Little has changed over the past eight weeks and 26 games, where the Rangers have posted a 12-12-2 record, and as the old joke goes, unless they go 30-0, this team will be far from cup contention. This suggests that he is the center of the third line. Yearling Mark Messier could fill that role.
But still, even if the hole left by Filip Sztil’s heartbreaking end to the season could be filled with a player of Messier’s caliber, Igor Shesterkin would have transformed into the 2022 version by then. You’ll have to take the leap of faith. The playoffs begin after two consecutive disappointing seasons, but I’m more worried about going into the tournament with confidence this season.
Honestly, is this the year you go all out on deadlines? Is this really a cup or bust season, or are the Rangers more likely to go broke if they think this is somehow equivalent to 1994? That’s my take: This team is too lacking in what it takes to make the playoffs and can’t sacrifice a future that could arrive as early as next season after a summer renovation.
But those involved suggest that is not the view of executives. In fact, the hierarchy, including chairman Jim Dolan and president and general manager Chris Drury, reportedly intends to jump to the bottom of the pool as March 8 approaches.
Because I know. Thirty years ago, Sam Rosen unknowingly made a fool of himself. The wait wasn’t over yet. What we are waiting for now is 30 years from now. This letter and subsequent time-limited purge happened six and five years ago. There’s a sense of urgency, especially on a team that has a lot of 30-year-old players on no-move, no-trade deals, even though it itself still ranks first in its division.
Calgary free agent center Elias Lindholm is at the top of the Blueshirts’ wish list, and in fact, we hear that was the case even before Sitil was out of action this year. According to a person familiar with the matter, his name was at the forefront of internal discussions, just as it was with Patrick Kane last year…and for the Rangers to acquire Vlad Tarasenko nearly a month before the deadline. Even after jumping on the market to.
The 29-year-old Swede Lindholm is a top-six player who will play further down the Rangers line-up, but will give the club impressive depth in midfield. He’s not the scratchy checking center I would create for the Rangers if the league provided me with his AI tools for that purpose, but he does improve the team at 5-on-5. He’s a real player.
But Lindholm, who the Flames could try to retain with another offer for a contract extension, is expected to be a rental at the end of the award season. Calgary will undoubtedly have a bidding war, acquiring a first-round pick, as well as at least one other top prospect and possibly an NHL-ready young player.
That would be a poisonous enough pill for the Rangers to swallow, but it would prompt Flames GM Craig Conroy (who is facing his first deadline since taking over last summer) to act quickly and call off the auction. would probably require Mr. Drury to pay an excessive amount. pretty.
That could take a first rounder and, say, Kaapo Kakko. Alternatively, the Flames might prefer Will Quill or Brennan Osman. They probably want another second-rounder. And while the Rangers may be able to meet Lindholm’s $4.85 million cap hit, doing so leaves little room to address other weaknesses, forcing Calgary to keep 40 to 50 percent of his contract. would be even more costly.
It is for rental.
But paying too much for Lindholm — by the way, it’s a must to get a veteran who has a record of 9 wins, 32 losses, and 41 losses in 49 games, with 2 goals in his last 25 games. Well, welcome to the party! —That would be a historically Ranger-like move.
Of course, the Rangers will have to fill that spot in the middle of the third line sooner or later. I would like to see the team focus on adding more physical players that will make them a much tougher opponent to play against.
Yes, Adam Henrique would improve the club, but only gradually. If Anaheim GM Pat Verbeek, who was as strong in the meeting room as he was in the corner, demands more than a second-rounder and a B-level prospect in return, the Rangers should make the deal. do not have. He’s good and I mentioned him as a potential signing a few months ago, but he’s not a game changer.
By the way, if it’s true that the Rangers and Canadiens aren’t talking about the possibility of acquiring third-line center Sean Monahan because of something going on between Drury and Montreal vice president Jeff Gorton, it’s probably a big deal for the Blueshirts. That would be a good thing. Monaghan would certainly be too expensive to rent. It’s also said that even if the dynamic wasn’t paralyzing, it wouldn’t stop a team from making a deal if it made sense.
I would consider Sean Kuraley of the Blue Jackets to fill one of those roles, and I would definitely give him more from Columbus than permanently available center Jack Roslovic, who doesn’t move the needle. You’ll be interested. That’s how I feel about all the mid-range, mid-six centers on the market and available to the Blueshirts at too high a cost.
I want to check out Ryan Hartman of the Wild. Billy Guerin, the team’s general manager, is one of Drury’s closest friends within the NHL front office. Check out Luke Kunin of the Sharks. I would look for a third-pair left defenseman on the planet to be mean and erase the crease. I would go for smaller, more targeted attacks.
But it seems like the Rangers want to go big. The Rangers seem to want to be the Rangers.
