It hurts because we all know that Rangers got this far and came so close and then they really weren’t close at all.
That’s the crux of the problem after a series in which the Blueshirts were outplayed in five of six games and were only able to hang on thanks to the stellar work of goaltender Igor Shesterkin.
It’s a truth the organization will have to face as soon as this week as president and general manager Chris Drury and his staff chart their offseason course after the best regular season in franchise history.
The romance vanished with the handshake line.
I don’t think the Rangers can win another championship, and I believe the evidence from their six-game conference final loss to the Lightning two years ago, plus their loss to the Panthers in this latest conference final, supports the argument that the core of this team is stretched thin and that fundamental changes must be made to the team.
I wish I didn’t feel that way, I wish I could think that adding weight to support my core was the bridge from here to winning a title, but that’s kind of backwards. Nobody wins a Stanley Cup by leading from behind. Tell me the last time a fourth or third line defenseman won the Conn Smythe Trophy?
There will be some tough conversations this summer as the Rangers try to remake themselves into a playoff-minded team, even at the expense of a strong regular season. If the team keeps talking about itself, believe it.
The toughest discussion will be about the future of the Rangers’ foundational No. 3 — Jacob Trouba, Chris Kreider and Mika Zibandeged — all of whom were underdogs in the series against Florida.
Trouba closed out a series in which he was out of position and gave the puck away multiple times, speeding off what turned out to be the game-winning goal in Game 6. Certainly, Trouba’s physical strength was vital for a team that got pummeled by the emboldened Cats, but his lack of discipline was glaring at times.
The captain wants it. He cares. His leadership is widely praised. But No. 8’s no-transfer clause, a two-year deal with an $8 million annual cap hit, will be replaced by a 15-team no-trade list this summer. Isn’t it ironic that a team lacking in physical ability would trade its most physical player?
But Trouba is now 30 and will likely enter camp as the third-pairing right defenseman behind Adam Fox and Braden Schneider, the latter of whom is likely to be promoted during the tournament and serve as a shutdown right wing for the 2024-25 season opener. Alexis Lafreniere had a flashy breakout series, but Schneider’s was just as impressive, albeit in a more quiet fashion.
The 33-year-old Kreider is in the same position as Trouba, having been placed on the 15-team no-trade list on July 1 with three years remaining on his contract and a fair $6.5 million in total salary. It would be a big move to move Kreider, who has been with the Rangers since 2012. He has developed into one of the league’s leading goal scorers, an elite power-play goaltender and an explosive penalty killer. But if the Rangers feel they need a dramatic overhaul, Kreider is the one who could ask for the most in return.
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Zibanejad, 30, has a no-move clause in his contract extension and an $8.5 million annual salary cap hit with six years remaining. It’s unclear what the ramifications would be if No. 93 were approached about waiving his no-move clause, but it doesn’t sound like it would be a pleasant conversation, and there’s no telling how such a conversation would affect the team dynamic if the Swede doesn’t want to move.
It’s a tough task, and we’re talking about the Rangers’ best center since Mark Messier, despite not having a playoff run.
Size and strength are important in the summer, that’s all. The Rangers need to get bigger on defense. Ryan Lindgren, who is listed in the NHL at 6’0″ and 190 pounds, will be hitting every shift and twice on Sunday. Same for Florida’s Aaron Ekblad. He’s listed at 6’4″ and 215 pounds. Who do you think will make a bigger impact?
I have long argued that the Rangers should build a physical, intimidating matchup line. They have never done that, instead trying to build three scoring lines. It’s time to change the equation. This is the summer of size and strength.
This summer is also the time for Matt Rempe to spend as much time as possible in the New York area, training and working with organized skating and skills instructors. Rempe is not a cheap novelty commodity, he is a player in the making.
If the 21-year-old can learn to control the movement of his 6-foot-11 frame and improve his balance, the Rangers could have a powerful, devastating force in Rempe who is well worth the investment.
The final three conference games must have been excruciating for the Rangers, who were convinced victory was within reach, but this series should have been a key learning experience for the team brass, who have no excuse for being fooled by this physical, bruising attack.
The organization has a pretty good pipeline of bona fide prospects. Hartford has some credible candidates. While the window of contention didn’t close for Sunrise on Saturday, it likely did close for the core.
This summer is going to be a really interesting one.
