had a fantastic season getting 2nd in the Pacific with 104 points and getting past the Kings in 7 and past the Flames in 5 games in the first two rounds before that came to a screeching halt in the Confrence
Final as they got swept at the hands of the Avalanche, and after a good season here is how I think they handle the offseason ahead to continue this kind of playoff successful next year.
First is the goalie situation as the Oilers definitely have some questions to answer this offseason. Now the Oilers won’t have Koskinen next year as he has already signed overseas and that is a relief for Edmonton as he was a good goalie at times but was definitely streaky most of the time and that contract didn’t age well but at least it is over now. Next would be the fact that it seems that due to the fact that he is now waiver eligible Stuart Skinner will be playing at the NHL level next year. Now I feel that the Oilers would be smart to make Skinner the backup as he has proven last year that he can handle some NHL responsibilities as he had a decent .913 SV% and 2.62 GAA in 13 games last year and while I think he would make a good backup, I don’t believe that he would be good in a tandem yet because I still think he needs a few years at the NHL level before that and I think he should play somewhere around 25-30 games next year instead of somewhere around 40 but will absolutely be backup. Next would have to be getting rid of Mike Smith as I don’t think he can run as a full time starter again next year. Smith is a good Goaltender don’t get me wrong but he is now over 40 years old and while I think he might still be able to play as a 1A in the NHL, I don’t think that he can be a starter which is what the Oilers need if the have Skinner as backup so whether they move him to a teams hat could use a tandem partner or he retires which sounds like a major possibility right now, I don’t Smith will be a Oiler next year. Then they will need to go out and bring in a starter who can work with Skinner next year. Now I know they have been looking for a goalie for a while now and I think that they could sign a guy like Kuemper or Campbell in free agency if they are able to clear enough money or they go out into the trade market and get one of the goalies that are there such as Hohn Gibson or Alex Georgiev but I feel that they can’t enter next year without a clear cut starter in net. So to recap have Skinner play as full time backup but not 1B in a tandem, whether it is through retiring or trade make sure that they move on from Mike Smith and then go out and acquire a starter who can play at least 3/4 of there season and if they do this I have no doubt that their net will be much improved from this year.
Next is their defence where they will have to make some tough decisions to try and get some more cap space. First off I think that there 3 top defensemen in Ceci, Nurse and Bouchard will remain with the club. Nurse is there best and most important defensemen and he is beginning the first year of his extension so I still expect him on the top pair, Ceci I think should be on the top line with Nurse as he had a great showing in his first year with Edmonton especially in the playoffs where he had 7 points and is on a pretty good deal for what he brings, and Bouchard displayed his offensive talents this year after having 43 points in the regular season and 9 points in the playoffs and is only going to get better in the coming years so I think that he will remain a top 4 D-Men. Now a partner for Bouchard will depend on the status of Keith. Keith is entering the final year of his contract but sounds like he is contemplating retirement and if he does end up retiring then I would expect the Oilers to go after a cheaper defensemen who can play in the top 4 and still work pretty well with Bouchard, but if Keith doesn’t I don’t believe he will be moved because no team would want that cap hit, so he would probably remain a Oiler and still play with Bouchard in the top 4. Then I would have either Samorukov or Broberg play on the left side of the third line as I think that at least one should make the team even though I think both are NHL ready. Samorukov has worked his way up the depth charts since being a 3rd pick in 2017 and had 18 points in 51 AHL games this year and I feel he is ready to be a full time NHL player, while Broberg was a first round pick in 2019 and is younger and a bit more talented in my opinion as he had 23 points in 31 a AHL games and played in 23 NHL games getting 1 goal and 3 points so I would think Broberg is the best for there but I wouldn’t count Samorukov out. Then I think that they will have to make the hard decision to move on from offensive defensemen Tyson Barrie. Barrie is making $4.5 Million dollars over the next two years and with Ceci and Bouchard being there top 2 right side defensemen, it doesn’t make sense to be paying a 3rd pair defensemen $4.5 Million dollars per year even though he is good offensively. Now that Barrie is a luxury the Oilers can’t afford to have I suspect that they will move him for a decent return in the offseason to offload his cap but I suspect that there will be quite a few teams interested in him. And lastly whether in a trade or free agency I expect the Oilers to bring in a right side defensemen who has experience and can be put with one of the young defensemen, while they should also being in another defensemen who can challenge for a roster spot on the third line if one of the third line players starts to falter. So to recap keep Bouchard, Nurse and Ceci in the top 4 with them either keeping Keith in the top 4 as well or if he retires then get a cheaper defensemen who can play in the top 4, have one of Samorukov or Broberg play on the third pair and move on from Barrie who is a expensive luxury they can no longer afford to keep as well as bringing in a couple of defensemen to challenge for a 3rd line spot and if they can make these moves then they will be a better team at stoping pucks next year.
