New York Rangers: Five reasons the Rangers should sell at the deadline
The New York Rangers are currently a playoff team. However, they aren’t a serious Stanley Cup contender. It would be foolish to squander assets at the trade deadline for a rental who doesn’t really move the needle. They should sell at the trade deadline.
The New York Rangers are currently in a playoff spot. They have a record of 21-13-5 record. Those 47 points are good for the first Wild Card in the Metropolitan Division.
They will most likely make the playoffs on the back of Henrik Lundqvist, as is tradition. However, there are too many flaws in their game for them to be serious contenders.
Henrik Lundqvist can only cover up the glaring defensive mistakes for so long. Also, Alain Vigneault clearly cannot be trusted to put out the best possible lineup during the playoffs. One only needs to look to the second round against Ottawa last year to see that.
Because of all this, the Rangers should look to be sellers at this trade deadline for the first time in a long time. It would be a wise move by general manager Jeff Gorton to put some of his players out there, to see what he can get back in return.
Here are five reasons why the Rangers should be sellers at this year’s trade deadline.
Planning for the future
As sad as it is, Rangers fans need to come to grips with the fact that Henrik Lundqvist’s career is in the twilight stages. While the 35-year old goaltender is still playing at an elite level, he is getting older. The Rangers need to plan for life after the King.
Luckily, they have done a good job of that so far. They drafted Igor Shestyorkin, who looks to be Lundqvist’s heir apparent, as well as Pavel Buchnevich, Lias Andersson, Filip Chytil, Brady Skjei, J.T. Miller, and Sean Day. They have also acquired players through trades and signings, such as Mika Zibanejad, Tony DeAngelo, and Neal Pionk.
These players all look to be large factors for the Rangers in the coming years. Shestyorkin looks like an incredible goalie, Buchnevich has all the tools to be an elite player, as do Zibanejad, Skjei, and Chytil.
Just a few years ago, it seemed that the Rangers had absolutely no future. Their prospect pipeline was near barren. Jeff Gorton has done a solid job of re-stocking it.
However, more can always be done. If the Rangers sell at the deadline and acquire prospects and draft picks, they can position themselves even better for the coming years.
Not good enough to win the Cup
We, as Rangers fans, all want to believe that the Rangers are good enough to win the Cup. Every year we believe that this is our year. However, there comes a time where you need to be realistic about how good this team is.
The New York Rangers, as currently constructed, are not good enough to win the Stanley Cup. The defense is extremely suspect, at best. The team absolutely hemorrhages shots against.
They currently have a Corsi of 46.56%, which isn’t very good. They also have a PDO of 101.7. PDO is a team’s shooting percentage plus its save percentage, which basically quantifies how lucky a team is. A PDO of 101.7 would signify that the Rangers are lucky.
Anyone who watches the team can see that the defense is porous. Guys are constantly caught out of position, they routinely turn the puck over, and they are a dumpster fire in their own end. The fact that this team doesn’t give up six goals a night is a testament to Henrik Lundqvist’s greatness.
While the offense is very good and they score a lot, they are going to have some off nights. When this happens, the Rangers are usually doomed.
While Henrik Lundqvist is still an elite goaltender, he is going to have an off night at some point. When this happens. the Rangers are most definitely doomed.
Because of all this, the Rangers front office would be wise to honestly assess this team, and realize that they should sell.
Move players on expiring contracts
At this point in time, the New York Rangers have 11 players who will be free agents at the end of the season. Rick Nash, David Desharnais, Paul Carey, Michael Grabner, Nick Holden, and Ondrej Pavelec will be unrestricted free agents. Jimmy Vesey, J.T. Miller, Kevin Hayes, Boo Nieves, and Brady Skjei will be restricted free agents.
If the Rangers want to re-sign these RFAs, who will be a big part of their core moving forward, they will need to cut loose some of the UFAs. Now, while there most likely isn’t a trade market for guys like Carey and Pavelec, there is definitely one for Nash and Grabner, maybe even Holden.
If Jeff Gorton were to put Rick Nash’s name out on the trade market, there would almost surely be interest. Contending teams would definitely be interested in a big-bodied winger who is good in all three zones and can score.
Teams would also be interested in Michael Grabner. Today’s NHL is a speed game, and there are very few faster than Michael Grabner.
Plus, Grabner is a pure scorer. In Grabner’s one and a half seasons in New York, he has scored 44 goals. He is also on a cheap contract. Teams would surely come calling.
If the Rangers could move the expiring contracts of Nash, Grabner, and Holden, and acquire some future pieces in the process, it would go a long way in helping them in the future.
Go for it next season
Now, I know a lot of fans are tired of hearing “There’s always next year,” but, if the Rangers play their cards right, they could most definitely be contenders next season.
Filip Chytil and Lias Andersson will most likely be on the team next season, as will Tony DeAngelo. Sean Day will have hopefully made the jump to Hartford. Zibanejad, Buchnevich, Skjei, and Miller will have had another season under their belts.
Nick Holden will be gone, either through trade or free agency. Marc Staal will hopefully be bought out. A center group of Mika Zibanejad, Filip Chytil, Kevin Hayes, and Lias Andersson sounds much better than Zibanejad, Hayes, David Desharnais, and Boo Nieves.
Rick Nash and Michael Grabner will most likely be gone. But, hopefully, the Rangers front office is smart enough to realize that they should be traded in February, not lost for nothing in July.
Nash and Grabner should bring back a nice mixture of draft picks and prospects, and Nick Holden could even bring back a draft pick.
If the Rangers load up on picks and prospects by selling at the deadline, they will be in a better position to load up at next season’s deadline.
The team always buys
In recent years, the Rangers have been buyers at the trade deadline. Whether it was for Martin St. Louis, Keith Yandle, or Eric Staal, this team has gone all in, sacrificing the future in an attempt to win now. Obviously, that didn’t work.
Because of this, Jeff Gorton should look to get back some picks and prospects that his predecessor was so quick to trade away. While some of these trades worked out, such as St. Louis and Yandle (who wasn’t properly utilized), some were bad, such as the Eric Staal trade. Now, Staal isn’t a bad player, but he was poorly utilized by Alain Vigneault (sensing a pattern?) and it wasn’t worth giving up Aleksi Saarela and two second-rounders.
If the team elects to sell this February, rather than buy, it will benefit them in the long run. Sacrificing short-term results for long-term success is what this team needs.
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The Rangers aren’t a bad team, not by any stretch. Their offense is potent and their goaltending is elite. However, their defensive shortcomings and coaching miscues are enough to derail their Cup chances. If the front office realizes that it should sell at the trade deadline, it will help put them in a position to succeed in the years ahead.