New York Rangers: In Win-Now Mode, More Than Ever

Not too long ago I was madly in love with a person believed to be the love of my life. Then it came to an abrupt end. It became largely the proverbial battle of what someone wants now and what someone will wait for in spite of prior flirtations of noble action.

It was a wonderful seven-year love, but produced nothing of sustenance. Just precious memories, good times and summer haze. Separately we were two wonderful people, but together we couldn’t make it work. Not a day goes by that I don’t miss her.

There have been great philosophical debates on the issue: How is greatness defined? Must the “ultimate goal” of the endeavor always be achieved to, in fact, be remembered as something great.

New York Rangers

Last week, Derek Stepan signed a six-year, $6.5 million per year contract. If you look ahead to next year six crucial players to the makeup of this team – Keith Yandle, Dan Boyle, Kevin Hayes, Chris Kreider, Dominic Moore and J.T. Miller – all have contracts expiring.

If you look at the way Stepan’s contract is structured, there are no guarantees of no movement till year three, and that guarantee is confined to year three and four only.

Under the win now circumstance the New York Rangers find themselves in, it would seem that this is a “one-year, bring me my cup or you’re gone deal” disguised as a “very fair, thank you for all you have done for us, six-year, 39 million dollar, let’s try it again contract.”

If you look at the scenario the Rangers are in combined with how GM Jeff Gorton structured the Stepan signing, it would seem that Gorton would at least have the power, if no Cup is produced this year, to scrap this team and embark on the rebuilding process that, as in hockey as in love, is always painful.

If the Rangers don’t win the Cup this year, you will hear no protest at least from me if Jeff Gorton would take this route. Start from the highest paid players and work his way down.

Three out of the last four years, they have been to the Eastern Conference Final – one year making it to the Stanley Cup Finals. Much like the story of my relationship, how many times are we going to kiss only the cusp of greatness until we finally make history?

No matter how great these Rangers look together they can never seem to get it done. No matter how much they profess their undying goal to carry Lord Stanley’s Cup together across the ice, they collectively always seem to drop the ball.

While they certainly have marketability and look sexy together, what they don’t have – at least up until this point – is substance. No Cups, no marriage. I’m even surprised they stood together this long in New York City. All that paparazzi.

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