In the run up to the 2024 playoffs, I said the Rangers overarching issue was the lack of offense. This was manifest in the Rangers poor 5X5 performance leading up to the trade deadline. The playoffs also exposed problems with the defense entering the offensive zone. The Rangers didn’t have enough scoring and this was never more evident than the series against Florida.
OK, so how do we fix these issues?
For starters, the Rangers need to fix Mika Zibanajad. He had 20 points less this season than the prior year. He also has an abaolutely ironclad contract that can’t be traded (full NMC) or bought out (due to bonus structure) He is going to be a Ranger at a minimum for the next few years.
The number one item on the shopping list is a high quality right wing to fill the void on the Mika-CK line and it wouldn’t hurt to add some snarl along the way. Pavel Buchnevich is the prototype and he may be the number one target. Tyler Toffoli and Matt Duchesne could also be possibilities.
Mika also needs to do some serious soul searching this summer, similar to the summer of Panarin in 2023. He needs to be much better. Anyone can have one bad year. Two years and the alarms really go off.
The next item on the shopping list is a new home for Jacob Trouba. He has run his course in New York and his NTC becomes 15 teams on July 1. Unlike many people on here, I think he has real value around the league. His contract ($8MM cap, $6MM cash) is not untradeable, especially with some retention. One logical place for him to land is Buffalo, a team with cap room, no RHD and looking for veteran leadership. There are others. The downside to trading Trouba is that he is one of the Rangers more physical forces, so this will cause the team to need a physical replacement for the bottom pair.
Next up is a new home for Kaapo Kakko. Hate to be at this point but he desperately needs a change of scenery. Kakko could likely bring back a younger player or draft capital that can be used to fortify other areas. Best for everyone.
It would be great to find a young defenseman with size, snarl and some offensive skill. That’s a big order. Kakko might be part of a deal that addresses that.
Next on my shopping list is some snarl for the bottom half of the roster. I like the younger players in the organization but the Rangers need at least one veteran who can be a role model for the aspirants. Several available players to pick from here.
No interest in retaining Roslovic, Wennberg (unless the price drops dramatically) and Wheeler.
The Rangers are in the somewhat uncomfortable position of having a lot of guys locked in for 2024-25. Drury has a lot of work to do but his biggest challenges may be getting Sherstykin and Lafreniere signed to new contracts. The big changes will be coming in 2025-26 to make room for those and other contracts. This is the real test for Drury. I don’t dislike anything he did this year, but he has to be better.
Will be an interesting summer to say the least.
