It was around a year ago that the New York Rangers acquired JT Miller from the Vancouver Canucks. Ironically, they’ve become the Canucks. Specifically, the Rangers are a team with a low ceiling and an aging core filled with good but not great players. It’s why they can use a reset, whether it’s a retool or a full-on rebuild.
Related: 5 Observations: Fox, Larkin, Olympics & More
The tricky part is figuring out what a reset looks like for the Rangers. They have a handful of veterans locked into no-trade clauses, and the value for some of them is low at this point. The only bright spot is Igor Shesterkin, who, as one of the elite goaltenders in the prime of his career, eases the transition. The question is, after Shesterkin, who can they build around for the future?
Shesterkin Keeps Them Competitive
The timing of this piece is something since Shesterkin is on long-term injured reserve. He won’t be around this season, at least for a significant time, and it’s why this season is going from bad to worse. However, Shesterkin is the elite goaltender who will be around for the long run.
Shesterkin is the goaltender who keeps the Rangers competitive. While it’s not ideal for a team that might want a top-five pick to help turn things around, it does raise their floor. The Rangers will be a borderline playoff team, even if they tear things down, thanks to him. Great goaltending raises the floor, and Shesterkin gives this team a floor that, at worst, leaves them 10 points out of a playoff spot every season.
Better yet, Shesterkin saves the Rangers a lot of headaches in a rebuild. It’s easier to build when the goaltender is in place, something the Ottawa Senators and Winnipeg Jets experienced and something the Anaheim Ducks and Philadelphia Flyers learned firsthand. With Shesterkin, the Rangers have one box checked off.
What About Fox?
The assumption is that Adam Fox will be a part of the core as well. With the chatter around the league, there’s less confidence in that. A few scouts have noted his decline, and there’s a good chance the Rangers and the league are starting to view the 2021 Norris Trophy winner differently.
The Olympic snub stands out, and there’s a lot of chatter about his place lately with the Rangers, especially following the snub. There’s always a chance that the Rangers will look to trade Fox or run him out of town (and if you don’t think that’s possible, just ask Mitch Marner). There were reports that they wanted to acquire Quinn Hughes in a big trade, and there’s always the question about whether the team wants to upgrade at the number one defense spot and what that means for Fox.
Presumably, Fox is still a part of the long-term plans for the Rangers. That said, the Rangers must recalibrate what his role will be for the future. The past few seasons have shown that Fox can’t carry the blue line. It’s why this team must bring in someone else who can, or at the very least, split the responsibilities.
Who can the Rangers move in a Reset?
The big name is Artemi Panarin. He’s the player heading to free agency but is playing at a high level and can get a big return in a trade. The Rangers must have him remove his no-move clause, and if they can, there will be fascinating sweepstakes for the elite winger. Considering the price attached to star players, Panarin can get the Rangers a few prospects or young NHL-ready players in a return.
Sure, the Rangers can also trade depth players. A defenseman like Carson Soucy comes to mind, as he can get them a prospect. However, if the Rangers want to reset, they must move the top-end players to do so, whether it’s Mika Zibanejad, Vincent Trocheck, or Miller, which, like Panarin, will require them to lift their no-trade clauses.
The interesting element to it all is whether the Rangers want to do that or not. The front office has confidence in the front office, and that should signal a green light to tear it down. The crazy part is that they aren’t far removed from the playoffs. This season looks lost right now but they still have an outside chance of making the playoffs, and that’s enough to talk themselves into keeping the group together.
