New York Rangers: Did announcing the rebuild help or hurt?
The New York Rangers are fully committed to a rebuild. We know this for sure because Jeff Gorton and Glen Sather held an unusual press conference announcing it.
While Gorton and Sather helped a nervous fanbase prepare for major changes, that’s not all they did. Sure, it’s nice to know there’s a plan in place ahead of potential deals sending Ryan McDonagh, Rick Nash, and others out of town. But everyone, not just Ranger fans, now knows the team has shifted its focus to the future.
The public statement puts Gorton in a decidedly different position at the bargaining table. Other general managers don’t have to guess at his intentions. We don’t yet know if this handicaps the front office or if it does them a favor, but we can make some guesses.
Negotiating at the trade deadline is all about leverage. If Gorton does not get a fair offer for his assets he should hold firm and demand more. The Rangers should make trades at the deadline, but only if the price is right.
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How it might help
All of the sharks are circling the bleeding Rangers out in the ocean. Other teams don’t have to wonder which Ranger veterans are available when making their shopping lists. Gorton has positioned New York as the central hub for deadline deals.
Any contender wanting to upgrade will at least give Gorton a call before looking elsewhere. New York has a lot to offer between Ryan McDonagh, Rick Nash, Michael Grabner, and Mats Zuccarello. Some bargain hunters might even have eyes for Nick Holden.
Furthermore, the Rangers now have the luxury of time. Big trades don’t happen overnight, especially for players with term remaining like McDonagh and Zuccarello. New York might have to get creative to land a satisfying offer, and franchise-altering deals deserve more than knee-jerk consideration at the last minute.
Gorton has given himself two real windows to move McDonagh and Zuccarello. He has the deadline and he has the upcoming draft. In the case of McDonagh and Zuccarello, he has the choice of using the trade deadline window as a preview into the potential window at the draft.
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How it might hurt
Time isn’t always on the Rangers’ side. As the deadline moves closer, Gorton’s leverage on pending free agents like Nash and Grabner dwindles.
The Rangers have to trade those two players by then, and every front office in the league knows it. Gorton can’t threaten to keep them for the stretch run if he doesn’t like what’s on the table.
Now if a bidding war erupts for those two, then everything’s dandy. But you can’t issue a statement saying “we will be focused on adding young, competitive players” and then pretend you’re taking a last shot at the Cup with Nash if teams don’t raise the ante.
Fortunately, the market for Nash appears quite healthy. The picture is less clear for Grabner, though.
Gorton needs a similar amount of interest to develop around Grabner. Otherwise, he might find himself stuck with a few suitors trying to take advantage of his publicly compromised position.
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Tick, tick, tick
Ultimately, the Rangers’ rebuilding announcement could wind up as an odd footnote. Plus, it would’ve been hard for Gorton to pretend they’re hanging on to any of their free agents as soon as he made his first big “sell” move.
A public commitment to the future could also help the front office from falling into old habits if the Rangers go on a mini-run. It’s comforting that the organization has a concrete plan at the very least.
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Luckily for us, we’re going to start getting some answers very soon. The 3 PM February 26 trade deadline is less than two weeks away. If it turns out well enough, the Rangers could even wind up as accidental trendsetters.