New York Rangers: The sky is falling!

The New York Rangers are either masterfully executing a grand plan or are headed for a disaster.

Having been off the internet grid for a few days I was out of the loop on New York Rangers news.   Playing catch up has been a fascinating look at the incredible diversity of opinion about the state of our favorite team.

While the New York Post is the only local newspaper that actually  covers hockey, they have been delivering a steady diet of doomsday scenarios. If you read the Post, after Artemi Panarin and Jacob Trouba, the team will be made up of a troupe of ECHL all stars and semi-pros.  It’s almost amusing with the headlines providing the greatest levity.

On the other end of the spectrum are the optimists.  Trade Namestnikov  and Shattenkirk,  buy out Smith and our troubles are over.  That is all well and good, but trades require parters and assuming that someone actually wants these players for a fair price may be a reach.

Then there are the rational voices.  Dozens of scenarios abound with the most radical including the trading Chris Kreider or Pavel Buchnevich and the most practical providing an array of buy outs, reasonable trades and other contractual shenanigans.

The reality

Between them, Jeff Gorton and John Davidson have five decades of experience in hockey management.  Throw in senior advisor Glen Sather and it is over 100 years.  Based on their well established track records, you must believe that they know what they are doing.

Was $8 million a year to Jacob Trouba an overpayment?  When they acquired him they had to know what the ballpark figure would be.  While the Panarin signing was a question mark until he made his final decision, they had to have a Plan A, a Plan B and a Plan C.

They also have a much better feeling for the value of their current assets.  They know exactly what they are going to pay Brendan Lemieux and Anthony DeAngelo.  While it is alarming to see that big zero next to the Rangers’ name when it come to cap space on Capfriendly.com, they still have a couple months to get that number back to the positive side.

That may indeed take a Kreider or Buchnevich deal or the trading of a first round draft pick or stud prospect.  The great news is that is what it takes for good teams to do business in the NHL these days.

Optimism wins out

The NHL is a “what have you done for me lately” league.  After a spectacular run of success, the Rangers hit a wall.  What is amazing is that in 17 months the team has been able to execute a turnaround that has the rest of the league marveling.

The team has added a superstar scorer and a stud defenseman and a generational draft pick.  Add the current roster and prospects to that mix and the Rangers are poised to do in less than two years, what Buffalo , Edmonton and Florida has been unable to do for years.

Rangers fans should consider themselves lucky.  Gorton and company know what it takes to build a winner and they are well on their way to doing it.  Watching how it plays out will be amazing.

In the meantime, we will continue to speculate, because that is what the off-season is all about.