New York Rangers: Is Blue Jackets playoff success good for the Blueshirts?

Even though the New York Rangers are once again a notable absentee, the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs aren’t disappointing so far.

For the second straight year the New York Rangers failed to reach the postseason, but there are still plenty of playoff connections to keep a keen eye on.

One team not short on ties to the Blueshirts are of course the Tampa Bay Lightning, who have a boatload of former Rangers on their rosters.

And the Lightning, who created history in the regular season by becoming the second team in NHL history to finish with 62 wins, are responsible for one of the most shocking storylines to come out of the First Round so far.

They are on the cusp of elimination following a 3-1 defeat to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Sunday night, and they will try to avoid a series sweep on Tuesday.

The Lightning have been outscored 13-2 since the start of the second period in Game 1, and they have been outworked, outsmarted and outclassed by a Columbus team who have put it all together at just the right time.

But, is it a good thing for the Rangers if the Blue Jackets embark on a deep run in the postseason?

It might not be and let me explain why.

Historically, the Blue Jackets are not a good playoff team. Prior to this year, they have never won a postseason series in franchise history, going 0-4.

They made a flurry of moves at the trade deadline, most notably bringing in Matt Duchene from the Ottawa Senators, in order to clinch the Metro Division and arm themselves with enough weapons in order to change their fortunes in the postseason.

Winning their division obviously didn’t work out but Columbus’ gutsy approach at the deadline is certainly paying off now and they are on the brink of causing an almighty upset.

So where do the Rangers come into this?

Well the general consensus around the league was that Columbus was prepared to blow everything up if they suffered yet another disappointing postseason.

That could still happen, of course. They have a vast array of stars set to hit free agency this summer, including elite forward Artemi Panarin who we all know keeps coming up in conversation in regards to a potential move to the Big Apple.

Could Panarin be tempted to remain as a Blue Jacket though should Columbus go really deep in the postseason?

The New York Rangers will be hoping that’s not the case.

You’ve also got the John Davidson factor, with Columbus’ President of Hockey Operations among the favorites to fill the same role at the Rangers.

Davidson would no doubt find himself in the firing line, along with a few others, should the Blue Jackets still find a way of exiting the playoffs at the first hurdle, but could he be tempted to stay put if the franchise puts together a lengthy run and prove they are the real deal?

This is of course all speculation for now and only time will tell how the current situation within the Blue Jackets pans out.

There is another factor to consider too.

The Rangers are due to profit from any postseason success the Lightning enjoy, with the 31st overall pick making its way to Broadway if Tampa somehow bounces back and ends up still winning it all.

Now, the last pick in the first round will hardly be franchise altering, but it could still land the Blueshirts a decent prospect with a fairly high ceiling with which to add to the already substantial talent pool. The Lightning lose and the pick is a late second round selection.

There is of course the sentimental aspect, too.

We all have a favorite former player and there is a good chance that one of those might well be currently plying their trade for the Lightning.

Former Rangers captain Ryan McDonagh, J.T. Miller, Ryan Callahan, Anton Stralman and Dan Girardi are all involved in the postseason for Tampa, and it would be nice to see those players get their hands on Lord Stanley’s Cup.

Particularly McDonagh, Callahan and Girardi who were all such loyal servants for the Rangers, with the trio racking up 1,754 games between them in New York.

Although we all love a good old underdog story, it will be interesting to see just how much any potential success the Columbus Blue Jackets have this postseason affects the Rangers.

If any, of course.

We will be posting a full roundup of Rangers connections in the playoffs on Tuesday.