Summer is the time of year we see NHL rosters change completely. Rebuilders morph into playoff contenders and playoff contenders take the next strides toward competing for the Stanley Cup. After a disappointing end to the 2022-23 season, there is a lot up in the air regarding the New York Rangers in the 2023 summer. Due to limited cap space, there isn’t a ton that is available to them.
However, the fact that they do not have much room to maneuver might also be their saving grace. See, north of the border, there is a team wearing Blue and White that is imploding. With a new general manager at the helm in one of the biggest hockey markets in the world, changes look inevitable in the Canadian city of Toronto. Chaos, havoc, and pandemonium seem to be rife within the future of the organization, and that breeds opportunity for competitors to swoop in.
If you follow the NHL in general, the “Core Four” of the Toronto Maple Leafs will need no introduction. Auston Matthews, John Tavares, Mitchell Marner, and William Nylander make up one of the best and most expensive forward quartets in the NHL. For a long time, the Maple Leafs’ stance has been “we can and we will” when faced with the challenge of building a competitive roster with all four of them still in the city.
However, after getting out of round one for the first time in 19 years and then being smacked around by the Florida Panthers, change may be forced. One of that big quartet may need to move and it only seems right to explore the possibility of the New York Rangers making a move for each of that talented four because we know how much Dolan loves to make a splash wherever he can. It also seems like fun as we just kick the can down the road waiting for the draft.