The New York Rangers, on paper, look to have improved, especially when compairing it to this past season's roster. General manager Chris Drury tried to avoid going down the full-on rebuild route and instead brought in players who could contribute now and in the future. The defense is much more improved with the trades for Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson, and the drafting of Albert Smits at fifth-overall. Not to mention, they added to their forward group by trading for Pavel Dorofeyev and signing Oliver Bjorkstrand.
Even with the roster looking better on paper, they still have a lot to prove this upcoming season. Of course, the determining factor would be if they can make it back into playoff contention. However, they will have to try and make New York a destination for the stars again. The best way to reach that solution is to get back to winning.
Rangers have some work to do to be a destination for the stars again
The Rangers used to be a destination for the stars. They were able to bring in the likes of Artemi Panarin and Marian Gaborik over the years due in part to the appeal of playing in New York and contending for a Stanley Cup.
The Athletic's Vince Mercogliano said it best in a recent article for The Athletic about how the Rangers can successfully get out of their retool. Mercogliano mentions that they need to acquire a star first line center to get out of the retool, but they'll need to get back to winning.
"It’s hard to believe any top center would choose New York unless things turn around soon. Multiple players who sought trades this summer did not have the Rangers on their list of desired destinations. It’s on them to begin changing that narrative," writes Mercogliano.
It's no secret that the Rangers were a non-factor for the stars who requested trades off of their teams. Dylan Larkin of the Detroit Red Wings had about four players on his preferred list of destinations, and the Rangers weren't one of them. Brady Tkachuk, who the hockey world has known the Rangers were interested in adding over a year ago, didn't even have the Blueshirts under consideration as a landing spot.
Granted, he wanted to go to the Florida Panthers to team up with his older brother Matthew, so there was no competing with that. Still, Tkachuk had a list of preferred teams, and the Rangers weren't one of them.
That's not a surprise, the Rangers finished in last place in the Eastern Conference. Plus, they sent out a letter earlier this year that they were going to retool. At the time, there was no idea what Drury's plan was, besides trading away Panarin and Vincent Trocheck.
Rangers' dream targets could very well become available in the near future
It was evident that the Rangers' and Drury original plans were to sign a star in free agency. Connor McDavid, Jack Eichel, and Kirill Kaprizov were all set to hit the open market this summer. However, they all signed extensions with their respective teams. So, that plan was officially out the window. But there is hope.
McDavid just watched the Edmonton Oilers' season end way earlier than they had anticipated, considering they made it to the Stanley Cup Final the previous two years. McDavid was frustrated and criticized his team. So, if the team has another disappointing season, one has to wonder if he will decide that he wants out of Edmonton.
Then, there's Auston Matthews of the Toronto Maple Leafs. After the Maple Leafs finished near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings alongside the Rangers, Matthews would not commit to remaining with the team. Rather, he wanted to see how the team looked in the offseason. For now, the Maple Leafs look to be in decent shape, especially after they won the draft lottery to select Gavin McKenna and signed the likes of defenseman Darren Raddysh and goalie Sergei Bobrovsky. So for now, it looks like he will be in Toronto this upcoming season. But if the team experiences another down campaign, one has to wonder if a trade request will take place.
Hence why the clock is ticking for the Rangers to turn things around. If they overdeliver this upcoming season, maybe they can land a star player in the near future, particularly at center.
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