Rangers notebook: Gorton and J.D. got it right this off-season

The New York Rangers are headed in the right direction under general manager Jeff Gorton and president John Davidson.

New York Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton and president John Davidson did well this off-season.

They retained Ryan Strome, Tony DeAngelo, Phillip Di Giuseppe, Alexandar Georgiev, and Brendan Lemieux. They shed salary by trading Marc Staal to the Detroit Red Wings. They added depth by inking veteran defensemen Jack Johnson and Anthony Bitetto, as well as forwards Kevin Rooney and Colin Blackwell.

Perhaps best of all, they haven’t overpaid for any of the few impact players in this off season’s free-agent class.

Are the Rangers better than they were last year?

On paper, it’s pretty much the same team that was swept in the Qualifying Round by the Carolina Hurricanes last August. Sure, Alexis Lafreniére could exceed already high expectations. Strome and Pavel Buchnevich could build off last year (in which each player established single-season career bests for points), and Igor Shesterkin could steal more games than Henrik Lundqvist did during his early NHL days.

But all that probably won’t fix what hurt the Rangers last season, specifically a loose defense and a lack of jam on the forecheck. Davidson recently noted Johnson’s penalty-killing prowess and off-ice work ethic and praised Rooney as one of the NHL’s better penalty-killing forwards. Nonetheless, when next season is finished, the Blueshirts probably won’t be making plans for a parade down the Canyon of Heroes.

Which is perfectly fine.

Better for Gorton and J.D. to have taken the path they did this off-season. The Rangers will be a competitive team, continue to develop their boatload of young NHLers and prospects with the potential payoff of being among the league’s elite for a long time.

The two-year deals for DeAngelo, Strome, and Lemieux are perfect because none handcuffs the Rangers long-term, while each player gets an opportunity to build off their strong showings last season.

Strome gets another shot at centering Panarin and Buchnevich. (What center wouldn’t sign up to play between those two?) DeAngelo gets the opportunity to prove his breakout season of 2019-20 wasn’t a fluke. And Lemieux, the team’s most consistent physical presence up front, gets another crack at showing his coaches he can pick his spots.

Should be an interesting 2020-21 and beyond.

Tony D. supports the Wounded Warriors Project

DeAngelo has received his fair share of backlash for his recent comments on Twitter and his consistently demonstrative support of President Donald Trump leading up to Election Day last week. What’s often overlooked is his many tweets expressing love for the United States of America and appreciation for those who serve in the U.S. Armed Forces, as well as his generosity.

On Wednesday, No. 77 celebrated Veterans Day by donating $1,000 to the Wounded Warriors Project, which provides support to veterans and service members who incurred a physical or mental injury, illness, or wound while serving in the military on or after September 11, 2001. This was DeAngelo’s second donation to the WWP, matching his gift last June.

A must-read

James Duthie’s recently released “Beauties. Hockey’s Greatest Untold Stories” is excellent. The forward by Roberto Luongo alone is hilarious and worth the price. The book’s a collection of short, compelling stories, including some about former Rangers coach John Tortorella and players Martin St. Louis, Todd Harvey, and, of course, The Great One.

Lady Liberty back at the Garden?

The Rangers this week teased their ReverseRetro jersey. The team didn’t reveal the crest, but the colors and number on the teased image hint that the Lady Liberty jerseys could return when the NHL resumes play in 2021. The navy blue and red are the same colors as the Lady Liberty duds the team debuted in 1996.