It's Miller Time

Make no mistake about it, the New York Rangers were twenty minutes away from not only losing their fourth straight game, but from finding themselves on the exit ramp as far as the playoffs were concerned. After a crushing loss to the Colorado Avalanche in the final seconds of regulation, the Blueshirts followed that up with two uninspiring performances against the Carolina Hurricanes and Boston Bruins. The reason they were only trailing the Vegas Golden Knights 2-1 going into the third period was because Jonathan Quick was keeping them in the game. Their postseason hopes were on the brink.

That's when the prodigal son came through. With the Rangers on the power play, J.T. Miller took a cross ice pass from Artemi Panarin and fired a shot towards Adin Hill that he was unable to handle. Mika Zibanejad pounced on the loose puck and deposited it in the back of the net to tie the game. A few minutes later, K'Andre Miller blasted a shot from the left point that beat Hill cleanly to give New York a 3-2 lead. And with under two minutes left in regulation, and the Rangers on another power play, Panarin scored the insurance goal to ice the game. J.T. Miller assisted on that goal as well.

In just two games since returning to the Rangers, Miller has two goals and two assists. He was the lone bright spot in Boston, scoring twice and leading the team with six shots on goal. Against Vegas, he was a plus 2 and was on the ice for three of the Rangers four goals. His presence has been felt both on the bench and on the ice. How significant has Miller been? Mika Zibanaejad had his best game of the season with a goal and two assists, playing on Miller's right side with Panarin on the left. The trio combined for two goals and six assists. It's no exaggeration to say that every time that line was on the ice they were creating scoring chances. 

Peter Laviolette has gotten a lot of criticism this season - most of it justified - for the way his team has played. But his decision to unite his three best offensive players is, for now at least, an unqualified success. Most coaches would've just buried Zibanajead on the third line given the way he's played, but Laviolette realized - correctly, I might add - that if this team is going to make a run at the playoffs, it will need contributions from number 93. Credit him for that much.

But it wasn't just the three points Zibanejad registered that was noteworthy. He looked like a man possessed out there. He battled all game long. He kept the puck in the zone on the Rangers first power play goal. Frankly, I haven't seen him play with this much intensity in well over a year. If Miller can motivate this guy, this might just go down as the most consequential Rangers trade since October of 1991. Yes, I went there. But before you get on my case, I'm not suggesting that J.T. Miller is Mark Messier. I may be old but I'm not senile. What I am suggesting is that Miller, like Messier before him, is a passionate player who can't stand losing. I'm positive that's what led to his "leave of absence" earlier in the year, which eventually led to his exit out of Vancouver. Sometimes you're the cancer; other times you're the cure. In this case, Chris Drury is hoping it's the latter.

And speaking of Drury, his detractors might end up eating crow before the season is out. Since last summer he has unloaded both Barclay Goodrow and Jacob Trouba without retaining a cent of their respective salaries; acquired two stay at home defensemen in Urho Vaakanainen and Will Borgen who have solidified a blue line that was as leaky as the RMS Titanic; and landed a number one center in Miller for a player whose next shift might well be his last and a lottery protected first round draft pick. 

As a result of his wheeling and dealing, the Rangers currently have $9.3 million in available cap space, which translates to $16.5 million in deadline cap space, meaning if the Rangers actually do make a run at the postseason, Drury will have a boatload of cap space at his disposal to further tweak this roster. Maybe he isn't Mr. Congeniality, but the guy knows his shit. He's ten times the GM Glen Sather ever was. 

But all that may be irrelevant if the Rangers don't make the postseason. After last night's win, they're currently five points out. Between now and the NHL trade deadline on March 7, the Blueshirts play eleven games. All but three are against teams that are currently in the playoffs. Conservatively speaking, New York will have to win at least eight of those games in order to get within striking distance of a wildcard spot; no small feat given how erratic they've been. 

Indeed, for the Rangers to avoid being only the third team in NHL history to miss the playoffs after winning the Presidents trophy the season before, they will likely have to go 21-8-1 over their last 30 games. They would then finish with a record of 46-31-5 for 97 points. And even that might not be enough to get in. That's how tight the playoff race is in the Eastern Conference this year.

The problem with digging a hole halfway to China is that sometimes you wind up closer to downtown Beijing than you do to midtown Manhattan.

Kreider and Shesterkin Save the Rangers Bacon

It was May 25, 1994, and the New York Rangers were trailing their rivals, the New Jersey Devils 2-0 midway through the second period of game six of the Eastern Conference Finals. The only reason it was 2-0 and not 5-0 was because of Mike Richter. He practically stood on his head doing his best to keep his team within striking distance. A loss would've ended the Blueshirts season, and 54 years would've become 55 and counting. Those "Nineteen Forty" chants would've gone on, perhaps forever. 

That's when Mark Messier took over. He fed a drop pass to Alex Kovalev in the right face-off circle, and the winger beat Martin Brodeur with a slap shot to cut the Devils lead in half. And then the Captain had the third period of a lifetime, scoring a natural hat trick to propel his team to victory. Two days later, Stephane Matteau completed the series comeback with a double overtime goal. On June 14, the Rangers would finally exorcize their demons and capture the Stanley Cup.

