New York Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh’s career would have been much different had he stayed in Montreal. Where would he and the Rangers be had he never been traded back in 2009?
Imagine the New York Rangers without Ryan McDonagh. Now, collect yourself, and realize what an amazing world it is we live in. Ryan McDonagh is still the captain of the greatest team in hockey.
However, if that deal did not take place in 2009 the Rangers roster would look much different in many ways.
The Rangers had missed the postseason in 2009-10 for the first time since before the lockout shorted 2004-05 season. The new regime of locker room staples included Chris Drury and Scott Gomez.
Looking for a shakeup, then GM Glen Sather found a deal to his liking. It was a seven player swap, including Scott Gomez and Tom Pyatt heading to Montreal. In return, the Rangers received salary cap relief, as well as a haul of prospects. The headlining piece being former first-round pick Ryan McDonagh.
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Where would the Rangers be?
Well, given that they had missed the postseason in Gomez’s final season the outlook was grim. Heading into the 2010-11 season the team’s defense would have been led by familiar faces.
Dan Girardi and Marc Staal were among the team leaders in ice time, followed by Michal Rozsival and Michael Del Zotto. However, the presence of Wade Redden and his massive contract loomed largely.
During the John Tortorella era that began in 2008, there was a commitment to toughness and grit. Girardi and Staal’s usage showed their coaches commitment to that ideology and those players. Meanwhile, players with offensive upsides such as Michael Del Zotto were suppressed for taking chances.
McDonagh’s arrival evolved the defensive position for the team to a new level. He showed commitment to his coach’s demands but also showed a knack for creating chances when given the opportunity. Without that integration of the new wave of hockey, the Rangers’ defense could be light years behind in today’s up-tempo NHL.
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Salary cap implications
Glen Sather was no stranger to the salary cap ceiling during his tenure as the Rangers’ GM. The team had a payroll that was highest in the league at $63.8-million. Without the relief of Gomez’s contract, the Rangers would have never signed Brad Richards in 2011.
Although Richards’ time with the Rangers ended in a buyout, he played a major role in the team that went to the 2014 Stanley Cup finals.
Moreover, Girardi and Staal signed on for lucrative, longer than necessary deals. McDonagh, on the other hand, has been playing on a team-friendly ever since joining the team.
His six-year, $28.2-million deal ($4.7-million AAV) has given Sather, and now Jeff Gorton, the financial flexibility to continue signing marquee free-agents.
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McDonagh’s career without the Rangers
This is the true dagger within the Rangers’ community. Life without the Rangers would have been sweet for Ryan McDonagh.
Think about a Canadiens top-pairing of P.K. Subban and Ryan McDonagh. There is no certainty that the two would mesh, but separately the two have shined. Combined as a potential nightly unit, Subban and McDonagh would have no rivals as the NHL’s best two-way duo on the blue line.
On top of the opportunity to create the league’s best defensive pairing, McDonagh could have conceivably made much more money. The Canadiens front office is rarely shy to pull the trigger in free agency. Montreal could have gone the alternate route of the Rangers and locked up McDonagh and marketed him as the face of their franchise.
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Sweet reality
Nevertheless, the deal was made and all worries can be forgotten. Ryan McDonagh continues to stand tall as the captain of the New York Rangers.
Looking forward to the 2017-18 season, his and the team’s outlook has never been brighter. McDonagh is finally free of his anchor and has been gifted a bright, shiny toy in Kevin Shattenkirk.
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With only two seasons left on his current contract, the Rangers’ captain will have every motivation to continue taking his game to the next level. The hope remains that number 27 can reach his fullest potential and become a perennial Norris trophy candidate while leading his team to the promised land.