New York Rangers’ five biggest needs the rest of the offseason

The New York Rangers have plenty of work to do heading into Wednesday’s expansion draft. In order to make the 2017 offseason a success, GM Jeff Gorton will have to be savvy in his decision-making.

Every season NHL rosters undergo changes, some more than others. The New York Rangers roster stands to lose a valuable roster piece in the upcoming expansion draft. The team also has to continue improving their defense in front of their franchise goaltender.

All of this adds up to a busy workload for GM Jeff Gorton and his companions in the Rangers’ front office. If they intend to make this team ready for a serious run at the Stanley Cup for the 2017-18 season, Gorton will have to continue where he left off last offseason.

These are the five things that must be accomplished in order to consider this offseason a success.

Continue to find value in the draft

The New York Rangers are in an interesting position heading into Wednesday’s NHL expansion draft. GM Jeff Gorton and his team wield a first round pick for the first time since the team selected Brady Skjei back in 2012. However, outside of that first-round pick, the Rangers have very few selections.

Currently, the Rangers have five total picks, including one in every round four through seven. Although there is often several draft day deals that take place, the Rangers are adept at finding diamonds in the rough in the later rounds of the draft.

In recent memory, the Rangers have drafted players such as Pavel Buchnevich and the departed Anthony Duclair in the third round. Meanwhile, perhaps the Rangers’ best prospect, goaltender Igor Shestyorkin, was drafted in the fourth round.

If the Rangers hope to restock an otherwise barren farm system, they must continue to pick wisely in the value rounds as they have in the past.

Shed more cap space

Every season it seems as though we’re having this conversation about the cap-strapped New York Rangers. The beginning stages of this offseason’s salary shedding has already begun with the news of longtime fan-favorite Dan Girardi’s buyout. The next step would be the confirmation of Kevin Klein’s retiring to potentially extend his career overseas.

However, in order for GM Jeff Gorton to stay competitive in today’s NHL free-agency, the Rangers must continue to make room on the roster. Unfortunately, the early rumors have indicated that assistant captain, first-line center Derek Stepan may be among the first casualties.

Stepan’s contract value at $6.5-million over the next four seasons may be attractive enough to fetch a trade similar to Mika Zibanejad trade last summer. Other names such as Rick Nash and Marc Staal will surely be tossed around as the draft comes and goes.

No matter who it may be, if Gorton and the Rangers intend to improve their defense, they must make it financially possible first.

Plan B for Raanta

The expansion draft is just days away, and there is continued speculation surrounding New York Rangers’ goaltender Antti Raanta. There is a high likelihood that the Las Vegas Golden Knights opt to select Pittsburgh’s Marc-Andre Fleury as their first net minder.

However, Raanta’s strong play behind franchise goalie Henrik Lundqvist has boosted his value significantly. Outside of the chances of Las Vegas acquiring Raanta, he is also rumored to be sought after by several other teams.

Previous to acquiring Mike Smith, Calgary remained an option. Meanwhile, Winnipeg has been seeking a top goaltender for years and has a young man named Jacob Trouba that should attract the Rangers’ front office.

Should Raanta leave the Rangers this offseason, it will be up to Benoit Allaire to work his magic yet again. They may turn to one of the many homegrown talent that they boast, including Magnus Hellberg and Mackenzie Skapski.

However, it is just a matter of time until Russian standout Igor Shestyorkin, who is still under contract in the KHL, makes his claim as the heir to the Rangers’ goaltending throne.

A fix on the power play

This need has several ways that the Rangers can address and fix the problem. The first move that should be made is to remove Scott Arniel from Alain Vigneault’s coaching staff. 

Arniel’s tenure as the Rangers’ power play coach has been unsuccessful, to say the least. The team has lacked a true power play quarterback defenseman for several seasons, and at times lacked a trigger man capable of the role. Luckily, that should all change for this upcoming season. 

The Rangers power play will returners include Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, and Mats Zuccarello in the forward group. Ryan McDonagh and Brady Skjei figure to still see large minutes with the man advantage, but help is incoming. Rumors of acquiring Kevin Shattenkirk’s services will give the team a top-tier right-handed defenseman fit to quarterback a power-play full time. 

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.