What Else Is Left?
Though the Rangers made their biggest splash of the offseason on Saturday, there’s still plenty of work left to be done. The need for a top line center has been covered, but that won’t singularly solve New York’s weaknesses.
New York went into the offseason as an offensively deep team with a poor defense. At the moment, the Rangers are an offensively average team that’s deep on defense.
The Rangers must look to acquire at least two bottom six forwards. Mikhail Grigorenko, Jaromir Jagr, Jussi Jokinen, and Thomas Vanek look like strong secondary scoring options. Bringing any of them into the fold would allow the Rangers to move Michael Grabner into a more comfortable fourth line role.
New York could even look into re-acquiring Oscar Lindberg from the Las Vegas Golden Knights. The Golden Knights are stacked with depth centers, an area the Rangers are now weak in. Though the asking price will likely be too high, there’s no harm in trying.
Next: Who will replace Derek Stepan?
Most importantly, the Rangers must ensure they’re replacing Oscar Lindberg, not Tanner Glass. There is a great fear here that New York will bring in Chris Neil. Bringing in anyone similar to Glass or Neil will set the Rangers back big time. With the Shattenkirk signing, New York must focus their energy on getting Lundqvist a cup in the here and now. No steps back. No cavemen on the team.