Whereas the New York Rangers have been one of many prime groups within the NHL for the previous few seasons, it was not way back once they had been the exact opposite. Through the 2017-18 season, they hit a wall with their core gamers and it regarded like their championship window was closing and it was determined that adjustments wanted to be made. In February 2018, administration would ship out what’s now often called “The Letter” to the followers letting them know that adjustments had been going to be made and plenty of gamers on the staff on the time can be gone.
This started a rebuild that lasted over elements of 4 seasons and plenty of seismic adjustments had been made to assist the Rangers rebuild their prospect pool, get youthful expertise onto the NHL roster and assist set them up for the place they’re proper now. On this piece, we’re going to take a look at a number of the successes and failures of this rebuild and the way it has led to the place the Rangers are in the present day.
Present High-6 Protection Group Was Constructed Through the Rebuild
On the time that the rebuild began, not one of the Rangers’ present projected prime six defensemen had been a part of the group. We’re going to go in chronological order and see how every of them made their approach to the Rangers. It began with Ryan Lindgren in 2018. He was the principle prospect that was introduced again within the deal that despatched Rick Nash to the Boston Bruins. Okay’Andre Miller was subsequent and the staff traded up within the 2018 Draft to accumulate him. Adam Fox was acquired in April 2019 from the Carolina Hurricanes for 2 second-round picks.
Their present captain, Jacob Trouba, was acquired from the Winnipeg Jets in June 2019 for Neal Pionk and a 2019 first-round choose, which the Jets traded to the Rangers earlier within the season for Kevin Hayes, in order that they received their very own choose again. Zac Jones was drafted within the 2019 Draft within the third spherical and at last, Braden Schneider was drafted within the first spherical of the 2020 Draft.
The Rangers had been capable of construct their present protection core by way of the draft and thru trades the place they didn’t have to surrender a lot. They received a Norris Trophy-winning defenseman in Fox and he’s prone to win just a few extra earlier than his profession is over and so they have a really stable group round him. Whereas this group does have its flaws, it’s miles forward of what the Rangers had again in 2018 when the rebuild started. This group is comparatively younger and nonetheless has room to enhance because the years go alongside.
A number of High 10 Draft Picks Going to Waste
Whereas the rebuild technically began in the course of the 2017-18 season, the primary true transfer occurred within the 2017 offseason on the draft. The Rangers traded Derek Stepan and Anti Raanta to the Arizona Coyotes in trade for Tony D’Angelo and the seventh total choose within the 2017 NHL Draft. This transfer allowed the Rangers to clear cap area and received them a possibility to choose within the first spherical for the primary time since 2012.
Nonetheless, this choose ended up not turning into something good as Lias Andersson was the participant chosen. He performed in simply 66 video games for the staff earlier than being traded to the Los Angeles Kings in 2020 for a second-round choose that became Will Cuylle, who simply had an incredible rookie season for the Rangers. This offseason, Andersson signed a deal to return to Sweden to proceed his enjoying profession.
Associated: Revisiting Artemi Panarin’s Signing 5 Seasons Later
The next season, the Rangers had the ninth total choose, however didn’t study from their earlier errors. They made a big gamble by choosing Vitali Kravtsov and it didn’t repay. Very similar to Andersson, each gamers had points enjoying within the American Hockey League (AHL) and felt that they weren’t getting the chance to achieve the NHL. Kravtsov requested a commerce from the staff, however did finally come again and provides it one final shot with the Rangers. It didn’t final and he was traded previous to the 2023 Commerce Deadline to the Vancouver Canucks for Will Lockwood and a 2026 seventh-round choose. He’s now again in Russia enjoying within the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL).
The Horrible Ryan McDonagh/J.T. Miller Commerce to the Tampa Bay Lightning
The primary large transfer of the rebuild got here on the 2018 Commerce Deadline when the Rangers traded their captain on the time, Ryan McDonagh, together with J.T. Miller to the Tampa Bay Lightning. They might get a bundle in return that included Brett Howden, Vladislav Namestnikov, Libor Hajek, a 2018 first-round choose and a 2019 second-round choose. This was a horrible return for a participant in McDonagh who nonetheless had one other yr left on his deal and Miller, who had untapped potential. This commerce would find yourself changing into a catastrophe for the Rangers and not one of the gamers they received or drafted with these picks are with the staff in the present day.
Howden was nothing greater than a bottom-six middle for elements of three seasons with the Rangers and he was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights and ended up profitable a Stanley Cup. Namestnikov, like Howden, was a bottom-six participant and was traded to the Ottawa Senators and has since bounced across the league. Hajek was a sixth/seventh defenseman for the staff and was let go as a free agent final offseason. The 2019 second was used on Karl Henriksson who simply signed a deal to play in Sweden. The 2018 first was used on Nils Lundkvist and the one shiny facet with him was that he was traded to the Dallas Stars for a first-round choose within the 2023 Draft. That choose was finally used within the deal that introduced Vladimir Tarasenko to New York. In order of now, the Rangers don’t have anything to point out for the McDonagh/Miller commerce and it may be argued that it was one of many worst trades in franchise historical past.
The Rebuild Helped Get the Group to The place They Are Now
Of all of the gamers that had been on the 2017-18 staff, solely two of them stay on the roster that’s heading to the beginning of the 2024-25 season. These two gamers are Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad. This rebuild allowed the Rangers to maneuver on from older gamers who weren’t going to be a part of the long run and it allowed them to usher in draft picks and prospects and likewise youthful gamers who might make an influence within the NHL. In addition they had some draft lottery luck that allowed them to get Kaapo Kaako and Alexis Lafreniere in back-to-back drafts. In addition they had been ready to usher in big-time free brokers like Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck attributable to them having the cap area and so they might promote the gamers that the long run is shiny in New York.
Now, the Rangers are about to enter one more season by which they’re wanting like one of many prime contenders that would deliver house the Stanley Cup. It’s loopy to assume that if this staff can’t get the job executed, they could must enter one more retooling part as they take a look at what’s finest for the franchise going ahead. This present roster was constructed by way of a rebuild and now, they give the impression of being to deliver the Stanley Cup again to New York.
