While the New York Rangers will look to regain winning form on Friday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets, another type of contest will be operating in the background.
Aside from John Tavares last summer and Steven Stamkos two summers prior, elite players rarely reach unrestricted free agency. Organizations all recognize the fact that if it wants to compete at the highest level, they will need to pony up the salary to keep quality homegrown talent in the fold. As the New York Rangers work on rebuilding, acquiring such talent remains a priority.
With Henrik Lundqvist serving as the team’s best player, the Rangers were ultimately unable to win the Stanley Cup. Though no fault of the goaltender, the organization failed to surround him with the proper mix of complimentary talent to capture the best trophy in sports. However, the organization is bracing for life after the Swede and transition is a major theme.
The current roster features a handful of players like Mika Zibanejad, Brady Skjei and Filip Chytil that figure into the team’s long-term plans. While all three have shown flashes of quality play at the NHL level, they all do not fit the bill of being the best player on a Stanley Cup winning team. Chytil only being 19 means that he has ample time to get better, but things move quicker at the team level.
This brings us to the visiting Columbus Blue Jackets. The team from Ohio’s capital has two of, if not the two biggest free agents coming up next July. Both Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky will hit free agency on July if they don’t sign extensions. Based on reports for the past 12 months or so, it seems as if Panarin already has one foot out the door.
While the rumor mill always links elite players to the Rangers based on the need and resources of the organization, basing a rebuilding around a player currently outside of team control is putting too many eggs in one basket.
As the Blue Jackets inch closer to the trade deadline while in a playoff spot, the team will try and pull out all of the stops to keep one of if not both of its pending unrestricted free agents. It’s impossible to force a player to stay if they have their heart set on leaving, ask the New York Islanders about Tavares and that courtship.
In terms of the future of the Rangers’ organization, Friday is an opportunity for the team to get Panarin in the building and indirectly present a plan. Playing 41 home games per season at the world’s most famous arena and living in New York City is something from a remote region of Russia like Panarin would greatly appreciate.
If New York is going to compete in the not too distant future, adding Panarin to the fold is of the utmost importance. Adding a transcendent player who is one of the five best players at his position on the entire planet is the type of move that drastically alters the trajectory of a franchise.
Given how the Rangers’ history is with great players from the Blue Jackets, this courtship will be interesting to follow along.