The New York Rangers should rebuild. The New York Rangers are also not rebuilding any time soon. Sure, there may be some tweaks, there may be some attempts at trimming aging, unproductive players, but the team will not be rebuilding. With Igor Shesterkin in net, Mike Sullivan at Head Coach, and various aging forwards leading the salary cap, it’s not a reality to hit the reset button. The Rangers should rebuild, but it’s going to happen and it’s possible many know this already.
Still, the Rangers are a team desperately in need of a new approach. Chris Drury did get the Rangers to a pair of Conference Finals, but the future seems scarier than ever. The Rangers have an excellent goaltender and an excellent coach. Adam Fox is an all-world defenseman (though some would like you to believe otherwise). They just simply have nothing else consistent around them, which leads to more calls that the Rangers should rebuild.
If anything, the Rangers may be a case study in how important it is to have more than just a few very good pieces. The Rangers do not have a Connor McDavid or Nathan Mackinnon, Even worse, the Rangers do not appear to be getting one any time soon. We all love Gabe Perreault, but he’s not on that level.
Free agents are re-signing at a quicker rate than ever. The Rangers do not appear to be a bad enough team to pick at the top of the draft (coupled with that if the team is remotely in contention, you can expect Drury to trade away first round picks). Alexis Lafreniere is clearly not going to be a generational talent (though that shouldn’t take away from the fact he’s a top-six winger).
So, the Rangers have been forced to do things a different way. Normally, that starts with an elite forward who isn’t quite on the generational track, then a bunch of strong pieces. Just take a look at the 2024 playoff run. The Rangers had Shesterkin, Fox, Artemi Panarin, and the likes of Vincent Trocheck, Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, and even K’Andre Miller having strong seasons. Now, the Rangers have Igor Shesterkin, Adam Fox, and….what?
Which brings us back to the original point. The Rangers are an aging team with poor depth and no stars. That sounds like a strong argument that the Rangers should rebuild, no? Sadly, as I said, the Rangers do not give off the vibe of an organization that would embrace such a decision. Convincing Mike Sullivan to stick around for a few years of a rebuild seems like an impossible task when he just left the Pittsburgh Penguins in the same position. Putting Igor Shesterkin through years of rebuilding in his prime is no better.
So rather than realizing the Rangers should rebuild, the front office will likely take the middle ground. A whole lot of average seasons, and even more waiting for foolish contracts to inevitably expire. Maybe a good draft pick or two, hopefully some better trades. But with a poor prospect system, poor contracts, and free agency looking like an increasingly desolate opportunity to add talent, the options to improve the franchise are slim at best.
It’s a grim outlook for a team that was very recently two wins away from making the Stanley Cup Finals. Life moves at you fast, and Chris Drury has not exactly been prioritizing young talent and focusing on the future. The Rangers should rebuild. But don’t expect this rebuild any time soon. Also, maybe don’t expect many playoff victories either.
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