You're right that he's well within his rights to pick and choose where he wants to end up. But if you're going to take that route, you need to be upfront and honest with your intentions.
That means you tell any team that drafts or trades for you "Hey, I only want to play for the Rangers. You're welcome to try and change my mind, but that's where my head is at currently." If he had done that, no one would have held it against him.
Instead, he hemmed and hawed and downplayed the rumors about only signing with New York. By doing so, he wasted the time and resources of two separate organizations. And THAT'S the part that says something about his character.