While the drama unfolds on the ice, the New York Rangers’ front office has decisions to make about the long-term viability of certain roster players.
Whenever it comes to designing a roster for the future of an organization, there inevitably comes a point in which emotion comes into play. If a player has spent significant time with an organization and played at a high level, he becomes a revered figure. However, an effective front office needs to know when to cut bait, even if it is a tad early.
Although it is an entirely different sport, the model for sustainable success is the New England Patriots. Whenever a player gets close to getting their first big contract extension or is getting close to the end of their prime, the team’s coach and general manager, Bill Belichick, never misses an opportunity to get younger and cheaper.
In the case of the New York Rangers, the team has repeatedly made the same mistake. Multiple times during the sustained run of success this decade, the front office extended aging players based on past performance. As brutal and harsh as it sounds, contracts need to be based on what the player will do, not what they have done.
It is not an exaggeration to say that the Dan Girardi and Marc Staal contracts submarined the Rangers’ future. Tying up more than $10 million in cap space in two below average defenseman hamstrung the team’s ability to compete.
If the Rangers were able to retain Keith Yandle and Anton Stralman instead of Staal and Girardi the team would be in a fundamentally different position. The team was forced to buyout Girardi because of how rapidly he deteriorated and Staal is an albatross on whoever plays with him.
Learning from mistakes
Those contracts were handed out under the watch of Glen Sather. The team’s current G.M. Jeff Gorton was the assistant at the time, and he must realize how bad those contracts are in retrospect. Tying up big cap hits for the long-term in players close to or on the wrong side of 30 cannot be a part of the picture.
While there are the occasional outliers that play well into their mid or late 30s, those are the exception, not the rule.
In regards to the current Ranger team, there are a handful of players that could fall into this danger zone for deals. These are the prime candidates to serve as trade bait come the NHL trade deadline in February.
The main two being Adam McQuaid and Mats Zuccarello. Early on this season, it is clear that the team is putting both players in position to accumulate plenty of playing time. It makes sense that the team would have the players in a situation to garner lots of attention to build value.
Why do it?
Both players would get draft picks or low-end prospects in return and help further the team’s long-term agenda. The ultimate question for the front office comes down to, is this player more valuable to me or someone else.
Being that both are on the wrong side of 30 and the Rangers are a team designed for the future, it would not make sense from an organizational position. It is an uncomfortable idea to consider trading Zuccarello, but it would make a lot of sense.
In addition to both Zuccarello and McQuaid, there are other candidates for this “build value,” idea. Chris Kreider and Kevin Hayes are both in their mid-20s and essentially finished products. Neither of the two is going to take a dramatic jump at this point in their development.
To sign either to an extension would be a risk that could potentially tie up lots of money for the long term. If the team is serious about its future, it cannot rule out trading either player for a bundle of assets at the deadline.
Would the Rangers be better off with Kreider from ages 27-33 or a first and second round pick as well as a mid-level prospect from a good team? These are all moving parts that Gorton needs to be thinking about on a nightly basis.
Building the Rangers for success going forward is difficult and requires the ability to cut emotion out of decision making. The team is going to get offers for its veteran players and it’s up to Gorton to decide what’s more important: the enviornment around its young players or getting more assets for the future.