Last night, the Rangers found themselves trailing by two goals entering the third period of a game six. Though the circumstances were different - this Rangers team was ahead of the Carolina Hurricanes instead of behind - the ramifications were almost as dire. New York had jumped out to a 3-0 series lead and the Hurricanes were now twenty minutes away from forcing a game seven at Madison Square Garden. There was a very real chance that the Rangers would become only the fifth team in NHL history to lose a series after leading 3-0.

Igor Shesterkin, like Richter 30 years earlier, had done everything possible to give his team a chance at avoiding what may well have been the worst collapse in franchise history. He made save after save and was even aided by several posts that the Canes hit. But to overcome the deficit, the Rangers needed someone else to step up and take the reigns.

Enter Chris Kreider. The twelve-year veteran scored three consecutive goals to stun the crowd in Raleigh. An empty netter by Barclay Goodrow was the icing on the cake. The Rangers won the game 5-3 and took the series 4-2. For the second time in three years, New York has advanced to the Eastern Conference Finals where they await the winner of the Florida / Boston series.

There's no easy way to put this. The Rangers were very fortunate. They had played five consecutive periods of poor hockey in which they were outscored 7-2. Their power play had gone ice cold. Had Freddie Andersen not gifted them with two questionable goals - the first to Artemi Panarin in game one; the second to Kreider in game six, the final outcome might have gone the other way. For those who still insist that goaltending is overrated, hopefully this series will serve as a wakeup call. From Ken Dryden to Andrei Vasilevskiy, elite goalies have always played an integral role in their teams Stanley Cup championships. Maybe instead of trading for Jake Guentzel, Don Waddell should've traded for someone like Jordan Binnington or Jacob Markstrom. Either would've done a much better job in net than Andersen. The fact is, had the Hurricanes gotten better goaltending in last year's playoffs against the Panthers, there's no way in hell they would've been swept.

But that's Carolina's problem, isn't it? As for the Rangers, they will have their work cut out for them against Florida, assuming Florida wraps up its series tonight in Boston. Unlike the Canes, the team formerly known as the Puddy Tats doesn't take a bunch of shots from the perimeter in the hopes of causing "chaos" in front of the net. They drive to the net and make life a living hell for opposing goaltenders. The only reason the Bruins forced a game six is because Jeremy Swayman did his best Patrick Roy impersonation. I can assure you if Sam Reinhart has the puck on his stick 20 feet out from Shesterkin, he's not going to hit the post. The Panthers have no discernible weaknesses. If the Rangers struggle at all in this series, they will lose. Period.

But for now they can relax and celebrate. They have advanced to the NHL's version of the Final Four. The last time a Presidents' Trophy winner made it this far was 2015. That team, oddly enough, was the Rangers.

And our hero of the day, Chris Kreider, was a member of that team.

Who Will Drury Hire to Replace Gallant?

Well, at least this time Gerard Gallant didn't get fired on his way to the airport. Chris Drury had the good taste to do it in person, even if his explanation for making the move didn't pass the smell test. "Mutually agreed to part ways," my ass. I remember the last time I "mutually agreed to part ways" with an employer. I was walked back to my desk, gathered my personal belongings, and allowed to say goodbye to my former coworkers while I was being escorted out of the building. To paraphrase a line out of the movie Forrest Gump, "termination is as termination does."

So now that Gallant is out, who will replace him? Drury has made a lot of critical decisions over his tenure as President and GM; none more critical than this. For his own sake and that of the franchise, he cannot afford to screw it up.

But before we get to the available candidates, it needs to be acknowledged, if it hasn't already, the amazing job Rod Brind'Amour is doing behind the Carolina Hurricanes bench. Despite getting blown out by the Devils in game three in New Jersey, and with three key forwards out of the lineup due to injury, he has his team up two games to one. Maybe it would've been impossible for Drury to sign him two years ago, but for my money, that is the type of coach the Rangers need; one who's not only good with Xs and Os but who can motivate his players to play a disciplined style of hockey. Take a good look at the teams that are ahead in their respective series. It is not the stars who are leading the way, but the foot soldiers. That is a tribute to the men behind the bench.

And speaking of the men behind the bench, the list of candidates Drury will have to choose from will be minus one important name. Larry Brooks of The New York Post is reporting that Joel Quenneville will not be considered for the job. As I pointed out in my last piece, Quenneville certainly has the credentials to coach this team, but his conduct in the sexual assault of Kyle Beach in 2010 has tarnished his reputation, perhaps beyond repair. I'm guessing either James Dolan got cold feet or Drury simply put his foot down. Regardless, it's good news for the Rangers.

Peter Laviolette: Out of all the big names out there, he's probably the most qualified. He guided the Hurricanes to their one and only Stanley Cup in 2006, and he took two other teams to the Cup finals: the Philadelphia Flyers in 2010 and the Nashville Predators in 2017. He also kept a Washington Capitals team riddled with injuries in the playoff hunt going into the final few games of the season. A no-nonsense coach who demands accountability from his players and excels at Xs and Os, he's the closest to the Brind'Amour mold in both temperament and style as Drury is likely to find.

