The New York Rangers front office has designs on a multiyear program to rebuild the NHL level team to fit the modern NHL game.
The modern NHL game requires that successful teams have the ability to roll out four quality lines and at least two competent defensive pairs. In most cases, it is the battle in the bottom six that determines the outcome of postseason series because the respective top sixes often cancel each other out. In the case of the New York Rangers, the front office is embarking on a massive roster overhaul that will take multiple draft classes to replace.
The organizations that have sustainable periods of success in the NHL feature the right balance of cheap home grown talent and more expensive acquisitions. Using other teams around the league, like the Winnipeg Jets, who drafted every single player in their lineup last season as a model, the Rangers can have extra money for free agency and trades.
Although it is far too early to think about in a serious manner, the Seattle franchise expansion draft is only two summers away. That presents an opportunity for New York to use its excess cap space as a broker for other teams to make moves. In addition to the expansion draft, New York’s front office must keeping an eye on the free agent market for the next two seasons.
Ranger’s General Manager Jeff Gorton’s moves this summer give a view into his mindset for the future. Between the team’s draft selections and restricted free agent contracts, there is something of a plan beginning to take shape.
The prospect pool
The biggest change in the mindset of the Ranger’s organization when Gorton replaced Glen Sather was placing a premium on prospects. Being that Gorton saw the writing on the wall last season that the core needed to be blown up, he got out at the right time and recouped outstanding value. The Rick Nash trade alone was an outright fleecing relative to what the Bruins got out of the pending free agent forward.
If the Rangers are going to return to their former glory, it will be through the considerable stockpile of prospects the front office has procured. For a team with a lack of defensive quality at the NHL level the Rangers have some relief on the horizon. Although none of the prospects projects to a number one defenseman, there is plenty of potential to work with. The combination of Libor Hajek, Ryan Lindgren, Yegor Rykov, K’Andre Miller and Nils Lundkvist should yield a quality core at the NHL level.
As for the forward position, there is a glut at the center position and a dearth on the wings. However, the front office will likely not abstain from the best player available methodology of recent year’s at next year’s draft. This puts the burden of finding elite talent on the trade market or free agency.
The NHL level
The biggest sign that the front office is gearing up for serious change is the contract department. The Rangers currently only have five skaters and Henrik Lundqvist under contract for the 2020-2021 season. Instead of signing up players like Kevin Hayes, Vladislav Namestnikov, Ryan Spooner and Jimmy Vesey long term, they were given bridge deals.
If Gorton really wants to continue his path towards a totally new team, he will likely flip all four of these players over the next 24 months for more assets. Whether they be NHL talent, prospects, or draft picks is irrelevant, what matters is that Gorton is setting the organization up for the long term.
The best part of putting a priority on young players is that they are cost controlled for seven years or until they turn 27 years old. The way the league’s current player rights situation operates put an emphasis on being a contender when the majority of a team’s impact players are on entry level or restricted free agent contracts. Designing a cheap core over the course of a few seasons and then shopping for premium pieces on the market is the way all of the major sports operate now.
There is a very realistic possibility that the Rangers make a play for Artemi Panarin and stick him into the team’s core for the future. In all likelihood, the team will be a fringe contender within two years. Although the Rangers obviously need significant work to get there, the team has the parts to work this out over the course of a few years.
The obvious point to make is that the Rangers are going to be bad record wise. There will be exciting points here and there as a young team works things out. But, until the team can put something resembling a defense in front of Henrik Lundqvist, they are going to be rebuilding.