Lafreniere trade

[Willie Dog]

Lots of chatter online about the Rangers having challenges trying to sign both Laffy and Miller, they only have 6 mill in cap space. Of course the click bait is including the habs as a trading partner for the Rags given the Gorton/Drury connection and Laffy being from Quebec but I'm unsure what the Rags would want and what would HuGo be willing to give up?

I know one thing, if we traded Mailloux to the Rags, he'd get automatic reinstatement from Bettman.

[folatre]

Well, considering Lafreniere and Miller do not have arbitration rights, Drury can basically just stick them with a two-year bridge for modest money. Who knows, if the kids really break out, the Rangers may be facing a problem in the summer of 2025.

I doubt the Rangers are trying to trade Miller -- big, rangy kid with 200 NHL games under his belt already. I have no idea how New York feels about Lafreniere. I think he still has value around the league. It would probably require a couple of nice assets.

[PTH]

With Slaf, Caufield and presumably Newhook on LW, do we even have room for him in a useful role ?
If getting him puts Slaf on the 4th line, I'm not sure it's worthwhile...

[Willie Dog]

Jul 9, 2023 15:38:33 GMT -5 PTH said:

With Slaf, Caufield and presumably Newhook on LW, do we even have room for him in a useful role ?
If getting him puts Slaf on the 4th line, I'm not sure it's worthwhile...

Cole shoots right and plays on the left, could a guy like Laff not do the same on the right side, especially with him being a power forward, driving the net?

[jkr]

Cant see NY giving upon him after just 3 years. Hes still only 21 & I dont know how much prime opportunities the Rangers have really given him over the years.

When I have seen them play they seem to rely on the vets - Kreider, Panarin, Zibinajad etc. to carry the load.

Drury seems to have denied it for now & whenever a Francophone name comes up, Montreal always gets mentioned. Probably just another summer time rumor.

[folatre]

I am not sure about how St. Louis would feel about 19 year old Slafkovsky on the right side, mainly because of issues which may arise in the d-zone and neutral zone. In contrast, Caufield has already played a lot on both sides.

I see Newhook as a left wing, but who knows maybe management believes he will consolidate as a centre. I think Newhook caught a lot of flak this season in Colorado because Landeskog got injured and essentially Newhook was the first man up for 2C and it just did not work out (Compher actually moved up and stabilized the second line pivot). But Newhook was just a kid with a lot of unexpected pressure on his shoulders, so Hughes may believe he can slowly re-acclimate to centre the way Dach seems to have.

I guess the nagging question for me is whether Lafreniere actually possesses a ceiling that would justify dealing a couple a nice assets. I am thinking it would cost something like Beck and Harris. New York accepting something like Farrell, Norlinder and a second rounder is just not reality.