The trade deadline is fast approaching, and the New York Rangers must decide whether to buy or sell. It’s time to analyze the options at hand.
The New York Rangers’ current season has been a roller coaster ride. On one hand, this team could still be competitive enough to make the playoffs. On the other, the writing may be on the wall and it might be time to blow it all up.
The Rangers have historically been a team that buys at the deadline. Often noted as the team that makes the big splash, the Rangers are a perennial contender that tries to improve its roster for a long run. This is evidenced by recent deadline deals for players like Martin St. Louis, Keith Yandle, Eric Staal and Brendan Smith.
The attitude this year is shifting, however. The group of players that is currently on the roster has been through several long stretches with no Stanley Cups to show for it. This group needs an overhaul geared more towards the long-term health of the team.
This is the time to take a look at the road ahead.
Buying
Let’s start with the traditional method here. The Rangers, as noted before, have always been a buying team. New York is expected to compete every single year because they are a big market team. . Since the Rangers have made the playoffs every season but one sine 2006 it has become an expectation.
If the Rangers want to continue this trend they would need to add players from outside the organization. As many might say, once you’re in, anything is possible. That is true, to an extent, but the Rangers must take a hard look at themselves and question if, even with an extra good forward or defenseman, are they truly good enough to make a push?
If they make the playoffs and are eliminated early, this stunts the Rangers ability to continue to grow. They will miss out on a lottery pick, a chance to get a (more likely) high quality player in the draft, and will have given up more assets in a feeble attempt at a Cup. Short term, hinging on a cup win, may seem like a good idea, but long term, it is not.
So, while buying may continue to put butts in seats and keep the playoff streak alive, it is a recipe for another middling season. The Rangers must accept that, at present, they are not a competitive playoff team. The sooner they accept that, the sooner they can move on to what needs to be done: a hard deadline sale.
Selling
The moment that no one really wants to admit is here has arrived and full throttle. The Rangers are deadline sellers for the first time since the lockout. It is a somewhat sad moment; the New York Rangers are accepting defeat. However, it is a necessary step for the long-term health of the franchise.
The obvious negative to selling is missing the playoffs and having a mediocre end of the season. This can spread to the following year, which may be an outright rebuilding year with no hope for the playoffs. Short term, this seems bad, but it must be done for the greater good. The next five years of the Rangers franchise will be determined by the next few months.
The Rangers must obtain as many draft picks as possible with the assets they currently have. A team like them, with a poor system and middling NHL roster, needs organizational depth to build a new core. Outside of the first round, having a large number of selections increases the odds of getting a good player. So, they can take a sure thing in round one, and possibly pick up more later.
Another pro in this scenario is a full scale organizational overhaul. This means that, not only will the Rangers retool the “core” outside of a few young players, they will change the team’s philosophy.
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The short-term future is going to be bleak and difficult to watch. However, it will be interesting to see how management approaches the deadline. The smart move is to sell this year, have several high draft picks and ample cap space for free agency.