Big Blue Huddle

Panthers just got our old friend/mercenary Vlad Tarasenko. Don't see how the Rangers can hang with them without a big move of their own now.

That sucks. His family lives in Fla., so it makes sense.

Looks like we got Wennberg for a 2nd in 24, and a 4th in 25'.

Hopefully we're not done. I assume we're not. Wennberg might help at the margin in certain ways, but he isn't a difference maker.

The Penguins seem interested in moving Guntzel. They realize their window with Crosby and Malkin is pretty much closed, and they want to rebuild. Guntzel could be an option. He is outstanding. Obviously it would be costly, but that's the kind of guy that can make the difference between us beating a team like Florida in the postseason and losing to them, which it appears is what would probably happen with the current roster.

Here is Art Staple from The Athletic on Wennberg:


How Wennberg fits with Rangers

Wennberg joins the Rangers and slots in as their No. 3 center, a pretty seamless fit for a team that needed better depth down the middle, not necessarily high-end skill.

Wennberg did a lot of different things for the Kraken — he was one of their top penalty-killing forwards, played on the power play and took more faceoffs than any other Seattle center — but with the Rangers, he will be focused on centering a third line that can supplement the team's top six and be the sort of 200-foot center the Rangers could use.

With Seattle retaining half of Wennberg's $4.5-million cap hit, the Rangers currently have around $2.9-million in cap space. That number would go up if they were to add another forward, since they'd have to send down one of their waiver-exempt rookies currently on the roster, either Adam Edstrom or Matt Rempe.

It's believed the Rangers are still looking for a top-six wing to play on the right side. They still have their first-round picks this year and next year, so Anaheim forward Frank Vatrano could still be in play for them — as might Pittsburgh wing Jake Guentzel if the ask drops on the Penguins side.

The Rangers may also be in the market for a depth, left-shot defenseman, though adding another forward seems to be the priority now with Wennberg in the fold. — Arthur Staple, senior Rangers writer

Quote from: DaveBrown74 on March 06, 2024, 06:58:38 PMHere is Art Staple from The Athletic on Wennberg:


How Wennberg fits with Rangers

Wennberg joins the Rangers and slots in as their No. 3 center, a pretty seamless fit for a team that needed better depth down the middle, not necessarily high-end skill.

Wennberg did a lot of different things for the Kraken — he was one of their top penalty-killing forwards, played on the power play and took more faceoffs than any other Seattle center — but with the Rangers, he will be focused on centering a third line that can supplement the team's top six and be the sort of 200-foot center the Rangers could use.

With Seattle retaining half of Wennberg's $4.5-million cap hit, the Rangers currently have around $2.9-million in cap space. That number would go up if they were to add another forward, since they'd have to send down one of their waiver-exempt rookies currently on the roster, either Adam Edstrom or Matt Rempe.

It's believed the Rangers are still looking for a top-six wing to play on the right side. They still have their first-round picks this year and next year, so Anaheim forward Frank Vatrano could still be in play for them — as might Pittsburgh wing Jake Guentzel if the ask drops on the Penguins side.

The Rangers may also be in the market for a depth, left-shot defenseman, though adding another forward seems to be the priority now with Wennberg in the fold. — Arthur Staple, senior Rangers writer

Drury has been pursuing him for a while and the thought was that it would take a first-round pick and a prospect or two in order for the Octopi to make the trade. He's a versatile player who can, in addition to playing center, is a stallworth as a penalty killer and is one of the league's best passers of the puck. There was also talk that Drury was looking at Wennberg's teammate Jordan Eberle who could have been an answer to the right-wing gap.

This wasn't a surprise and a '24 second round pick and '25 conditional fourth round pick, plus picking up his salary, is reasonable for this acquisition.

Still time to find that wing, but time's a tickin'!

Peace!

Quote from: kartanoman on March 06, 2024, 07:18:28 PMand is one of the league's best passers of the puck.

Is he really one of the league's best passers? He has 161 assists in 415 games. That doesn't seem like a lot.

He's light years better than Bredzinski. Did they send Rempe down to Hartford? Cuylie- Wennberg- Vesey can be an effective 3rd line. Edstrom- Goodrow- Bredzinski would be the 4th. It's good they made the trade now. He can get in a practice or two, and get acclimated before their next game on Saturday. 

Quote from: DaveBrown74 on March 06, 2024, 07:22:33 PMIs he really one of the league's best passers? He has 161 assists in 415 games. That doesn't seem like a lot.

With the Rangers, it will come in handy on killing opponents' power plays, if you can remember how many times our heroes fail to clear the puck out of their own zone. But as for assists, I'll admit I don't watch too many Seattle games but the inference was accuracy; assists is a good point, though. It will be interesting to see how he gels with the third line. Drury got him at the right moment because a few teams came a calling for him with interest.

Brace yourselves, some talking heads were actually recommending Drury work a deal with St. Louis, who comes to town for Saturday night's game, and bring back Pavel Buchnevich and reunite him with the Z-man and Kreider. Really now???

If Drury can find a complementary right-winger, then great. But maybe it be more prudent to try and find one more hard-nosed defenseman to round out the team's lineup.

36 hours left and counting!

Peace!

Carolina adding Guentzel puts the pressure on Drury to get something done.

That's horrible for the Rangers. We're going to haveto play my style of hockey(Atilla the Hun) to beat them. The only counter move I see is prying Adam Tuch away from Buffalo which would probably take more in assets than Carolina gave up.

We will see what happens but there might not really be a major move for the Rangers to make. 

Drury is straight up trash. 

Wow. Pretty uninspiring deadline.

Quote from: Messiah717 on March 08, 2024, 03:15:35 PMDrury is straight up trash. 

Why? You don't know what the asking prices were. Dolan doesn't want to trade this year's #1 because the draft is at one of his properties, and Drury doesn't want to trade Kakko. I agree. The league has a tendency to ask more from the Rangers in trades than other teams. Seattle re-signed Eberle, Anaheim wanted alot for Vatrano. Pittsburgh's rivalry with Carolina is mild compared with that of the Rangers. I could not see the Pens considering sending Guentzel here. Taffoli would have been nice, but the Devils would never do it. Tarasenko's family lives in Florida. So we go to war with what we have. Carolina also got Kuznetsov, but his head may not be straight. Adam Tuch was not going to get traded, and the price for doing so would have been exorbitant. Drury would not part with Othmann and Perrault. Again I agree. People in the know say that Perrault was the steal of the 2023 draft. Bettman must be drooling about Florida. Southwest winner last year, southeast looking really strong, Rangers very relevant, and making money for the league. That's how he wants it in his macro view competing with other sports. We have a micro view.