New York Rangers: Who to use as a model for a retool
There is one team that is currently in the NHL playoffs that successfully retooled in a short period of time. The New York Rangers should look to emulate the Boston Bruins.
The NHL is a copycat league when a team employs a successful method or philosophy, others follow suit. The Edmonton Oilers made it common practice to tank in hopes of winning the draft lottery when the NHL switched systems. The NHL now is actively trying to combat the problem of tanking because of how many teams have turned to it.
The Rangers were certainly guilty of tanking down the stretch. They did not rest healthy players, but the team did keep Alain Vigneault as head coach. Typically, when a team fires a head coach midseason if spurs a quick turnaround. Last season, when the Montreal Canadiens hired Claude Julien, they quickly turned things around and qualified for the postseason. The Rangers’ front office knew that they could not allow the team to sneak in the playoffs because of one hot streak.
In fact, the Rangers front office has direct ties to the Boston Bruins organization. Prior to joining New York’s front office, Jeff Gorton was the assistant general manager in Boston. While he was with the Bruins, the team selected both Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. Those two forwards have developed into two-thirds of arguably the best line in hockey.
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The Bruins organization has managed to completely turn things around in two seasons. After not making the playoffs for two years, the team has emerged as one of the two favorites in the eastern conference. Boston added pieces to the core of holdovers from the team’s two Stanley Cup final appearances
The foundation
The Bruins had the makings of a strong team with key veteran contributors. However, the team’s poor trades gutted the prospect pool and made the team over-reliant on replacement level players around its superstars.
Boston had Tuukka Rask, an established, skilled goaltender that was capable of showing up in the playoffs. They had an aging number one defenseman in Zdeno Chara that gobbled up minutes and was still a net positive. Alongside these veterans, they had an emerging Bergeron and Marchand as well as the budding prospects David Pasternak and Torey Krug. There was potential in the group they had, but it needed supplemental talent.
The Rangers are in a similar position with the same types of players. They have the proven goaltender in Henrik Lundqvist as well as established forwards in Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider. Of course, Zibanejad and Kreider are not Marchand and Bergeron, but they fit the roles of number one center and left wing. The team lacks a true number one defenseman unless Brady Skjei can take a major step forward next season.
However, the parallels between the two organizations are obvious. The Rangers are not just going to waste a season or two on tanking because they have so many veterans under contract. The team has too much talent to bottom out to the point that tanking would make sense. Furthermore, if the team were to outright tank, it would poison the relationship with its best active player in Lundqvist.
The goaltender has repeatedly vocalized his problems with the team’s fate this past season and his goal for the future. Lundqvist expects a competitive team in front of him next season.
The reinforcements
The Bruins took a major step forward because of the contributions from their draft picks. In a matter of three years, Boston added a blue-chip prospect, Charlie McAvoy, and solid contributors with bright futures in Ryan Donato, Jake DeBrusk, Brandon Carlo and Danton Heinen. These players have bolstered the Bruins depth to the point that they’re one of the league’s best.
Add in the established veterans that the team acquired in free agency and through trades makes one tough buzz saw of a team. The Bruins signed multi-time 30 goal scorer David Backes before the 2016-2017 season and he has shined in a bottom six role. Throw in the addition of Rick Nash and Tommy Wingels via trades at the deadline to sure things up and the Bruins are poised to make a deep run.
The Rangers will have ample opportunity to bolster their core of holdovers through trades, the draft and free agency. So far, the team has made two first-round picks, Filip Chytil and Lias Andersson, to kick off the retool. In brief NHL time, both look ready for the league next year. Combined with the developing Pavel Buchnevich and Kevin Hayes and the foundation of a team is in place.
New York needs to make smart additions this summer and turn over every rock in the trade market. The team has a pair of huge needs, number one defenseman, and another first line winger. These won’t be cheap to come by, but the Rangers have the assets to acquire them.
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If things go well this offseason, the Rangers could easily be back in the playoffs next year. Using the Bruins model of rebuilding on the fly through drafting NHL ready talent and using free agency is a smart system. If the Rangers front office decides to strip mine the team and start from scratch, the process will take much longer.