Andrew Brunette: After Quenneville was suspended by the NHL early in the 2021-22 season, Brunette took over the coaching duties and guided the Florida Panthers to their first and only Presidents' trophy. And for his efforts, he was replaced behind the bench this season by Paul Maurice. What impresses me most about Brunette is how he turned an underperforming team into an offensive juggernaut before the flaws finally caught up with them in the second round against the Tampa Bay Lightning, He's currently an assistant with the Devils so Drury would need permission to speak with him.

Kris Knoblauch: While it would be a reach for Drury to go this route, there are a couple of positive attributes that would make him a good choice. For starters, he has the Hartford Wolf Pack in the third round of the AHL playoffs with a lineup that consists of maybe three players who are NHL-caliber. Secondly, he's been behind the Rangers bench twice when David Quinn and Gallant both got Covid, so the players are familiar with him. And last but not least, he's considered a good teacher and a good motivator; the latter being something that could've come in handy in game seven against the Devils.

Mike Sullivan: Yes, he won back-to-back Cups his first two years in Pittsburgh, but the Penguins haven't gotten out of the first round since 2018, and this season failed to even make the playoffs. That ownership decided to fire GM Ron Hextall and President Brian Burke and keep Sullivan is an indication that they don't feel the problem is behind the bench but rather in the front office. Translation, if Drury wants him, he'll have to fork over a draft pick or two to get him. Doubtful that'll happen.

Bruce Boudreau: Yet another players' coach who got fired from his last gig, he makes Gallant look like John Tortorella. Somehow I don't see Drury going down the same rabbit hole twice, but you never know.

Mark Messier: What he accomplished as a player for this franchise will never be forgotten. And I must admit the idea of "The Captain" leading this team to only its second Stanley Cup championship since World War II is enticing. But just because Messier was a great player doesn't necessarily mean he would make a great coach, and like I wrote above, Drury can't afford to get this next decision wrong.

Darryl Sutter: If you think the exit interviews from Gallant's players sealed his fate, you should check out some of the ones Sutter got from his players in Calgary. Supposedly several demanded to be traded unless he was fired. There's no doubt Sutter can coach - he won two Cups in L.A.; the problem is the way he treats his players. Next to him, Mike Keenan was Father Flanagan.

Of the above choices, Laviolette is the safe one. But if I recall, we said the same thing about Gallant two years ago. While Knoblauch would be a risk, the upside could be huge. Drury has said he's going to take his time, but realistically, he'll need to fill the position soon. The entry draft is June 28 followed by the start of free agency July 1.

If I were a betting man, I'd put my money on Laviolette becoming the next head coach, but then I had the Bruins, Avalanche and Rangers all advancing in the first round.

Road Sweet Home

Two up, two down, two to go.

Going into their best of seven series against the New Jersey Devils, I said the Rangers needed to do two things in order to advance: manage the puck well and win the special teams battle.

Well, mission accomplished - so far. Back-to-back, 5-1 road wins by the Blueshirts. Impressive doesn't begin to describe it. Through the first two games, they have not only shut down the NHL's fourth best offense, they've converted on four of ten power play opportunities, while killing seven of eight Devils power plays. New Jersey's top four scorers - Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Dougie Hamilton and Jesper Bratt - have a combined one goal and no assists. And that one goal by Hughes came courtesy of the lamest penalty shot ever awarded in a professional hockey game. 

Not even the most incurable optimist could've predicted such a dominant performance by this team. And while I'm not one to count my chickens before they hatch, the way the Rangers are playing, I'm not sure there's anything the Devils can do to alter the trajectory of this series. I haven't seen a Rangers team this locked in since - dare I say it? - 1994. That team - led by Mark Messier - swept the Islanders in the first round and beat the Washington Capitals 4-1 in the second, on its way to capturing the organization's first Stanley Cup in 54 years. And this team has more talent than that team. Think about that.

If ever there was an example where analytics was useless, it is here. Every so-called expert - including yours truly - thought the Devils were a terrible matchup for the Rangers. Their speed and skill would be difficult, if not impossible, to contend with. But after two games, it is the Blueshirts that have given the Devils fits. 

The Rangers have been incredibly disciplined with the puck, especially in the neutral zone, and that has limited the number of odd-man rushes the Devils have been able to generate. They have also taken away much of the ice from both Hughes and Hischier, virtually shutting down their passing lanes, In two games, Hughes has nine giveaways. To put that in perspective, the Rangers have that many as a team.

Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrick Kane are proving to be this franchise's best trade deadline pickups since Stephane Matteau, Brian Noonan and Craig MacTavish. Yes, I'm going there. Tarasenko has two goals while Kane has a goal and three assists. In game two, he stripped the puck from Bratt in the neutral zone, sprinted down the ice and beat Vitak Vanecek on a gorgeous backhander. So much for a bad hip.

But it is Adam Fox and Chris Kreider who are putting on a clinic in this series. Fox has six assists while Kreider has all four of his team's power play goals. The Devils have had no answer for either. And the Rangers have done all this with their number one center Mika Zibanejad contributing just one assist. Tell me you saw that coming.

