Hank was too early for this team... we tried to catch up to “his window” and sold the future.
Now people are trying to get out of paying that dinner check while starting another tab at the bar.
Dude has played for this team for almost a decade and a half. Saying he was "too early" is a wild statement, lol. He's seen multiple iterations of this team come and go...coaches, players, styles, chances...
The Rangers had a window in which they were contenders. They came close, but didn't quite make it. That doesn't mean that they were never contenders to begin with. I don't blame them for pursuing a shot at the cup with deadline deals for guys like MSL, Yandle, etc (the only one I really dislike is the E Staal trade).
Hank wasn't "too early", the Rangers just ultimately weren't able to win the cup within the last window they had. That sucks, and it's now time to build it back up.
As for Panarin, a lot depends on how well this rebuild goes and how good their drafting has been. I would definitely not trade for him, that would be a waste of assets that could be used to help strengthen the teams prospect pool for the future, but say if Andersson and Chytil break into the NHL this season and look like legitplayers who are improving rapidly...if a couple of their D prospects pan out to actually be legitimate contributors and help solidify the D, maybe this team is back in the thick of things in a couple of years rather than 3-4 years, and maybe signing an elite forward to lead them towards that isn't a bad idea. Up to management to evaluate the teams progress this year and make decisions like that.