Many questions facing Rangers leading up to the trade deadline

The 2014-2015 campaign has been something of an odd season thus far. The beginning was marred by injury and ineffectiveness, although that’s not all that weird. Rangers fans have gotten somewhat used to slow starts recently. We had all the Anthony Duclair drama. Some soft goals and Hank debate. Rick Nash’s resurgence. The kids trying to make their mark. Zuccarello’s one-year deal and subsequent slow production. Marc Staal’s exntension. Salary cap issues. And, of course, Tanner Glass.

That’s a lot going on for just under fifty games. All of that of that only even gets into what was happening internally with the team. Forget the drama over Anton Stralman’s success in Tampa, Islanders all of a sudden relevance, the four horse race in the Metropolitan division, or the NHL jumping on board the #fancystat bandwagon with jersey microchips. This season has had no shortage of narratives.

With access to more advanced and telling statistics, there have been a tremendous amount of angles to analyze. The crew here has done a terrific job looking at many of them. Many gallons of digital ink have been spilled picking apart aspects of this team, but what strikes me is that, at this point, there is really no consensus about what kind of a team this actually is.

Last year, many MSM types chalked the Rangers run to the Final as a fluke occurrence. The stats argued otherwise. This season, depending on who you ask, the Rangers are a stronger, faster, deeper team than last, or they are a time bomb, just waiting for the possession bubble to burst.

The bottom six is a big issue. The arrangement of the various parts seems to be the biggest challenge for AV. Compounding the fact is his renewed enthusiasm for the unmitigated disaster that is Tanner Glass. Should JT Miller or Kevin Hayes be moved permanently to the wing? Are face-offs that big of a deal? Is the key to unlocking their offensive potential relieving them of the defensive responsibilities of the pivot?

Then comes the salary cap. The Rangers only have an estimated $1.5 million in cap space (oh, why have you left us, Capgeek?) to work with at the deadline, which doesn’t lend itself to significant upgrades. Next season has an even tighter outlook, with several core players needing new contracts. This requires a decision about this current incarnation’s true chances to contend. I’m sure Mike Santorelli can be had without killing the cap or prospect pipeline. We may be able to grab a short-term defensive upgrade, as well. These advancements along the fringes of the roster can go a long way to reinforce a contender.

It begs the question, though, considering the statistical trends of teams who make deep runs into the playoffs, are the Rangers a team that can win The Cup by making those types of upgrades? With the trade deadline less than 4 weeks away, does it make sense to trade a core piece or two in search of a major upgrade that could give the team a different dynamic in the medium or long-term? Is there a deal out there that makes sense to trade some wing depth with Duclair and Buchenvich on the way? I don’t really envy Glen Sather and his staff at this juncture of the decision making process.

Personally, I am of the opinion that if you relegate Glass to the press box, you can more adequately run a four line roster, which has the speed to present problems for every team in the league. Adding a player like Santorelli could give the team some much needed defensive depth in their forward ranks. I have a hard time making peace with the notion that removing one weak player slots everything else into place and becomes the difference between a pretender and a contender. However, given how historically bad Tanner Glass is at, well, everything, I’m starting to warm to the idea.

I suppose in conclusion, I still believe in the weapons this team has; they have speed, elite goaltending and Rick Nash. I would personally be looking into depth upgrades that pushed Glass and Matt Hunwick into the press box. However, there are a ton of directions Slats and Co. could go, depending on their long-term view of the salary cap situation. An interesting landscape if nothing else leading up to the trade deadline.