Doesn’t it feel like things have gotten stale and the team is gradually declining? This New York team was in the Eastern Conference Final a few years back but is going nowhere and can use a reset. That’s what the sentiment around the New York Islanders was a season back. Now, it’s what the New York Rangers look like just a year behind schedule.
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The Rangers are playing great hockey at the moment. They won two games in a row before their shootout loss to the Colorado Avalanche, the best team in the NHL. There’s plenty of reason to have a positive outlook for the Rangers, yet the question must be asked: with this team, what is the ceiling? It’s ironically, the same low one the Islanders had a few years back, where elite goaltending can get them into the playoffs but the team can’t go on a run.
This low ceiling and high floor are why the Rangers need a retool. With Igor Shesterkin in the net and playing at a high level, they will always have a high floor. It’s about pivoting with the pieces around him, which they can do with a few smart moves.
Islanders Got Their Refresh
Last season, the Islanders looked lost as they slowly declined into a team with no path to contention. It came with general manager (GM) Lou Lamoriello running the team and keeping the group together until it was an old and slow one that couldn’t compete. Lamoriello, for all his rules and quirks, wasn’t an issue when the team was winning but as the losses piled up, the frustration began to grow not just within the roster but the fanbase as well.
Some luck was involved as they won the draft lottery and landed Matthew Schaefer. The generational talent on the defense changes the overall outlook of the Islanders and single-handedly changes the complexion of the team. Even with Alexander Romanov out with an injury and Noah Dobson no longer on the roster because of a trade (which can be criticized), the defense looks set for years with Schaefer as the building block.
It’s also worth noting that the Islanders retool is no sure thing, as their ceiling is still in question, and they might need to move on from more veterans to get back to contention. That said, the optimism around them is much higher than it was a season ago and certainly more than the Rangers have right now.
The Rangers Path To a Retool
The Islanders traded Brock Nelson to land Calum Ritchie. The Rangers don’t have a lot of veterans to trade but all they need is to move one. Artemi Panarin has a no-trade clause but is poised to head to free agency, and if they can find a way to move him, there’s a good chance they get an elite prospect. The same is true about Mika Zibanejad, who isn’t the same caliber player but has multiple years left on his deal, and teams will look to add him in hopes of contending for a few years.
The Rangers are in a unique spot because they have some prospects they can flip as well, either for other prospects or future picks. With Brennan Othmann, Brett Berard, and Dylan Roobroeck struggling to take that step forward, other teams will take a chance on them, and a small move can be made.
The one move the Rangers must avoid is a Dobson deal. The Islanders flipped the young defenseman for future picks, and while the pipeline is better, they lack a reliable scoring presence and a young one to build around. The Rangers, however, must restock the farm system, one that isn’t great and needs NHL-level players.
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The big thing to help is a lottery win. They don’t even need the same luck that the Islanders had a year back. If the Rangers end up with a top-five pick, it changes the complexion of their retool. It gives them a head start that they need. It’s what they do from there, notably creating a winning culture with the Hartford Wolf Pack, that will make a bigger difference.
It felt fitting that the Islanders and Wolf Pack faced each other on Dec. 6, and the Islanders won the game handily with a 6-2 final. It’s clear their systems, while flawed, are revitalizing prospects that took a step back last season. Rocky Thompson has the team playing fast and aggressively, even if it results in 3.50 goals per game the other way. It’s helped forwards like Matthew Maggio find their footing. The Wolf Pack, meanwhile, have a system and won’t pivot from it. It’s made a player like Brennan Othmann look out of place as he needs to play a simple game on a detail-oriented team.
Whether it’s Grant Potulny or another coach coming in, the Rangers need an AHL team that has the prospects playing above their weight. Aside from Perreault, that’s not happening. It won’t make or break the retool but having the players ready to fill in goes a long way, something the Islanders have and a few other retooling teams are building.
Maybe The Rangers Just Shake Things Up Instead
It’s always possible that things don’t need to be as drastic. The instinct among fans is to tear things down and start all over. The Rangers don’t need to do that, and they might not need a retool as the Islanders had.
They played the Avalanche recently, a team that ironically retooled its roster while staying in the Cup conversation. The Mikko Rantanen trade was a tough one to make and doesn’t upgrade the team per se but it gave them the depth that they’ve lacked for years. The Rangers aren’t in the same tier as the Avalanche but they can make a big move to add depth and suddenly be a complete team.
Which path should the Rangers take? Let us know in the comments forum below!
