Five most important New York Rangers of the last decade
The New York Rangers were in the midst of the best stretch in the franchise’s history until this season. There were several players who made the team as successful as it was.
When a team misses the postseason after being a perennial contender, it’s natural to take stock. For the most part, the teams of the past five years do not have much connection to the current team. Just three players, Henrik Lundqvist, Marc Staal and Jesper Fast, remain from the 2014 Stanley Cup Final team.
One of the more interesting things to watch over time was the development of the team. The Rangers compiled a unique mix of home grown talent and outside hired mercenaries. The team went through two head coaches, and went from bubbling with talent to serious contender. The emergence of a young talented core made the prolonged success of the previous eight years possible.
Unfortunately, the Rangers never achieved their ultimate goal of winning the Stanley Cup. New York came awfully close three separate times. In fact, the Rangers have the most playoff wins this decade of any team that has not won the Stanley Cup. The organization went all in at the trade deadline multiple times and as a result had a barren cupboard of prospects.
Now, the team is extremely green and in dire need of seasoning. This is an ode to the heroes of the Henrik Lundqvist era.
Number Five: Dan Girardi
It is not every day that undrafted free agents serve as top pair defenseman for ten years. The Rangers signed Girardi on July 1 of 2006 and the very next season he played all 82 games of the NHL season. That kind of return on value is something the Rangers have managed to do very well this decade. Under the coaching of John Tortorella, Girardi developed into a minutes eating machine.
Although he was never much of a threat in the offensive end, the defenseman was tough as nails and a gutsy defenseman. Those coded words are hockey slang for, a liability in the offensive zone, but at the same time fail to do Girardi justice. Girardi was outright fearless in the defensive zone and would get in front of any shot.
Serving as one half of an elite defensive pair for four seasons, including three appearances in the Eastern Conference finals gets the defenseman on this list. Unfortunately, Girardi and the Rangers had an unceremonious splitting of ways following the 2016-2017 season in which he was bought out.
Under Tortorella, players like Girardi gave the team an identity as a grinding shot blocking nuisance. The Rangers were lucky to have a defenseman like Girardi for as long as they did.
Number Four: Brad Richards
Part of the Rangers success this decade was a blend of developing players and established veterans. Chief amongst those veterans who helped bring the team along was Brad Richards. The center signed a nine year deal for $6.66 million per season on July 2 of 2011. The center helped a young team along and brought about the mindset of acting like a team that had been there before.
Richards only lasted three seasons in New York, and his statistical output took a noticeable dip once he started dressing in the home locker room at the world’s most famous arena. However, his value was so much more than as a offensive creator. When the Rangers made the Stanley Cup final in 2014, Richards served as the defacto captain. After trading the active captain, Ryan Callahan, at that season’s deadline, Richards stepped up and led the dressing room.
Of course, for all of these intangibles, the center was actually a pretty good hockey player. In two of the three seasons he was with the team he posted 50 plus point seasons. Richards’ 2011-2012 point total of 66 was the third highest total of any Ranger this decade, following Marian Gaborik’s 86 and 76 point seasons.
Most notably, Richards scored one of the biggest post season goals in recent memory. The center’s goal with just 6.6 seconds remaining in game five of the eastern conference semi-finals against the Washington Capitals established the Rangers as a serious contender.
Number Three: Derek Stepan
For all that has been said about the Rangers lacking a number one center, Derek Stepan was pretty good if he wasn’t a number one. Sure he didn’t post gaudy point totals, but what he did provide was more than good two way play at the center position. What stands out about the center’s time with the team was his balanced play that leant itself to clutch play.
Stepan’s game seven overtime winning goal against the Washington Capitals in the Eastern Conference semi finals is arguably the biggest goal in franchise history since Stephane Matteau’s game seven winner against the New Jersey Devils in 1994. Furthermore, the center served as a pivot that was able to play in any and every situation.
There is something to be said for a center that can be deployed at any point and any zone during the course of a game. In addition, Stepan served as a reliable power play contributor. At a time when the Rangers desperately needed help on the man advantage, the former Wisconsin Badger was a great distributor.
Number Two: Ryan McDonagh
A number one defenseman and captain is a rarity in the game of hockey. Finding a skilled enough player that has enough character to double both as a top player and captain if tough. Further, getting this player in a salary dump trade is an outright stroke of luck. The Rangers acquired McDonagh from the Montreal Canadiens on June 30 of 2009 in exchange for Scott Gomez.
New York was getting a talented defensive prospect in exchanged for a white dwarf of a hockey player in Gomez. Over the following two seasons McDonagh was groomed in both the AHL and NHL as a number one defenseman. Then Coach Tortorella was determined to groom his team by fire. This meant McDonagh was playing heavy minutes against the best competition as a 22 year old.
As the team came into its own, it was clear that McDonagh was an elite talent in the NHL. The defenseman led the team in points during the 2014 Stanley Cup final run as a 24 year old. The defenseman posted 17 points in 25 games as the team made it to game five of the cup final. During the following year’s postseason run, McDonagh cemented his tenure as captain with a clutch overtime game wining goal.
It was difficult for the Rangers to trade their captain at this season’s trade deadline. No one can take away just how special of a player McDonagh was as a Ranger. The organization came into its own as a perennial contender with the defenseman in a premier position. The team will be hard pressed to replace McDonagh and it will take time to find even a serviceable facsimile.
Number One: Henrik Lundqvist
If this was not the most obvious possible choice. The Rangers have been the benefactors of lucking into one of the greatest draft steals in the history of the NHL. New York selected Lundqvist with the 205 overall pick in the 2000 NHL entry draft. With a throw away seventh round pick the Rangers got the the eighth most winningest goaltender in the history of the NHL. With any bit of success, Lundqvist will likely crack the top three.
It is not a stretch to say that the Rangers and Lundqvist are tied at the hip forever. The goaltender has served as the punching bag and coping mechanism for the front office. For the entirety of Lundqvist’s time with New York, he has been the solution to every problem. When the team could not score enough, the goalie would need to win every game 2-1. If the team could not defend, they would win every game 4-3.
The point being that Lundqvist has enable the successes of the past decade. The teams that made the conference finals were only able to do so because of the goaltending. Especially during the 2012 through 2014 runs. Those teams were only able to go as far as Lundqvist was able to drag them.
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The Rangers have had their fair share of important contributors this past decade. The cornerstone of the franchise has persevered through roster turnover year after year. However, it is unquestionable that Lundqvist has been the most important Ranger of the past decade.