What’s Next for the New York Rangers?
By Thomas Cahill ('26)
With a very disappointing first-round exit in this year's playoffs, many questions are being asked about the future of this team. Here are the 3 major concerns the organization is facing this offseason.
Money Problems
The Rangers went all in for the playoffs, trading for veteran stars Vladimir Taresenko and Patrick Kane. At the time these seemed like great transactions that would greatly improve the team’s chances of making another deep playoff run. But, things didn’t pan out for the Rangers as they lost in seven games against the Devils, after starting with a 2 games to none lead. Now, with all these big names unsigned, the Rangers are in a bit of a pickle. Coming into this offseason, the Rangers have only 11.76 million dollars in cap space with 14 unsigned players and 8 vacant roster spots.
The Rangers Team
Photo courtesy of Puck Prose
Vladimir Taresenko and Patrick Kane
Photo courtesy of NHL
Some notable players that aren’t under contract are Taresenko, Kane, Alexis Lafreniére, and K’Andre Miller. General Manager, Chris Drury, will need to do some remarkable work if the Rangers are looking to re-sign their top players. I personally think they should definitely re-sign Lafreniere (2.5M), Miller (3.25M), and hard-working 4th liner Tyler Motte (1.25M). Also, they should let go of 4th liner Barclay Goodrow, since he is too expensive for them. With those 3 players signed, and Goodrow released, the Rangers will have around 7 to 8M to work with in the offseason. This will give them enough leeway to make some much needed changes.
Development Issues
Over the last few years, the Rangers have had many high draft picks and highly anticipated prospects, but only a few have grown to be valuable players. Since 2017, the Rangers have had 9 first-round picks. These picks include 1st overall Alexis Lafreniere, 2nd overall Kappo Kakko, and 9th overall Vitali Kravtsov. There has been a constant trend occurring with these players… lack of performance.. All three players have not developed into the stars they were thought to be.
But who is at fault here, the players or the organization? I believe the Rangers organization is to blame. Usually when a player is drafted first overall, they’re dealt to a bad team. But in Lafreniere and Kakko’s case, the Rangers were already well on their way to becoming a competitive team. As a result, these young players weren’t really given a chance to develop and learn the NHL game which may have hindered their progression. Hopefully, recent draft picks like Braden Schneider and Brennan Othman will have different outcomes.
Skill or Speed?
The Rangers without a doubt have one of the most star-powered lineups in the NHL, but that doesn’t exactly mean they are capable of being a Stanley Cup winning team. Their first-round opponents, the New Jersey Devils took apart the Rangers by using their speed and aggressiveness, two things the Rangers lacked. Although the Rangers were more talented than their opponent, they were not the superior team for most of the series.
The Carolina Hurricanes
Photo courtesy of NHL
The Florida Panthers
Photo courtesy of NHL
The Devils aren’t the only team using a more aggressive style, so are The Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers. They both are among the teams that use this strategy, and unironically are the two remaining playoff teams in the Eastern Conference. With that being said, I think the Rangers need to change the way they play the game. I believe that if the new coaching staff can teach the Ranger players a 200 ft, hard-working style of play, they will be very successful.
In conclusion, The New York Rangers obviously have some work to do. Although they don’t have much to work with this year, I think they can easily change their style of play. A more aggressive approach is key to winning playoff games, and the Rangers need to adopt this strategy. Also, allowing their youngsters to develop and progress will be vital to the team’s success. Lastly, the Rangers need to spend their money wisely, as they only have a few million available. I believe that if the Rangers take these issues into consideration and resolve them effectively, they will be a very hard team to beat in the coming years.
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Cover photo courtesy of Elite Sports NY
Photo courtesy of NHL