Where do the Rangers go from here?

[metalan2]

The seemingly "perfect team" just can't get it done when it matters most. Florida completely smothered the life out of the Rags in this series who were probably lucky that it actually went to 6 games. The team core is aging but also pretty locked in at this point. Core is also simply not good enough even with some of the best goaltending in the entire league.

What do the Rags do after this? Run it back and hope Shesterking goes even more crazies in the playoffs or that Laf turns into the piece that puts them over? Trade Panarin/Zib and retool on the fly? Tear it down?

As good as the team is, they are also caught in no man's land of being too good to tear it all down IMO while also not being remotely good enough to win the SC.

They were a very flawed team. Need to work on sustained pressure and controlling the play more. When skill guys get taken out, that's that.

Shesterkin can only do so much.

 

[Blackjack]

Imagine adding one of the best forwards in the league and a #1 defenseman and your lineup still mid as f***. LMAO

 

[Grifter3511]

They just won the President’s trophy and were 2 wins away from the SCF

They’re just fine the way I see it

This is a significantly better roster than the one that made the final in 2014. Difference is the opponents. As you said, this is a President trophy winning team that went 10-6 in the playoffs and lost to possibly the Cup Champs. There's no reason not to run it back, with minor tweaks. It's not like everything will go the exact same way it went this year. Maybe things work out better.....odds are it's worse (as any team that makes the final four doesn't have great odds of getting back the next year).

 

[NorthStar4Canes]

The seemingly "perfect team" just can't get it done when it matters most.

Can't be a "perfect team" (not even seemingly) without being able to score 5 v 5 against legit opponents.

 

[Grifter3511]

Juice is probably not worth the squeeze, but if they can get something good...

I'd shoot for an Eichel trade if I were them. Keep Zib, but give up quite a bit of futures to bring in a true #1C and bump Zibanejad down two 2C, where he's a lot scarier.

Why keep zib? If youre bringing in eichel as the bonafide #1, roll with Trocheck as the 2c

 

[ORRFForever]

Trouba has a modified no trade clause now and Lindgren is a free agent. There’s a chance to be upgrade the defense getting rid of both of them. They do that and I think the Rangers can make it back here next season.

I'd buy out Trouba if that's possible - I don't care how many humanitarian awards he wins, he's a strain on the Ranger brand, he's no good and he should NOT be captain.

TBH, I thought the Rangers had better prospects than they do. Bump LAF (great contract) to the first line and put him on the 1PP unit , push KK to be better (easier said than done), bring up Othmann and run with this team until they drop - they got to the 3rd round and they are a heck of a team.

 

[RedRocking]

Don’t worry Rangers fans. I’m sure Lavi will insist on getting slower, less skilled players - while still running his outdated “cycle everything on the outside” offense.

 

[ThrowDemTongs]

Best goalie in the universe is wild

 

[mr figgles]

It‘s not like they got destroyed. A healthy Fox and the series is going to 7 games at the minimum. Replace Wenneberg and Kakko with decent player, and upgrade Trouba if at all humanly possible, and they can easily make it over the hump.

 

[PeteWorrell]

Acquire skilled players that are willing to get their nose dirty. It's not a good look when Panarin is on the board and just dumps the puck quickly when he sees someone coming to avoid contact. They really lacked the commitment and the willingness to pay the price that the Panthers have.

 

[Blackjack]

Why keep zib? If youre bringing in eichel as the bonafide #1, roll with Trocheck as the 2c

Because it will be costly to unload his contract, and he's still a good player even if he's not able to go up against the other team's best center. Trochek is also probably a much better 3C than 2C.

 

[bringbacktheskate604]

Why does it exist? The show made an entire musical episode and it was the closing song that's why? My only complaint is that it's not longer.

One of the best 1 hours of TV. That and the entire episode with no voices,

 

[KingsFan7824]

They keep doing what they're doing, unless someone wants out. Or they get lucky and somehow dump an aging contract for a younger guy. You don't tear anything down within 5 minutes in a hard cap world.

If Trouba isn't going back to Canada, and he's got 8 other US teams on his list, what are you supposed to do? He wanted to go to NY for his wife. He'll block any other realistic option.

There's maybe 5 real contenders in the league, everyone else is just playing hockey. Just playing hockey is more likely than being a true contender. They'll give Shesterkin his money, and be even less likely to win. That's what usually happens. That's part of the reality of the league. Again, unless you get lucky. Like Florida. Amazingly, they got Tkachuk for an older Huberdeau. That's a terrible trade, but Calgary was forced into it. Or they could've maybe made another deal, but they were probably getting screwed either way, because Tkachuk wanted out. The Flames were never getting the better player in that deal.

The issue for the Rangers is that anyone that goes there, wants to be in NY. The travel is easy, the money is great, and you'll probably be on a good enough team that you'll be competitive. Outside of that dark era in the last years with no salary cap.

 

[syz]

In the regular season their 5v5 goal differential was +1. In the playoffs their 5v5 goal differential was -1.

This team is what people still think the Oilers are. They need to get better at even strength.

 

[Breakers]

This guys makes $8.5 million

Get him outta here

 

[llwyd]

To my mind the top attackers are not ideally suited for play-off hockey - the regular season is so much more lax and time and space giving. So, a certain rebuild with this in mind, the franchise has lots of strenghts and promise.

 

[awegrzyn]

Where do they go from here? Nowhere. They never do go anywhere after a loss like that. They disappear.

They are always 1 decade behind. Skill and speed worked till about few years ago. You need a heavier team that can fore check and play playoff hockey. If you watched carefully you would see why they don't have many shots on net. They simply don't know how to transition. I think it comes from their bad D. or bad D to F game in playoffs. Hard to tell. They turn over pucks like crazy. And are always too late after dump in. Florida exposed them. Perimeter playing is also a problem, but it was not much of a problem in this series, because they would not even get into the offensive zone. Lack of centers. Lack of crushing the net. Lack of size. That makes your 5 on 5 game weak.

Weird team if you ask me. During the "Other" goalie, they had the same exact problems. New York simply attracts wrong players.

 

[llwyd]

And btw, as fan bases go they are remarkably civil and analytic, always a plus!

 

[Fez Whatley]

They gotta listen to bern

 

[behemolari]

They don't have to do anything, they are Rangers. Just sing any other free agent like usually

 

[ICanMotteBelieveIt]

Trouba is gone. Should also try to trade Kakko and Zibanejad.

 

[Mattb124]

they will win when the nhl only counts legit goals

I thought the NHL bent over backwards to advance original 6 teams? So confused….

 

[ozzie]

Get rid of the regular season performers and the playoff duds. Considering banking on Alex's higher value or getting rid of the bread man.

 

[noncents]

Rangers need to revamp the defense significantly, which isn't easy, focusing on guys with mobility and size who can actually get the puck out of the zone consistently. Those guys aren't easy to find.

I'm less concerned with the physical identity/ethic of the forwards. Drury has shown favor towards that type of player so far and there should be homegrown options coming up the ranks who embody the elements that comprise an effective playoff game.

To me, Chytil is a key piece but hasn't shown the ability to stay healthy. Maybe he's a candidate for the type of LTIR-until-postseason cap management tactics that have helped other teams beef up. if you ain't cheatin you ain't tryin.

 

[mm11]

They will always get the pick of the litter. Every year. Major competitive advantages. They are close, would like to see if laf was not a product of panarin all year. Albeit, kid looked good this post season. They will be good next year so pencil them in top 4 metro and battling for 1st place