They don't need to trade anybody. The rebuild is on schedule, maybe ahead of schedule at this point. They have no 30+ year old vets that are rental-worthy at a premium. The 28's they might let go are suddenly very relevant after signing 28 year old Panarin. They're part of the same Stanley Cup window. They're down their 2nd rounder next year in the Fox trade however they have an extra 3rd and a fairly strong farm system. Of all the teams in NY/NJ whose names don't start with a Y they're the best managed at this point with the clearest plan.
The Rangers look strong right now and it's not a lucky strong, it's a talent and depth strong. They're a RW and a RD away from lining up favorably with anybody in the NHL. The other thing is that the move away from Hank has made the skaters take more responsibility in the defensive zone. Lundqvist was so good for so long that it was almost like the team was hypnotized at times when he was on the ice. It often felt like the action was all in the crease when Lundqvist was on a roll. Now he's just human and whoever is playing in front of the goalie has to take more responsibility for keeping the puck from getting to the crease. He's still a good goalie but not better than the alternatives and all of them benefit from a stronger defensive effort on the ice.
They have talent on the blue-line at this point. They need a big RD who takes numbers in front of the net. Fox and D'Angelo are both good in the transition game but neither of them has the presence in front of the net that you'd like at this point in their careers.
What is happening with Kakko? I was expecting a lot more of him in his rookie year. I admit I haven't seen many games, but in games that I have seen he's been just okay, nothing special, maybe few flashes of the talent he has here and there. What do you guys who see games regularly think is wrong, or is it just a 18 year old kid learning the ropes and building a foundation for the future?
yeah they totally ripped off the Heritage Jersey DId you see the Blues player have a heart attack on the bench and collapse? Trainers furiously applying CPR and revived him. Fucked up coincidence it was the Blues Dad's road trip so all the Blues fathers were in the stands watching
I didn’t think you were allowed to go back and forth like that on the shootout. Goalie’s never gonna stop that.
The King is a clear Hall of Famer at this point. He's also the 2nd best goalie on the Rangers moving forward and there's a Shesterkin Succession in progress. I hope he chooses to retire with the Rangers. It would mean a lot to the fans to be able to stay connected in that way. The last great Ranger who was as connected to the fans as Lundqvist is was Brian Leetch and it really sucked to see him leave town and retire elsewhere.
Next 8 games include @Carolina, @Isles and home and home with the Flyers. That's the only realistic chance the Rangers have to force their way into the wildcard race. They're either there when the Caps come in on March 5th or they're waiting for next season. Just my opinion.