Games three and four are at Madison Square Garden Saturday and Monday nights, If the Rangers are smart, they will avoid a repeat of what happened to them last postseason when they were up two games to none over the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference finals and lost in six. That was a bitter pill for this group to swallow. A learning experience, you could say. And while the Devils are no Lightning, they certainly have the ability to extend this series, if the Rangers let them.

That's why they can't allow that to happen. They must put the Devils out of their misery. The Rangers are the better team. They have superior depth, they have more experience, and if that isn't good enough, they have Igor Shesterkin. 

They are in control of their own destiny. This is their moment. They need to seize it.

*Note: an earlier version of this piece had a typo. The Rangers were up two games to none over the Tampa Bay Lightning last postseason. Unfortunately, I typed one instead of none. I have made the correction. Sorry for the confusion.

It's Time for the Rangers to Move on From Ryan Reaves

Let's be honest here: If Ryan Reaves had been a Ranger during the 2020-21 season, there's no way in hell Tom Wilson would've slammed Artemi Panarin to the ice like a rag doll. There's also no way in hell the Islanders would've manhandled the Blueshirts three straight down the stretch, outscoring them a combined 13-1. The word around the NHL was that the Rangers were soft. And that was putting it mildly.

Reaves' arrival in the summer of 2021 sent a clear and unambiguous message that the days of this team being a patsy were over. From his first shift on opening night, he hit everything in his path. And on those rare occasions when a player who obviously didn't get the memo foolishly decided to take him on, he would glare back at him as if to say, "Dude, you have a choice: you can die of old age or right here and now. Your call." Fortunately, most reconsidered.

Ryan Reaves did his job. This team is respected around the league. Better still, every player in that locker room stands up for each other. When someone is challenged, the whole team responds. I haven't seen a locker room this tight and together since the days when Mark Messier donned a Rangers uniform. Mission accomplished, as far as I'm concerned.

But the sad truth is that if you watched Reaves in the postseason, it was clear that the spirit was willing but the flesh just wasn't up to the task. He was slow, and I mean slow like 1970s Nick Fotiu slow. He was so out of position that he eventually became a defensive liability in his own zone. Frankly, I wasn't surprised that he was a healthy scratch the last couple of games in the Lightning series.

The way the game is played these days you need to be quick on the puck and possess the skills necessary to help your team win. You don't have to be a 20 or 30 goal scorer, but you have to at least keep the other team honest. Apart from his physical prowess, Reaves doesn't do a single thing that can help this team get to the next level, which at this point must be winning the Stanley Cup. He doesn't kill penalties, he's useless four on four, and don't even think about putting him out there on the power play.

With the signing of Vincent Trocheck and the soon to be, any day now, keep your shirt on extension of Kaapo Kakko, the Rangers will have less than $1 million in available cap space if they elect to go with twenty-two players on the roster: thirteen forwards, seven defensemen and two goalies. That's cutting it pretty close. To put that in perspective, last season, the Rangers had the most cap space of any playoff team in the league. That allowed Chris Drury to go shopping for Frank Vatrano, Andrew Copp, Tyler Motte and Justin Braun. I need not remind you what contributions those players made to last season's playoff drive.

Obviously, this season presented challenges for Drury that required some creativity on his part. In addition to finding a replacement for Ryan Strome and extending Kakko, there were the new contracts for Mika Zibanejad and Adam Fox that were kicking in this season to the tune of $8.5 million and $9.5 million respectively. Fortunately, Henrik Lundqvist's buyout was over, so that gave him $1.5 million to play with. There was also the trade of Alex Georgiev to the Avalanche that freed up an additional $2.4 million, $1.5 of which went to Jaroslav Halak. With the Coyotes agreeing to take Patrick Nemeth's contract off his hands, Drury at least had a fighting chance of putting a good team out on the ice.

But no matter how much he sharpens his pencil, there's simply no math that allows Drury to keep Reaves on this team, not if he plans on being active at the trade deadline, which I presume he will be.

If you look at Capfriendly, the way you calculate deadline cap space is by taking the available cap space and multiplying it by 4.65. So a team with, say, $1 million in available cap space would be able to take on $4.65 million in contracts at the trade deadline. With Reaves on the team, Drury would only have about $3 million in deadline cap space. With him gone and a cheaper replacement on the roster, that amount would go up to $7 million.

Why does that matter? Let's say it's March, and Patrick Kane is still a Chicago Blackhawk, and the Rangers are flirting with the best record in the Eastern Conference. Drury places a call to Kyle Davidson to inquire what it would take to pry him away. The two agree on the compensation, but Davidson balks at retaining 50 percent of Kane's cap hit. He wants at least 60 percent and informs Drury he has two other teams that are willing to meet his demands. 60 percent of $10.5 million comes out to $6.3 million. 

Beginning to get the picture? If Drury doesn't have enough deadline cap space, Kane goes to another team, perhaps one in the Eastern Conference like, say, the Carolina Hurricanes. Imagine losing a best of seven playoff series because your opponent was able to snatch up one of the better forwards in the game. Drury cannot let that happen. If there is anyway to get Kane into a Rangers uniform that doesn't involve giving up key assets, he must do it. 

Look, Ryan Reaves has been a solid citizen in the Rangers locker room. He has done everything the organization has asked of him. But it's time to move on. In the era of the flat salary cap where every dollar counts, $1.75 million can better be spent elsewhere, like the final piece on a Stanley Cup championship.

Henrik Lundqvist Calls It a Career

I won't mince words here. Henrik Lundqvist was the greatest Ranger NOT to win a Stanley Cup in the history of the franchise. There, I said it, and the facts bear me out. Jean Ratelle, Vic Hadfield, Rod Gilbert, Brad Park and Ed Giacomin were all a part of the best Rangers team since the days of Lester Patrick, and while all were outstanding players in their own right, none were on the same level as the King.

Lundqvist wasn't just the best player for a Rangers team that flirted with the Cup for several years; he was the best goaltender in the NHL for most of his 15-year playing career. Among his peers, only Carey Price ranks as a close second.

And yet this first ballot Hall of Famer never once drank from the chalice of champions. That's because as great as he was, the team he played on just didn't have that one elite player who could make a difference in a tough, seven-game series. 

In 2014, the year the Rangers went to the Cup finals, they lost to a Los Angeles Kings team that had Anze Kopitar, Jeff Carter and Drew Doughty; the following year when they won the President's Trophy, they were bested in the conference finals by a Tampa Bay Lightning team that had Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman. 

A goalie can do many things, but he can't constantly be his team's best player. As brilliant as Andrei Vasilevsky is for the Lightning, he isn't their best player. Neither was Mike Richter back in 1994. He had Mark Messier, Brian Leetch and Adam Graves on that team; poor Hank had Derek Stephan, Rick Nash and Ryan McDonagh. Who would you wanna have playing in front of you?

When I heard that Lundqvist was retiring, my heart was heavy. On the one hand, I will treasure each and every save he made; on the other, I will grieve for what might've been. This mountain of a man might be at peace over his decision to hang up his skates, as Larry Brooks wrote in The New York Post, but for the millions of us who bleed blue, we will never get over the missed opportunities. 

Consider that during the reign of Lundqvist, the Chicago Blackhawks and Pittsburgh Penguins each won three Cups; the LA Kings and Tampa Bay Lightning won two; while the Detroit Red Wings, Carolina Hurricanes, Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals and St. Louis Blues won one a piece. And what did the Rangers accomplish? Two trips to the conference finals and one to the Cup finals, that's what.

Now you know why this moment is so bittersweet. The best goalie of his generation will leave the sport he loved without so much as one lousy ring. He deserved a better fate than the one the organization he called his home for 15 years gave him. True he isn't the only elite player not to win a championship. Dan Marino played 17 seasons for the Miami Dolphins without winning a Super Bowl, so it does happen. Greatness is no guarantee of postseason success. The sports gods can be cruel when they want to be.

But all that's of little consequence to a franchise that since 1940 has won the Cup once. Henrik Lundqvist gave this team a shot at a championship every season he played for them. And for that, all of us should be grateful. I know I am.

So long, Hank. In the words of Bob Hope, thanks for the memories.

Where Do the Rangers Go From Here?

Now that the season is over, I thought I'd share some thoughts on what lies ahead for the Rangers. I'll confine my comments to the coaching staff and personnel.

Torts, Part Deux?

John Tortorella is out in Columbus, which should come as a surprise to absolutely no one who was paying attention. While the Blue Jackets did make the playoffs four times during his tenure, the bottom fell out this year and both sides had had enough. It's also no secret that James Dolan likes the former Rangers head coach and feels he never should have been fired back in 2013. But while Tortorella is still a good coach, his act is wearing a little thin around the league. He was single-handedly responsible for the trade that sent Pierre-Luc Dubois to Winnipeg for Patrik Laine and then benched the latter when - surprise - he wound up in the doghouse. If Chris Drury decides to make a change behind the bench - and all reports indicate David Quinn's chances of being retained are 50/50 at best - he should stay as far away from Tortorella as possible. Quite frankly, the game has passed him by.

Kinkaid or Georgiev as backup goalie?

If, like me, you were wondering why Quinn decided to start Keith Kinkaid instead of Alexandar Georgiev in the season finale in Boston, it probably had to do with determining which goalie the Rangers are going to keep as Igor Shesterkin's backup. Both Kinkaid and Georgiev are signed through next season, but Kinkaid is making $825,000 while Georgiev is making $2.4 million. Assuming the organization believes Shesterkin can handle a workload of 60 games and Kinkaid can cut it in the backup role, they will likely expose Georgiev in the Seattle expansion draft and use the savings to re-sign Brendan Smith to a one-year deal. Keep in mind, Tyler Wall is also in the system and is currently on an entry level contract through next season, so the Rangers have depth at this position.

Eichel or No Eichel?