And finally the offense as they have a few big questions especially when it comes to some pending free agents. So we know that a few players will for sure be back as I absolutely don’t see McDavid, Draisaitl, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Hyman or McLeod is who is a RFA and will need a new deal but the fact that he is a really good third line Center leads me to believe they will come together on a extension, all going anywhere so I believe they will work around these guys. So the first big question will be can they keep Kane around and I think the answer is yes as he proved that he is still a good player and has proven he has moved past the locker room issues. Now I don’t think Kane will wind up getting $7 Million anywhere on his next contract so I think that if Edmonton offered between $6.5-5.5 Million per year to Kane to sign a extension I think he would and I think Edmonton would be happy to keep him on McDavid’s Wing. Then they will have to decide which one of Jesse Puljujarvi or Kailer Yamamoto they will be keeping and which one will have to be moved. Both of these young wingers are good players and have developed good chemistry with McDavid and Draisaitl but with both being RFA’s this year and both needing new deals probably around $2-3 Million, they can probably bring only one back if they want to resign Kane. I think they would much rather keep Puljujarvi because he has been the more productive and has been a good fit with McDavid but he might be the more expensive one and keeping Yamamoto who has done well and been really good with Draisaitl might make them end up trading Puljujarvi instead, but in my opinion I think that Yamamoto leaves and Puljujarvi stays. Then the Oilers will have to get rid of at least one if not Both of Foegele and Kassian. Foegele has been a good player for Edmonton but is a fourth line player and for a guy making $2.75 over the next two years might be too rich for Edmonton right now so I definitely think a trade is likely for him, and then Kassian who also has two years left on his deal at $3.2 Million seems like he will be traded but if that doesn’t happen then a buyout might be in order as the Oilers need cap space and Kassian is a prime target to help them do that whether it is via buyout or trade. Now I also feel like Derek Ryan and Devin Shore who are both signed for one more year at really good money will make up 2/3 of the 4th line as they don’t have to big of a cap hit and good be valuable 4th line players. Now I also think that youngsters Dylan Holloway and Carter Savoie will make the roster next year as well. Holloway I think would be good on the third line with McLeod as he seems primed for a full time NHL spot and while he could become a top 6 forward I think he starts out on the third line and Savoie I think would either play on the 3rd or 4th line although I think it’s more likely he plays with Ryan on the fourth line to build up his confidence first. Then I would sign someone who could play on the third pair with McLeod but someone who is cheaper then Foegele and also bring in some depth forwards to challenge for a fourth line spot as well. So to recap have McDavid Center line 1 with Draisaitl and RNH play on line 2, then resign Kane and keep him playing top line minutes with McDavid, then move one of Yamamoto or Puljujarvi and resign the other one as both are RFA’s and if you keep Yamamoto then he stays on line 2 and if Puljujarvi stays then he remains on line 1 and Hyman would be placed on the other line then the youngster to round out the top 6. Then resign McLeod who is also a RFA and needs a new deal to remain Edmonton’s third line Center, and have youngster Holloway and a newly signed player play on the wings of McLeods, then have youngster Carter Savoie play fourth line minutes with Derek Ryan and Devin Shore as all will be on reasonable deals. Then move Foegele and Kassian as they are to expensive to keep around and sign a couple of cheap depth players to challenge for a 4th line spot and if the Oilers do all of these moves I have no doubt they will remain playoff and maybe even Stanley Cup contenders.
New York RNotable UFA’s: Andrew Copp, Ryan Strome, Frank Vatrano, Tyler Motte, Kevin Rooney, Greg McKegg, Justin Braun
Notable RFA’s: Kaapo Kakko, Sammy Blais, Julien Gauthier, Tim Gettinger, Libor Hajek, Alex Georgiev
Draft Picks: NYR 2RD, WIN 4RD, NYR 5RD, NYR 6RD
Why did they exit the Confrence Final.
