The New York Rangers got off to an inevitably slow start this season for a variety of factors, keeping the team in the proper context will allow for a deeper level of understanding.
In terms of a rebuild, the New York Rangers front office is working on a variety of different timelines simultaneously. There is the long-term plan of restoring the team to contender status which has ultimate priority. Then the development of the 2018-2019 roster over the course of the entire season operates on a separate plane of existence.
In terms of returning to being a contender, things seem to be going smoothly. The organization has a litany of prospects operating at a variety of different levels of development. The defense has a small army of young candidates to restore order to the Rangers’ blue line in the not too distant future. The forward group has Lias Andersson and Vitali Kravtsov within eyesight.
As for the team on the ice, there is a different mindset and timeline. While starting off the season with three consecutive losses is far from ideal, it really is not that big of a deal. Where the two timelines start to blur together is how the end result of the 2018-2019 team impacts the return to contender status.
If the current iteration of the Rangers exceeds expectations, it very well could throw off the long-term timeline.
Right now
In the interim, the coaching staff and players should be focused on getting the team trending in the right direction. In the first three games of the season, there were still positives to take away that can be a point of order for the rest of the season.
The biggest positive far and away was the Rangers’ shot creation. While the team did not convert many of its scoring chances, the fact that they were still created is a formula that can be followed. If anything, that means the team will have a positive regression and the goals will come.
Using the law of averages, if a team goes through a dry spell in terms of shooting percentage, eventually it will get hot because it is impossible to be below average for an entire season. Of course, there are exceptions to every rule, but if the team can create near 30 shots per game on a nightly basis, it will score goals.
The defense is outright not fixable at this point in time without a dramatic overhaul of talent. However, there are small correctable bad habits that can be fixed to try and minimize the damage. The defensemen need to have their sticks on the ice to disrupt passing lanes and need to stop turning their backs to the puck carrier.
In addition, the coaching staff needs to focus on establishing good sustainable habits. Just because the team won’t win, does not mean it cannot play up to the level of its opponents. Take opening night against the Nashville Predators for example. The team effectively managed to execute the intensity break out system and hang around against a quality opponent.
None of the Rangers’ defensemen are ever going to be mistaken for Paul Coffey or Brian Leetch, but executing quick breakout passes before pressure comes is doable. It will be difficult to change years of playing a certain way designed to minimize risk.
In the team’s old system, the defensemen were encouraged to bank the puck high off the glass to get out of the defensive zone. This is in stark contrast to the possession-oriented system that the new coaching staff is trying to implement.
Final thoughts
Keeping the bigger picture in mind is difficult when it comes to sports. However, teams have to be thought of as living organisms to give these cycles the right type of understanding. Right now, the Rangers are trying to get their feet back under them after a difficult year. That will not happen overnight.
In addition to simply not being that good right now, it was never the team’s intention to compete right away. There is a clear plan in place oriented around bringing along the prospect pool and getting serious about winning again in a year or two. The team would not have made the moves it did at the deadline last year if the front office thought the organization was one piece away.
Building a team from scratch in both philosophy and physical manifestation is a difficult and layered process. Keeping the idea of multiple operating timelines and systems in mind will give peace of mind.
There is an organizational concept and identity in development. Given the right window of time, both will come to fruition within a year or two.