The New York Rangers are centered around winning through Henrik Lundqvist. However, if the team cannot piece together a competitive team next season, it will have a big issue.
The Rangers are an organization at a crossroads. The team’s future is bright with a bevy of prospects a few years away from being NHL ready. This presents an issue because of the way the organization is currently constructed. Henrik Lundqvist is the highest paid goaltender in the league right now and expects the team to contend next season. This dynamic may put the Rangers at odds with the best player in the history of their franchise.
This summer will be a portal into the mind of General Manager Jeff Gorton. This summer’s free agent crop is not particularly strong aside from center John Tavares. It is unlikely that the Rangers can entice the former Islander to jump ship meaning that moves will come from trades and draft picks. The Rangers have several picks in the first three rounds of the draft and will bolster their prospect pool. There is also the outside chance that Gorton looks to use his draft picks to add NHL ready talent.
This presents the issue that will linger for the next three seasons as long as Lundqvist is under contract. A veteran goaltender in his late 30s and a rebuilding franchise do not have the same goals. At this point in his career, Lundqvist is only about winning the ever elusive Stanley Cup.
Related Story: Which restricted free agent center should be moved ?
There is something to be said for loyalty to a franchise legend like Lundqvist. However, the Rangers as an organization need to ice a competitive team for years to come. The team has done ample job restocking a barren prospect pool, but it is a few years away.
The summer
The good news is that New York has three picks in the first round. In terms of asset value, first round picks are amongst the most valuable a general manager can have. A first round pick is a blank slate that anyone in the league can project to fill their needs. The Rangers have a lottery pick which will be amongst the highest in the draft.
This lottery pick needs to be a high-end contributor. The Rangers have had a dearth of high-end talent for the entirety of the Lundqvist era. The last truly elite player the Rangers had was Jaromir Jagr more than a decade ago. Being that the team’s defense is so poor, a number one defenseman is the biggest need.
However, it is unrealistic to expect the team’s lottery pick to slide right into the NHL lineup. Unless the team lucks into the number one overall pick to select Rasmus Dahlin, the pick will probably be a year away from Madison Square Garden.
There is, of course, the possibility that the Rangers swing a big trade this summer. The free agent class of 2019 is amongst the best in the history of the league. Several legitimate stars: Jeff Skinner, Tyler Seguin, Erik Karlsson, Drew Doughty and Oliver Eckman-Larsson will all be free agents in a year. Some of these teams will look to move on from their expensive talent and recoup assets.
There is an opportunity to add a franchise-altering player.
The Gamble
The biggest peril of relying so much on unproven talents, like the Rangers will next season, is that they won’t all pan out. The team would need a broad stroke of luck for every prospect to pan out into an NHL contributor. Barring a franchise altering player being added in the summer, New York will largely be the same team as this season.
On top of adding new talent, the Rangers will also be adding a new head coach. Whenever a team adds a new head coach from outside the organization there is always a transition period where the players become acclimated with the new systems. This can often be a messy and outright bad process to watch.
When Alain Vigneault was hired, the team rolled out some outright dreaful preformances that culminated in a 9-3 loss to the San Jose Sharks. That loss spurred the change that eventually led the team to the Stanley Cup Final that season. However, that team was comprised of veteran talent that needed tweaking.
The team’s new coach will be carrying out a total overhaul in both system and philiosphy. It is not a given that the new coach will be succesful either. The Rangers have a team with some young talent and a talented but aging goaltender.
Worst case scenario
This summer’s moves will ultimately determine the outcome of next season. If Gorton adds a franchise altering player in the draft, through trade or signs Tavares, the Rangers should be okay. Adding a bonafide superstar to last year’s core should be enough to at least have the team in the playoff hunt.
Even with an all world talent, the team is still likely a year away from competing. The team’s prospects aside from Filip Chytil and Lias Andersson are all at least a year away from being NHL ready. Brett Howden, Libor Hajek, Yegor Rykov, Igor Shestyorkin and Ryan Lindgren are all going to be NHL players, but they all need further seasoning.
The team could struggle from the jump next season to get situated. This would further complicate the team’s relationship with Lundqvist and possibly put an ugly strain on things. The organization cannot begrudge Lundqvist for wanting to win, but it has to be realistic.
Next: What went wrong: Overworked Henrik Lundqvist
If the Rangers aren’t in the race come deadline time, they might again sell off team controlled players for future assets. This will further delay the rebuild and likely result in missing the playoffs again. The upcoming summer window will ultimately dictate the team’s fate for next season.