As expected, the Jack Eichel trade rumors have started up again. The Buffalo Sabres' center missed most of last season with an upper-body injury, but that hasn't stopped every beat writer around the NHL from pontificating on when, not if, the Rangers will land him, especially since Eichel has already hinted that he wants out. But as talented as Eichel is, he's basically a Mika Zibanejad clone. And at $10 million per season, he would tie up a substantial portion of the team's available cap space for the foreseeable future. Not to mention that in order to get him, the Rangers would have to pay a hefty price in players and perhaps even draft choices. The smart move is to bulk up on the wing and leave the center slot alone for now. But if Drury is under orders to improve this position, he should head down the Jersey Turnpike to Philadelphia. The Flyers had a horrific season and could be persuaded to move Sean Couturier for the right package. Couturier is a bonafide 30 goal scorer, who weighs 210 pounds, isn't shy in the corners, and, most importantly, won 56 percent of his face-offs this season. And his $4.3 million salary is far more manageable than Eichel's.

True Grit!

Not to beat a dead horse, but Oliver Wahlstrom scored his 12th goal for the Islanders Monday tonight against the Bruins. He could've been a Ranger. That being said, a number of unrestricted free agents will be available this off season and several of them could be attractive targets for the Blueshirts. Among the forwards, Blake Coleman - who I wrote about in my last piece - and Barclay Goodrow, would be outstanding additions. On defense, Jamie Oleksiak might be the best value in the league. He weighs a whopping 250 pounds, and at 28, he could anchor the backline for years to come. Then there's rookie Morgan Barron who made a favorable impression in the last few games of the season and should earn a spot on next year's roster. Imagine a fourth line of Goodrow on the left, Barron at center and Julien Gauthier on the right; and a third line of Coleman and Chris Kreider flanking Couturier in the middle. That would be a formidable bottom six. I'd like to see the Isles push those guys around.

The Messier factor.

Look, The Captain is my favorite Ranger of all time, but under no circumstances should he be given a prominent role in this organization. The last time the Rangers made the mistake of giving someone who was clearly unqualified the keys to the kingdom, it was Phil Esposito. And it took Neil Smith three years to overcome the damage he did. If Dolan wants to give Messier a job, he should hire him as an announcer for the MSG network. Maybe he can take over for Steve Valiquette, who seems to be bucking for an analytics position within the organization.

The Bottom Line.

The Rangers will have approximately $24 million in cap space to sign their own free agents and/or other teams free agents. That gives them a leg up on just about every team in the NHL. How well Drury spends that money will determine whether this team progresses or regresses. Based on how well Dolan handled not making the playoffs this year, the pressure to succeed couldn't be greater.

End of an Era

It's official: Henrik Lundqvist has been bought out by the New York Rangers. An era has come to an end. 

15 seasons, 459 regular-season wins (6th all time), 61 postseason wins and one Vezina trophy. Had it not been for his acrobatics in the 2014 playoffs, the Rangers would never have made it out of the first round, let alone all the way to the finals.

An argument can be made that, apart from Mark Messier, Lundqvist is the most valuable player ever to wear the uniform. And given how many good players the Blueshirts have had in their proud history, that's quite a statement.

But as valuable and great as the King has been, it was time to turn the page. It was obvious that no team was going to trade for a 38 year-old goaltender, especially one with a $8.5 million cap hit - $4.25 with a 50/50 split - so the Rangers did what they had to do.

And now this team - officially the youngest in the NHL with the trade of Marc Staal to the Detroit Red Wings - has $23 million of available cap space with which to sign their four restricted free agents and maybe even their one unrestricted free agent, assuming GM Jeff Gorton and Jesper Fast can agree on a contract. In short, the Rangers, with the addition of first-round pick Alexis Lafreniere, will field a considerably deeper team next season than the one that was dispatched in three straight by Carolina.

This is a sad day, a bittersweet day, in New York Rangers history. A legend is gone. But it was a day that was a long time coming. Lundqvist was the oldest player from the team that went to two conference finals and one cup final. It never did drink from the Stanley Cup. Hopefully, Gorton and team president John Davidson will assemble a team that can close the deal and capture the championship that alluded its predecessor. 

 

Major Decisions for Rangers This Offseason

Over the next couple of months, the New York Rangers will have to make a number of major and tough decisions regarding how this team will look once the 2020-21 season gets underway. John Davidson and Jeff Gorton have their work cut out for them.

A number of sports "analysts" have chimed in with their opinions, and with the rare exception or two, you can tell none of them have ever run a professional sports franchise. That notwithstanding, I thought I'd dip my big toe into the pool and see if I drown. Spoiler alert, I don't swim.

The Number One Pick: Under no circumstances should Davidson and company trade this pick, not even for the proverbial king's ransom, which for the record hardly ever resembles a ransom, much less a king's one. I've seen most of the prosed trade packages and not one of them makes sense, not even the one involving the Senators sending the Rangers the number three pick along with Brady Tkaczuk in exchange for the number one. No disrespect to Tkaczuk, who is a solid two-way forward, but at best he's a 25 goal scorer. You don't trade the overall number one pick for a player you can get in the middle of the first round in any given year.

