Revamp the defense
Well this one was rather to guess, wasn’t it? The New York Rangers’ biggest problem the last two seasons has been their defense. The process has begun with Dan Girardi’s buyout and Kevin Klein’s seemingly imminent retirement to play overseas. Heading into the draft and free agency, this is where GM Jeff Gorton must focus his energy the most.
Among the rumored options to fix the Rangers’ defensive woes is New York native Kevin Shattenkirk. The right-handed defenseman represents the first viable partner for captain Ryan McDonagh on the team’s top pairing. Shattenkirk will be highly sought after in the free agent market, with the Rangers looking to be the early favorites to acquire his services.
Next: New York Rangers: Alex Galchenyuk could be a trade target
Through the trade market the Rangers options are much more vague. However, young players waiting such as Ryan Graves, Alexei Bereglazov, and Neal Pionk could be useful on their cost-controlled contracts.