The Rangers had a outstanding season this year as they were able to place 2nd in the Metro Division with a great 110 points in the regular season, and the Rangers were able to get past the first two rounds as they won in 7 games against both the Penguins and the Hurricanes and won the first two games in the Confrence Final but were not able to close out the Bolts and Tampa won 4 in a row as the Rangers weren’t able to make the Stanley Cup Final this year and there are definitely a few reasons why the Rangers left in the 3rd round. First would be the fact that the Rangers couldn’t score a 5 on 5 goals in that series against the Lightning. After getting 8 of their 9 goals in the first two games against Tampa Bay at 5 on 5, they would end up only scoring 1 of five goals they scored in the last 4 games while playing 5 on 5. So while the power play unit was doing a outstanding job the 5 on 5 play couldn’t get going and if you can score at 5 on 5 against Tampa then it is a death sentence as the Rangers found out.
Secondly was they had a terrible road record in the playoffs. In the regular season the Rangers went 25-14-2 for 52 points which was 7th in the NHL but when the playoffs came, they wound up winning 2 of 10 playoff games on the road and third were Game 6 against Pittsburgh when they were down 3-2 and Game 7 against Carolina in a win or go home game. There wasn’t enough urgence from the Rangers on the road in the earlier games and only seemed to play to win this on the road when they were facing elimination and this is another reason why the Rangers fell. And the third reason was the fact that they were a very banged up team. While the Lightning were also banged up and didn’t have Point for the entire series, the Rangers had more players injured as Strome missed game 3 due to injury and wasn’t the same productive player in the last 3 games, Chytil was injured in Game 4 and the kid line wasn’t the same in games 5 and 6, Goodrow and Lindgren had both battled through ankle injuries in this series and due to all of these injuries they had to play banged up and while Tampa isn’t much healthier, I do believe that the Rangers dealing with so many injuries was another factor in them losing to Tampa in the Confrence Final.
How I think they can improve in the offseason.
As I mentioned before above, the Rangers had a outstanding year as it seems their rebuild is now complete as they were able to get to 2nd in the Metro and while they had to endure two long and tough series, they won both beating first the Penguins and then the Hurricanes both in 7 games and it seems those series had a effect on the Rangers as they fell in 6 games to the Bolts, and while they did outstanding this year I think they can tweak their roster to remain a top team next year.
First with goaltending where there starting position is locked up but there backup position needs to have a look at it. Now the starting position is nothing to sweat at as the Rangers have excellent goalie Igor Shesterkin who is a top 5 and maybe even top 3 goalie in the NHL right now is still signed for 3 years at around $5.5 Million and with the outstanding season he had where he is a finalist for the hart trophy this year and basically lead the Rangers to the playoffs and saved games left and right, I don’t think that the Rangers are worried about the starting position but do have to answer the backup position. Right now the Rangers have Alex Georgiev as their backup but is a pending RFA and if he was to sign with NYR would probably command a lot of money and the Rangers need cap space so moving on from Georgiev makes sense to me. I think that Georgiev is capable of being a tandem goalie or maybe even a starter in the NHL probably starting around 40-50 games per year, so if New York moved him to a team where he would get more of a opportunity for a decent return I think they would do that, and then they could go out and acquire either in a trade maybe even the Georgiev trade or via free agency I believe they would sign more of a backup goalie who can play 20-30 games per year and and help get Shesterkin some nights off but is also cheaper then what Georgiev would make to save some cap space for NYR. So to recap keep amazing goalie Igor Shesterkin as the starter, and then move on from Georgiev who will be moved to a team who can give him more of a opportunity and then bring in more of a backup goalie then Georgiev at not too much money and I think the Rangers will be just fine at the position.
