New York Rangers: What the team should Black Friday shop for
As the New York Rangers look to compete in the highly competitive Eastern Conference, they may need some help. Here’s what they should look for.
The 2017-18 New York Rangers are far from a perfect team. Though they continue to compete for a playoff spot, it should not be a surprise if they make or miss the postseason. Considering Henrik Lundqvist is still the man between the pipes, New York should be content with no less than a playoff run.
However, it does not appear like the Rangers have the personnel to make that run just yet. The season has been a rollercoaster, with recent signing Brendan Smith serving as a healthy scratch, Alain Vigneault warming up the hot seat, and rumors flying about veterans and centers.
Rather than looking at what’s transpired this season, let’s examine what the Rangers should be searching for on this Black Friday. Trade rumors start to run rampant around this time of the year, and plenty of organizations should be willing to talk business.
Who knows, maybe Jeff Gorton can find a holiday discount!
A Center
There is no question that the Rangers need a center more than anything. New York has seen various players come and go in the lineup, hoping to find something that works. Somehow the Rangers have let Paul Carey wear a jersey and take the ice multiple times this season. On purpose!
New York found a nice secondary piece in David Desharnais this offseason, but Alain Vigneault has determined that Desharnais is not up to the task. Boo Nieves has filled in perfectly as the fourth line center, while Mika Zibanejad and Kevin Hayes are a terrific 1-2 combo.
However, the third line center position is as vacant as vacant can get. New York did not let Filip Chytil have a legitimate chance to win the job, then determined David Desharnais was not good enough. J.T. Miller has not shown the ability to stick at center.
The Rangers must find a third line center quickly, or they will pile up the losses.
Help From Hartford
Down in Hartford, the Wolfpack have seen various pups grow with the team. Neal Pionk looks like an NHL defenseman. Vinni Lettieri and Filip Chytil are proving to be a dynamic scoring duo. Even complementary pieces are working out this season.
Meanwhile in New York, the previously mentioned center woes are at the forefront of the discussion. Nick Holden and Steven Kampfer are eating quality minutes in the NHL, while young defensemen toil away in the minors.
New York should look no further than their own AHL squad to find some much needed help. Rather than leaping to make acquisitions, New York can try giving their youth a chance, then if it doesn’t work out they can go out and make some trades. For this to happen the Head Coach would need to be willing to play young players, something that does not appear to be the case just yet.
Which leads us to our next Black Friday shopping idea….
New Coaching Personnel
Back in October when the New York Rangers couldn’t win a hockey game, it appeared Alain Vigneault was bound to be fired. Though the Rangers were losing, it was a comforting thought. Vigneault nearly singlehandedly butchered the Rangers’ chances of defeating the inferior Ottawa Senators last postseason, while continuing to show zero understanding of how to optimally deploy his players.
New York’s losing ways almost served as the final straw, but then the team started winning again. Vigneault did nothing to cause that, but he got the credit because he remained the man behind the bench.
Standing next to him? Lindy Ruff, a coach who has provided valuable ice time to defensemen such as Nick Holden and Steven Kampfer. Ruff managed to turn one of the best defenses (personnel-wise) in the NHL into a laughing stock, with defensive breakdowns remaining plentiful.
If the Rangers want to take the next step, they should start with a step back. Vigneault and Ruff have got to go.
A Clear Direction
Who exactly are the New York Rangers? (I know my followers will have a field day with this question)
Seriously though, could the Rangers answer that themselves? New York claims to be rebuilding on the fly, but they are not playing the young players that should be leading the rebuild. New York will not win without making some major changes, so why bother holding onto veterans on one year deals? Do the Rangers believe this can be the year? Does Jeff Gorton believe this is a roster that can win the championship?
If that’s the case, Gorton should go all-in. The New York Rangers would be best served going all-in or all-out, rather than continuing to hesitate to take a stance on their identity. Henrik Lundqvist is not getting any younger, and young players need to develop. This trade deadline will be of tremendous importance to the Rangers, but the games before it will also play a crucial role.
Luck
Sometimes a team can just get incredibly lucky and stumble into some success. This doesn’t have to be on the ice, though some nice puck luck going Chris Kreider or Brady Skjei’s way would certainly be nice. The Rangers need something to go their way whether they deserve it to or not.
Perhaps it’s the Edmonton Oilers getting too eager to right their ship, agreeing to one of Peter Chiarelli’s patented horrendous trades. Maybe it’s the Florida Panthers continuing their reign of terror….on themselves….and moving a top forward to the Rangers for nothing.
Next: Five trade options to help the Rangers defense
Jeff Gorton has not yet shown that he can pull rabbits out of hats on his own. So for now, the Rangers should be looking for some luck. If it’s on the ice and another big winning streak happens, wonderful. If it’s off the ice and the Rangers rip another team off in a trade, that certainly will do just fine as well moving forward.