Jan Levine: Jeff Gorton: putting Rangers in place to take step to next level Final blog in series

Couldn't be happier with the way Gorts and JD have gone about this rebuild. Perfect? Of course not. But, it has been a mere 26 months since The Letter and we are poised to take major strides and make noise when play resumes. How many teams have been floundering for much, much longer than that with no real sense of how they are going to get back to the top?

Perfect example is look a short distance to Long Island to see how long and slow the NY Islanders took to develop their team to be a competing, playoff team. GM (and his crew) is key. Kudos to Rangers management to have this team where they are right now. Heck, we are on the verge of being a playoff team again.

Let's just be happy that Dolan doesn't care or interfere with the Rangers at all

Let's just be happy that Dolan doesn't care or interfere with the Rangers at all
- TPC

I'm assuming he recovered?

I'm assuming he recovered?
- MeltingPlastic

No clue, haven't seen anything since it was first announced

I'm assuming he recovered?
- MeltingPlastic

He probably hs his own Dr on c@ll, sure he'll be ok.

From Frank Seravalli:
https://www.tsn.ca/talent...on-is-completed-1.1468686

From Frank Seravalli:
https://www.tsn.ca/talent...on-is-completed-1.1468686
- airjan23

seems like a dumb thing to move up. if anything, shouldn't the draft be easily moved back to accommodate the season possibly resuming? don't see the point or benefit of moving something like that to be earlier when everything around the draft depends on season standings.

seems like a dumb thing to move up. if anything, shouldn't the draft be easily moved back to accommodate the season possibly resuming? don't see the point or benefit of moving something like that to be earlier when everything around the draft depends on season standings.
- Mtlca66

This is a very dumb idea I agree. I don’t get the point of it either. It can only be some sorta pr thing, and even that’s dumb lol. People and fans will know when hockey is starting again, we don’t need our intelligence insulted

FYI: https://nypost.com/2020/0...m_campaign=site%20buttons

FYI: https://nypost.com/2020/0...m_campaign=site%20buttons
- airjan23

IDK, sounds like this is gon be @ big cluster F to get this worked out logistically.

IDK, sounds like this is gon be @ big cluster F to get this worked out logistically.
- B2B76

the players in Europe somehow getting here for May 15th doesn't seem possible

the players in Europe somehow getting here for May 15th doesn't seem possible
- jimbro83

Yep, so many hurdles still for this to work. IDK, might be easier to just scrap this current season & hope for the best for @ relatively normal start to the 2020-21 season

How bout that BIG boy the Jets drafted last night?! 6’7, 360 lb offensive lineman who runs a 40 yard dash in less than 6 seconds.

Well, still waiting on the Season Ticket that EK said I won last week through his "Pick your all-time favourite Playoff series" blog.
Even sent him a message about it 3 days ago, and still no response.
Disappointing.

Well, still waiting on the Season Ticket that EK said I won last week through his "Pick your all-time favourite Playoff series" blog.
Even sent him a message about it 3 days ago, and still no response.
Disappointing.
- Tonybere

He probably saw how many bans you've had when he went to enable it.

Well, still waiting on the Season Ticket that EK said I won last week through his "Pick your all-time favourite Playoff series" blog.
Even sent him a message about it 3 days ago, and still no response.
Disappointing.
- Tonybere

Probly better off

He probably saw how many bans you've had when he went to enable it.
- JRR1285

LMAO!!! Never thought of that! You could be on to something.
Well. (frank) him AND Tanner!

the players in Europe somehow getting here for May 15th doesn't seem possible
- jimbro83

In general I'm on team cancel the season now. It's not that I'm one of those doom and gloom people, but that attempts to restart the season could have tons of ripple effects following it. While you could condense some offseason stuff, you still need a decent amount of time to let the players recover and rest along with all the other offseason things. You may be able to condense free agency, but you would still have to have a decent amount of time for prospect camps with your draft picks and any undrafted or college free agents that you'd like to invite.

What's worse is what if there are setbacks? We are already looking at a late start to next season if we complete this season. If there's a setback, are we then going to cancel the season? How long would we attempt to complete this season if it is restarted? If next season doesn't start until Christmas, does that then have any impact on 21-22?

I think by the fall we should have a reasonable method for running games without fans and get a proper 82 game season in. I think at this point that's better than trying to have a wonky one year thing to determine the cup and probably a 60-70 game next season as a possible best case scenario.

In general I'm on team cancel the season now. It's not that I'm one of those doom and gloom people, but that attempts to restart the season could have tons of ripple effects following it. While you could condense some offseason stuff, you still need a decent amount of time to let the players recover and rest along with all the other offseason things. You may be able to condense free agency, but you would still have to have a decent amount of time for prospect camps with your draft picks and any undrafted or college free agents that you'd like to invite.

What's worse is what if there are setbacks? We are already looking at a late start to next season if we complete this season. If there's a setback, are we then going to cancel the season? How long would we attempt to complete this season if it is restarted? If next season doesn't start until Christmas, does that then have any impact on 21-22?

I think by the fall we should have a reasonable method for running games without fans and get a proper 82 game season in. I think at this point that's better than trying to have a wonky one year thing to determine the cup and probably a 60-70 game next season as a possible best case scenario.
- 2sticks1puck

to me, one of the biggest problems they have if they just cancel the season is what about teams that traded picks at the deadline for rentals

it cant be just a case of "well, that's a risk teams took"

it's completely unfair for teams who bought at the deadline not to get a shot

but, I am also in the camp that canceling the rest of the season and putting focus on next year being as normal as possible as being the best idea

to me, one of the biggest problems they have if they just cancel the season is what about teams that traded picks at the deadline for rentals

it cant be just a case of "well, that's a risk teams took"

it's completely unfair for teams who bought at the deadline not to get a shot

but, I am also in the camp that canceling the rest of the season and putting focus on next year being as normal as possible as being the best idea
- jimbo83

I know this is still probably not fair, equitable, and opens a new can of worms, but I would give those teams compensatory picks at the end of the respective round that the trade is in. So a team trading a 2nd rounder for a rental, would get a 2nd rounder at the end. If the player is still under contract or resigns before the draft (give teams a window a week or two before the draft for signing rights) then they would not get the pick. I would even give teams the ability to trade the exclusive rights (and the rights to any comp pick) like UFAs now.

I know this is still probably not fair, equitable, and opens a new can of worms, but I would give those teams compensatory picks at the end of the respective round that the trade is in. So a team trading a 2nd rounder for a rental, would get a 2nd rounder at the end. If the player is still under contract or resigns before the draft (give teams a window a week or two before the draft for signing rights) then they would not get the pick. I would even give teams the ability to trade the exclusive rights (and the rights to any comp pick) like UFAs now.
- 2sticks1puck

Carolina and the Islanders traded their first rounders, but for guys that will still play with them a number of years, wonder if that changes anything.

But no doubt the Isles traded for Pageau with this year's playoffs in mind

Carolina and the Islanders traded their first rounders, but for guys that will still play with them a number of years, wonder if that changes anything.

But no doubt the Isles traded for Pageau with this year's playoffs in mind
- jimbo83

Yeah, no extra picks for them. I also wouldn't know how to deal with conditional picks or multi player/pick trades. However, there really aren't that many high picks for a rental that actually happened.

I so disagree with a June draft. Said that on the podcast the other day. Understand the rationale for doing it, just think it's a mistake to have a draft before the end of season, especially when league placement and finish impact picks.