Then defensively the Rangers have the core of their defence most likely back for next year but there could be some minor tweaks to their D-Corp in the offseason. Now the Rangers top four are all signed past next year for the Rangers. Fox who is a great defensemen and is their unquestioned number one D-Men is still signed for 7 more years and is still a great producer for the Rangers so I have no doubt he will remain in New York, Jacob Trouba who may not be on such a favourable contract as he has 4 years left at $8 Million dollars per year is still a major contributor for New York and I don’t think he will be a cap casualty as he can still produce and is a very physical defensemen for the Rangers, then you still have Lindgren who is signed at $3 Million for the next two years is a key player for the Rangers as he has been a fantastic partner for Fox and showcased his blocking ability in the playoffs so I don’t think he will be moving either and will remain on the top pair with Fox, and then K’Andre Miller who will be a RFA in a year, is still devolving his scoring touch and had a brilliant year last season as he had a career high 20 points this year and I have no doubt he will still be playing on the 2nd pair next year with Trouba. Then the Rangers should also have Braden Schneider play on the 3rd pair next year as he had his rookie year this season and did better then any of the other Ranger rookies this year as he was able to put up 11 points in 43 games and was a regular in the playoffs and I think is ready for a full time role at the NHL level. Then the Rangers should try and move Patrik Nemeth who is making too much for the Rangers right now. Nemeth has 2 years left on his deal at $2.5 Million per year and while he was a good 3rd pair D-Men for the Rangers last year, I don’t think his $2.5 Million dollar cap hit is good for a 3rd pair defensemen and moving him to get that cap space should be a major priority. Then with the cap space acquired in the Nemeth trade, they will sign a couple of depth defensemen who could challenge for a spot on the 3rd pair and play with Schneider who I think could still use a more older defensemen to play with, and maybe even the younger players like Lundkvist and Jones will challenge for a roster spot as I don’t think their as ready for the NHL as Schneider is but I do believe that they are still pretty good defensemen. So to recap have the top four of Fox and Lindgren on the top line and Trouba and Miller on the second line remain as their top 4, have Schneider return as a 3rd pair D-Men and move on from Nemeth who will be a cap casualty this season for the Rangers, and then have a few depth defensemen signed as well as the young prospects Lundkvist and Jones fight for a spot on the 3rd pair with Schneider and I think they will be a better team next year if they only make minor moves to their team.
Offensively is last as they will potentially have a major shake up in the offensive core to the team with a lot of players being pending UFA’s. Now I know that there is a lot of people saying that the kid line will be in the top 6 next year but I don’t really think that will be the case as to start I feel that the Rangers will have Kreider and Zibanejad continue to be the LW and C on the top line after Zibanejad had over 80 points for the first time in his career last year and will have his contract extension kick in next year and Kreider had a outstanding 50 goal season and is still playing at a elite level. Then Panarin who is having really good production will remain on the 2nd line at Left Wing, while I think Lafreniere and Chytil will at least for next year remain on the third line because I think that while Lafreniere might be ready for a bigger role, I think that he wouldn’t for on Panarin’s line and that they should have a right winger on the top line, and while I think he is close to being ready to be a 2nd line Center, at the monment I believe that Chytil is better suited to be the third line Center for the Rangers. Then I think that it would be a smart move to bring back Vatrano to play on Zibanejad’s Wing. After coming over in a trade at the deadline he put up 13 points in 22 games and I think if they signed him for around $2.5 Million for next year I think that would be a smart move. Then I would pick only one of Copp or Strome to resign and be the 2nd line Center. Both of these players are good and have great chemistry with Panarin but Strome has played more with Panarin and has better Chemistry and is more experienced as a top 6 player but Copp fit in pretty well since he was acquired at the deadline and could be cheaper to sign then Strome. So while I would personally say that Copp is the one to stay, I believe that the Rangers will have to make a decision on one of them. Then I would say that instead of having a offer sheet risk or moving him that the Rangers and Kakko will come to terms on a short term bridge deal at probably around 2-3 years at $2.5-4 Million dollars per year and I think that if they do that then Kakko will play on the 2nd line with Panarin rather then on the 3rd line and I think the idea of more playing time will convince Kakko to stay. Then I would have either Kravtsov or Blais play on the third line as Blais recently signed a 1 year extension as did Kravtsov and I feel that if Kravtsov doesn’t play in the top 9 next year then he will be moved but I think I’d they have him time on the third line he might be happy again with the Rangers. Then if Kravtsov is there I would have Goodrow and Blais on the fourth line as they are both good players but are on a very deep team and may need to play on the 4th line. I would think that Reaves might be moved out New York in the offseason due to the fact that the Rangers have a lot of depth RW players and moving Reaves who had $1.75 Million on his cap might be a smart move, but if Kravtsov leaves then I would expect him to stay. And then I would guess that Dryden Hunt and maybe a few acquired depth players will also challenge for a fourth line spot as depth pieces may be all New York can afford. So to recap have Kreider and Zibanejad remain on the top line and resign Vatrano to play on the top line with those two, then keep Panarin on the 2nd line with only one of Copp or Strome who are both UFA’s being resigned to Center the second line. Then have Kakko play Right Wing on the second line and have Lafreniere and Chytil remain on the third line. Then have one of Kravtsov and Blais play on the third line, have one of those two or Reaves play on the 4th line, and tarde the other away. Then have Goodrow Center the 4th line with Hunt and some depth forwards who they will sign also fight for a 4th line position and if the Rangers make these moves I have no doubt that the Rangers will be back in the final four and maybe even the Stanley Cup Final next year.
Comments
Post a Comment