Even if Alexis Lafreniere isn't the second coming of Jaromir Jagr, he's still better than anyone the Blueshirts have at left wing, including, dare I say it, Artemi Panarin. The moment he steps onto the Garden ice, he instantly becomes one of the best forwards on this team, and if he does in fact become the next Jagr, he will be the generational player this franchise hasn't had since the days of Mark Messier. Only a fool would trade that away, and I don't believe either Davidson or Gorton are fools.

Second-Line Center: Do the Rangers re-sign Ryan Strome or do they look elsewhere? I know I've beaten this like a dead horse, but thanks to the Kevin Shattenkirk buyout last year, the Rangers will have just north of $13 million in available cap space to attempt to resign four RFAs and one UFA. That's not a lot of space, given that Strome is arbitration eligible and will likely command a hefty raise from last year's $3.1 million contract.

If the braintrust decides to look elsewhere, the pickins are slim. A trade for the rights to Tampa Bay Lightning center Anthony Cirelli - the current fave of the peanut gallery - will come with a huge price tag. The Lightning will almost certainly demand something close to equal value in return, and that return has to something they can retain given their own cap problems, which are considerably worse than the Rangers. I'm thinking Filip Chytil and Vitali Kravtsov. Assuming the Blueshirts say yes, which they shouldn't, they will likely have to pony up about $6 million per over the next six years. That's roughly 45 percent of the available cap space. And I'm not even sure Cirelli is worth that kind of money given that he's scored a measly 5 points in 13 playoff games and he's currently the number two center on this team with Steven Stamkos out with an injury.

The smart move is to re-sign Strome to a two-year bridge deal for about $5.5 million per until you find out if Chytil is the real deal or not. If Strome doesn't pan out, you can always leave him exposed in next year's expansion draft. Hell, he's already been on three teams in five years, what's one more team in the grand scheme of things?

Henrik Lundqvist: Let's not beat around the bush. With the exception of Messier and Brian Leetch, no one has done more for this franchise over the last 30 years than The King. He deserves a better fate than the one that's currently awaiting him, which is to be a backup for 24 year-old Igor Shesterkin. Gorton has already said the Rangers will not go into camp with three goalies, so assuming they sign Alexandar Georgiev, that means Lundqvist is the odd man out.

The only question remaining is whether Lundqvist retires, which would give the Blueshirts all $8.5 million of his cap hit to play with, or he gets bought out, which would leave $5.5 million on the books next season and $1.5 million on the books for 2021-22. Obviously, the former would be a dream come true, but seriously, if you were Lundqvist would you leave that kind of money on the table knowing that you might be out of hockey next year? I sure as shit wouldn't.

With trade options severely limited by 1. Lundqvist's age (38) and 2. his no trade clause, the consensus is that he will be bought out. And that would mean the Rangers would be carrying a staggering sum of $13 million in dead cap space going into next season; 16 percent of the NHL salary cap. Anyway you slice it, that's insane. This is what happens when you sign players in their 30s to very long contracts with no movement clauses.

Lack of Toughness: Unless you believe in flukes, what you saw in Toronto was a Rangers team that got bounced around by the Hurricanes. We saw this all too many times throughout the season: a team with very creative forwards that wasn't adept enough to win the battles in the trenches. More often than not, the goaltending saved their bacon, but not in the Qualifying round. When push came to shove, the Blueshirts got handed their lunch and dinner with dessert on the side.

Obviously, the team needs a transfusion of toughness in order to succeed in the postseason. Perhaps Gorton can trade Pavel Buchnevich - who's in his walk year anyway - for a scrappy winger who isn't afraid to take a hit or initiate one. Or he can just promote a couple of the meatier forwards already in the system like Morgan Barron and Austin Rueschhoff, both of whom can play either center or wing and weigh 220 pounds each. Combined with Julien Gauthier, another 220 pound winger that was obtained from the Hurricanes last year, and Brendon Lemieux - a must sign - the Blueshirts could finally be the team with a chip on its shoulder instead of the other way around. I firmly believe that when it comes to hits, it is far better to give than to receive.

Left Defense: It's no secret that the left side of this defense after Ryan Lindgren is a major liability. Both Marc Staal and Brendan Smith are over 30 and at least two seasons removed from being legit starting defensemen. Staal, in particular, was about as slow as a freight train stuck on the 7th Avenue Express. The good news is that both players are in the last year of their contracts, which means they will be gone after next season. The bad news is that their contracts - $5.7 and $4.35 million for Staal and Smith respectively - make it virtually impossible for them to be traded, even with the Rangers absorbing half of the load. So what to do?

Well call me a fool, but I believe in improving where you can. With the recent, shall we say, "issues" in Arizona, the Coyotes find themselves with no first round pick in either this or next year's draft. The Rangers could dangle the number one pick they got from the Carolina Hurricanes in the Brady Skjei deal for 22 year-old left-handed defensemen Jakob Chychrun. He would instantly become their best left-handed defenseman and coach David Quinn could pair him with Jacob Trouba to make a formidable tandem. And since he's already signed to a team-friendly $4.6 million for the next five seasons, he would help solidify the one glaring weakness this team had throughout the season.

