It's been a long season for the New York Rangers. With the four-nation faceoff fast approaching, debates rage over the franchise's fate before the March 7th trade deadline passes. What should the Blueshirts do? Is it the right time to start selling off assets, or should the Rangers be looking to add? There's a world right now where the Blueshirts can claim that third spot in the division, but they need to decide if they're gearing up for a push or selling off assets.
New York sits precariously five points back of the second wild-card spot but is looking at Columbus as a team that can jump the Blue Jackets. Some think the Rangers need to sell off their pending UFAs, while others think the Blueshirts need to add to the team's current crop to ensure they can reclaim their position as a Stanley Cup contender. In truth, both positions are justifiable, so what is the best course of action?
Case for Selling
Conservationally selling is easier than a total teardown, and that's the argument for the Rangers. Knowing that they have assets to reclaim, sending the pending unrestricted free agents out the door, like Ryan Lindgren, Jimmy Vesey, and Reilly Smith, makes sense, but the Rangers would need to find destinations and try to retool on the fly. That's difficult to do when there's a reported disconnection between the players and the front office.
New York would need answers from players like Will Borgen and Urho Vaakanainen, who joined the team after the start of the season via trades. Borgen has been an excellent fit for the Blueshirts, and we're approaching a point where the Rangers need to decide if they're going to attempt to retain the services of the former Seattle Kraken defenseman or if they're going to try to trade him for more future assets.
Case for Buying
Recklessly blowing assets to add rentals in the traditional style of the New York Rangers is out of the question. There are two ways the Rangers can approach buying at this deadline. With the incredible amount of cap space they're projected to have (around $21 million), they can take on larger contracts, so players with term should be the targets. Long-term fits, and we've seen the team attempt this with the rumors regarding J.T. Miller.
Alternatively, the Rangers could try a few reclamation projects. Low-cost players that haven't gotten results in their current markets could be the way to go for the team. We see teams attempt these frequently, looking to extort a touch of value another franchise might have missed. Arthur Kaliyev is an excellent example of one the Rangers have recently taken on. Buying young is the mantra I'd rather see, but Chris Drury ultimately makes this decision.