On June 23 in NY Rangers history: A rebuild begins…badly

What happened on June 23 in the history of the New  York Rangers

Many believe that the rebuilding of the New York Rangers began on February 8, 2018 when the team sent a letter to fans laying out a plan to rebuild and asking for patience.  It actually got a jump start on this date in 2017 when the Blueshirts traded away their top center and a fixture in the lineup for seven years.

On the day of the NHL Entry Draft the Blueshirts swapped Derek Stepan and backup goalie Antti Raanta to the Arizona Coyotes for the seventh overall pick in the first round and defense prospect Tony DeAngelo.

While the deal was portrayed as a salary cap clearing transaction, General Manager Jeff Gorton also stressed the fact that the team was getting younger.  Stepan was going into the third year of a six-year, $39 million contract that had a No Movement Clause kick in in the third  year so if he was going to be traded, this was the year.

How did  it work out?  Stepan played three seasons in Arizona, in much the same role that he had in New York. He was a defensively responsible center who could contribute offensively.  He was traded to Ottawa where he played this season.

Raanta became the Coyotes’ top netminder, but has been hampered by numerous injuries. Both Raanta and Stepan are UFA’s in 2021-22.

Tony DeAngelo thrived in New York until this season when he was suspended and sat out most of the season after he had a fight with goalie Alexandar Georgiev.  He will likely be bought out in a few weeks.

With their first first-round pick since 2012 and their highest since they selected Al Montoya at sixth overall in 2004, the Rangers took Swedish center Lias Andersson who has turned into the biggest top ten draft bust for the team since Pavel Brendl in 1999.

Trades often takes years to assess, especially when they involve draft picks and four years later this one looks like a complete disaster.  The Rangers did get a second round draft pick when they traded Andersson to Los Angeles and with it they selected forward Will Cuylle 60th overall, so there is still some hope that the Blueshirts will get a better long term return on the the deal.  But for now, this one belongs in the loss column for Jeff Gorton and the Rangers.

Today’s birthdays

Only 18 NHL players have been born on June 23 with four former Rangers among them. The list includes one of their best goaltenders and an enforcer who died tragically.

John Ross Roach was born on this date in 1900 in Port Perry, Ontario.  He originally signed with the Toronto St. Patricks (later the Maple Leafs) and in 1922 he became the first rookie goalie to win a Stanley Cup and also post a shutout in the Final.     After seven seasons in Toronto he was swapped to the Rangers in exchange for goalie Lorne Chabot.  He played for the Rangers for four years, setting two records that has not been broken. In his first year (1928-29) he had a record of 21-13-10 and set a franchise record for shutouts with 13 and Goals Against Average (GAA) with 1.41.   His career GAA of 2.46 ranks 26th in NHL history and his 58 careers shutouts is 21st among NHL goalies.  The Rangers sold him to the Red Wings in 1932 where he was a First Team All-Star and finished third in voting for the Hart Trophy.

Derek Boogaard was born on this date in 1982 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.  Known as “The Boogeyman” he was one of the best fighters in the NHL and a fan favorite with the Minnesota Wild. He signed as a free agent with the Rangers in 2010 and played 22 games before suffering a season (and career) ending concussion.  Boogaard died from an accidental drug overdose in May 2011 and it was determined that he had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), often found in players how fought a lot. His death focused attention on the issue of brain trauma and also the role of enforcers in the sport of hockey.

Hal Laycoe was born on this date in 1922 in Sutherland, Saskatchewan .   He was a defenseman who signed with the Rangers in 1945 and played 75 games over two seasons in New York. He played 10 years in the NHL after leaving the Rangers in 1947, for the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins.  He was traded to Montreal for Buddy O’Connor who went on to win the Hart Trophy in his first season in New  York.  Laycoe went on to coach the Kings and Canucks in the early 1970s for three seasons.

Gaye Stewart was a left winger, born on June 23, 1923 in Fort William, Ontario.  He won the Calder Trophy with the Maple Leafs in 1943 and was a First or Second Team All-Star four times with the Leafs and Blackhawks.  He was traded from Detroit to the Rangers for Tony Leswick in 1951 and played a little over one season in New York before going to Montreal on waivers.