If Chychrun isn't available, the Rangers should give St. Louis a call and inquire about Vince Dunn, another solid left-handed defenseman who may be too expensive for the Blues to keep. Dunn is an RFA, so Gorton would have to come to terms with him once the two teams agreed on a trade, but somewhere in the neighborhood of $4 to $5 million per over six years should suffice. Either player would instantly slide into the number one pairing and become a staple to this beleaguered defensive corps.

Lindgren and Adam Fox would remain the second defensive pairing, and Quinn could move Smith to the right side on the third pairing, where he's played before. Staal and Libor Hajek would then alternate on the left side. When K'Andre Miller is ready (2021-22) he would take over on the left side, and if there's no one inside the organization that can step in to play the right side, they could always look outside via a trade or signing. Don't forget, most of that dead cap space will be gone after next year.

Obviously, Deangelo would be the casualty in this scenario, but if that's what it takes to shore up your top two defensive lines, then so be it. Besides, Deangelo, apart from his scoring prowess, brings a lot of baggage with him, and he's not exactly Larry Robinson on the blue line, if you know what I mean.

I'm sure there are a few other minor issues Gorton will have to attend to, but these are the biggies, as I see them. If the Rangers solve these problems, they will be able to accelerate their rebuilding process and maybe even challenge for the Cup next season.

Why Shesterkin is the Clear Choice for the Rangers in the Playoffs

By now David Quinn has probably made his decision as to which goaltender he's going to go with against the Carolina Hurricanes in the playoffs, and unless he saw something the rest of us didn't in the exhibition game against the Islanders, I fully expect Igor Shesterkin will start between the pipes Saturday afternoon.

It's the only choice Quinn could make. Yes, Henrik Lundqvist has started every playoff game the Rangers have been in since his arrival in the 2005-06 season. That's quite a streak, but with all due respect to the King, that's not enough to justify starting him in this round.

This team is not the same team it was back when Lundqvist was a perennial Vezina trophy finalist year in and year out. Hell, it's not even the same team it was a year ago when it was in the middle of its rebuilding effort. The fact is this is one of the youngest teams in the NHL, with an average age of just under 26, and that's with a 38 year-old goalie and two defensemen in their early 30s on the roster. After next season, it will be even younger once those contracts are off the books. To take one more stroll down memory lane for old-time sake would do a disservice to all the hard work management has done over the last two seasons.

Look, no one seriously believes this team is good enough to win the Stanley Cup this year. As I wrote in an earlier piece, if they do beat the Hurricanes, they will likely get trounced by whoever they play in the next round. But this will be an important first step for the core of this team that will allow John Davidson and Jeff Gorton to evaluate where they are in the rebuild and to determine what changes will have to be made in order to get them closer to the grail.

Frankly, this is a rather rare moment in Rangers' history. Not since the Emile Francis era has this franchise been in a position to put together a roster that has the capacity of remaining intact for more than a couple of seasons. If you recall, that team's core was together pretty much from 1968-69 thru 1973-74, and had Jean Ratelle not suffered a season-ending injury in '72 playoffs, they might've beaten the Boston Bruins for the Cup.

Since then the franchise has had its moments when it flirted with success ('79) and even caught the bear once ('94), but such moments were rare and always came with a terrible price tag. The '79 team turned out to be a flash in the pan as aging stars like Phil Esposito eventually retired and established veterans like Ulf Nilsson never lived up to expectations. The '94 Cup team was assembled by jettisoning every prospect in the system, which eventually led to a bare cupboard and a dearth of playoff appearances.

Even the most recent "run" - as some have erroneously called it - began and ended with the importing of aging stars like Jaromir Jagr, Brendan Shanahan and Marty St. Louis. Jagr played three seasons for the Blueshirts before going back to Europe, Shanahan retired after two seasons and St. Louis did the same after a year plus. The sum total for all that wheeling and dealing? Two trips to the conference finals, one to the Cup finals and zero championships.

Hopefully, this management team will not make the same mistakes as its predecessors and assemble a team that even with a flat cap can be a legitimate Cup contender and endure the test of time. If Gorton can find a way to maneuver around next year's cap hell that he, himself, inadvertently created by buying out Kevin Shattenkirk - another expensive import that should never have been signed - he's in good shape going forward to lock up his stars for the foreseeable future.

And one of those stars is Shesterkin. That's why, regardless of what happens over the next few days, he needs to start every game. Like the football Giants did when they benched Eli Manning for Daniel Jones last year, the Rangers need to make a commitment to their youngsters so that their youngsters can get the experience they need to win a title.

Maybe if Lundqvist had played with Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad in his prime instead of Rick Nash and Derek Stepan, he might've won that Cup final in 2014. It certainly didn't hurt Mike Richter any having Mark Messier and Brian Leetch for teammates on that '94 team. Great goaltenders can only accomplish so much on their own. They need foot soldiers in front of them to carry the load.

I feel bad for Lundqvist, I really do. He deserved a better fate than this. When he retires he'll be the best goaltender of all time not to win a Cup. And that's unfortunate. But unfortunate or not, that's no excuse for the Rangers to throw good money after bad.

It's Shesterkin's time. This is his team. The future belongs to the young. And the future is now.