oscar lindberg

Lindberg (Photo: Newsday)

Three conference finals and a Stanley Cup appearance is no mean feat, whatever franchise you are. The Rangers have had a strong run over the past half decade or so; they have done it despite the ongoing need to develop young talent, spend to the cap to retain their own and recruit the biggest names on the market. Despite the absence of a Stanley Cup, the Rangers have balanced youth and (relative) success very well. The current roster has a young core and even the most key players have plenty of miles left. With this week’s roster decisions it appears the Rangers are continuing with their dedication to youth.

This week’s announcement that 2010 top ten draft pick Dylan McIlrath made the Rangers opening night roster over cheap and flexible roster part Raphael Diaz wasn’t just the right decision (McIlrath had consistently been the better of the two all preseason) but it was another example of the Rangers dedication to youth. Oh how times have changed since the 1997 – 2003 period (what some fans call the lost years). Factor in Oscar Lindberg having likely played himself into the opening night line-up and another season has arrived where the Rangers have managed to inject youth into the line-up with at least two rookies.

Consistently adding youth into the line-up isn’t just a salary cap necessity but it allows a successful franchise to build on the fly while aiming to sustain long term success – infusing a roster with fresh new talent is critical. We’ve seen clubs neglect youth at their peril (hello New Jersey of recent years) but the Rangers have got it right and have struck an impressive balance despite a consistent lack of high draft picks. The hope is, they continue to strike that successful balance with McIlrath and Lindberg.

With the inclusion of McIlrath and Lindberg on the Rangers opening night roster the Rangers will dress seven forwards and four defensemen who have only played for the Rangers at the NHL level. A solid homegrown nucleus. Of the opening night roster, nine skaters are 26 or under and that doesn’t include keys players such as Rick Nash, Henrik Lundqvist, Marc Staal, Derick Brassard or Mats Zuccarello. The current edition of the Rangers has a strong balance between relying on an in-their-prime core and allowing the youth to grow and assume larger roles the way Chris Kreider, Derek Stepan and Ryan McDonagh have done (or in Kreiders’ case is doing) in recent seasons.

The jury is still out on whether Lindberg and McIlrath can crack the line-up with regularity let alone stick with the Rangers long term but the Rangers have shown a willingness to let prospects grab roster spots if they’re deserving of them. It’s been a long time since veterans and big names have automatically been handed roster spots on the Rangers, long may it continue.

Share: 

Mentioned in this article:

More About: