For the second time in three seasons, the New York Rangers fall short of a Stanley Cup finals appearance. With the loss in game six to the Florida Panthers, the Rangers’ drought has extended to 31 years. There is now officially an entire generation of fans who have never seen the Rangers lift the cup.
Now after the game six loss, there were lots of hot takes being thrown around. What players should the Rangers build around? What players do the Rangers need to ship off and who they should go after to replace them? Now this is all to be expected as this team had a special feeling around them, and coming up short definitely hurt more than it has in the past.
However, now we are a few days past the loss, we can be rational. Guys like Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin are next to impossible to move. The only major shakeup we’re going to see is the team moving on from Jacob Trouba and giving the captaincy to Vincent Trocheck. So what can the Rangers realistic do to get them over the hump?
The Rangers Need More Grit and Physicality
One thing was clear throughout this series: the Panthers were the more physical team. The Rangers had no answer for the Panthers’ forecheck. The Rangers aren’t physical enough to be a playoff team. Sure, their style of play works in the regular season. However, it doesn’t translate to the playoff. Sure they might have made deep runs, but those just come from the play of Igor Shesterkin.
Relying on Shesterkin to carry to a championship is exactly what the Rangers did with Henrik Lundqvist all those years ago. And we all know how that went. It’s something the Rangers can’t repeat. So, they have to rebuild their bottom six and defensive core to match the physicality of teams like the Panthers.
Now there are some in-house options. Guys like Barclay Goodrow, Matt Rempe, Brett Berard, and Brennan Othmann. However, Goodrow is the only guy with actual NHL experience. If the Rangers want to compete next year, they can’t have a bunch of inexperienced guys in your bottom six even if they fit the style of player you’re looking for. They should target guys like Corey Perry, Nick Cousins, and Dakota Joshua. They’re bottom six guys who will add some physicality to the lineup.
Finally, Add a First Line Ring Winger
One of the biggest problems the Rangers faced was a lack of production from their star players. Specifically Zibanejad and Chris Kreider. The two combine for a total of one goal and three assists for a total of four points. That’s a major issue. Now, Kreider’s struggles can be explained by him relying on other players to get him the puck. However, Zibanejad needed someone to get him going. With the other winger position being essentially a blackhole taken up by third-liners, there needs to be someone actually capable of playing on the top line.
The main guy every Rangers fan has been screaming for is Brady Tkachuk. Tkachuk is coming off a very strong season scoring 37 goals and 37 assists for 74 points. He also plays a very physical style of hockey, which will help add some grit the Rangers desperately need. Now getting Tkachuk will not be easy. The Rangers have $11 million in cap space and will have to figure out a way to fit his $8.2 million contract while upgrading the team. They’re also going to have to blow away Ottawa to get him.
If Tkachuk is too expensive for what the Rangers want to do, there are plenty of backup options that will help the first line. Steven Stamkos is set to be a free agent and would bring playoff experience to the Rangers. Last season he scored 40 goals and 41 assists for 81 points. Another potential fit would be Johnathan Marchessault, who scored 42 goals and 27 assists for 69 points.
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