New York Rangers: Slamming on the breaks and taking stock

After losing two consecutive games, the New York Rangers are back to their reality: an average team with a future Hall of Famer in net that can keep them alive.

Through 24 games, the New York Rangers are above water and look to have the foundation of an average team. Down the middle the team has three solid centers, it has a passable rotation of defensemen and Henrik Lundqvist in net. This composition makes for a team that stays competitive but not as good as it looked the past three weeks.

Part of the issue for the Rangers is the fact that both Mats Zuccarello and Pavel Buchnevich have missed several games due to injury. More notably, the Norwegian forward is sitting out for Monday’s contest against the Ottawa Senators with a groin injury. Although Zuccarello played in a game last week, the team is being precautious with one of its best players.

While the Rangers’ front office is probably happy with the results thus far, it likely is taking this lull to take stock of where the team is and where it’s going. Players like Zuccarello are likely not long for the blue sweater because of the team’s direction.

It would make sense for the team to prioritize Zuccarello’s health because of his inherent trade value as a player on an expiring contract. Being that the forward is 31 years old, his window for elite performance does not synch up with the team’s chances to win the Stanley Cup. This is a straightforward decision that a quality front office makes.

Sitting down and looking at players from an objective point of view is imperative to not become the Chicago Blackhawks. Do not get tethered to the player someone used to be because they will be overpaid and take up more cap space than they should have.

Think about how rough the Marc Staal contract is now in relation to when it was signed. Although Staal was once an important figure on a winning team, it was clear that he was already in decline when the extension was agreed to. Now, the team is stuck with a below average defenseman that needs a lineup spot.

While Zuccarello has shown no signs of slowing down this season, it’s important to keep the greater context of the situation in mind. The Rangers are not trying to win the Stanley Cup this season and extending a 31-year-old forward is counter-intuitive to the team’s long-term plan.

The team sitting Zuccarello out with an injury he could play through is a sign of what’s to come. There is an emphasis on the future in the direction of the team. Of course, there is no guarantee of a trade and the team could just be being precautious with a player’s health.

We’ll see how long it takes for Zuccarello to return to the lineup, but it should be sooner rather than later.