New York Rangers: Five questions going into training camp

There is not a lot known about how the New York Rangers 2018-2019 season will play out. The one thing that is known is the sheer number of question marks the team has.

After making the playoffs for eight consecutive seasons, missing out requires fundamental re-evaluation of hockey decisions. How could a team that was supposed to contend for the Stanley Cup finish eighth in the Metropolitan Division? How could a veteran coach with multiple President’s Trophies and Stanley Cup Final appearances lose touch with a locker room to the point that the players felt he was picking names out of a hat?

The 2017-2018 Rangers were a house of cards waiting to crumble. The team was built on a stagnant defense that could not move the puck and transition to offense. Through the team’s inability to transition to offense, the forwards and the goaltender were left standing when the music stopped. For most of Alain Vigneault’s tenure as head coach, Henrik Lundqvist was the equalizer.

However, a goaltender can only do so much when they are tasked with making 40 saves per game night after night.

Now, the questions and expectations around the team have done a total 180 degree flip. The Rangers’ new head coach, David Quinn, is a blank slate at the NHL level and has a five-year contract. This contracts implies at an implicit level that the front office understands that this is more than a one if not two year rebuild.

Going into training camp, Quinn and his new crop of players have to show some sign of direction. The Rangers will not be a good hockey team this season, but, there need to be some tangible steps taken forward.