Rangers Daily: Critical time for Blueshirts; Massive trade reunites Tkachuks
Considering all that’s gone on with the New York Rangers the past two years, it’s not so easy to pinpoint a specific time-frame as being more important than another. But as we head into NHL Draft week, this feels like a critical upcoming stretch for the Rangers.
Start with the draft itself, where the Rangers have 11 picks and a chance to restock a very shallow prospect pool. They also need to find a marquee player with the No. 5 overall selection, and some future NHLers with seven of their picks in the first three rounds.
Of course, they could also use some of those picks as assets to acquire prospects that are further along in their development, closer to being NHL ready or young players already in the League. Remember, the objectives here are to get younger, faster, more skilled, and grittier. And Chris Drury — and likely his boss James Dolan — see this is as a retool not a teardown and complete rebuild, though plenty’s been torn down and/or apart already.
So, yes, nailing the draft is vital for Drury and Co. But as we’ve seen in the past week, big-time trades are taking place in the NHL, and the Rangers very likely need to swing one or more of their own. Again, they can’t miss here. Vincent Trocheck, for example, is too valuable a commodity not to absolutely maximize his return, should he be moved.
Then there’s free agency, which begins next week on July 1. The pickings are slim, with almost all the biggest names off the board after re-signing with their current teams — or in the case of Darren Raddysh, moving in a sign-and-trade last week.
The Rangers need not spend megabucks in free agency, but they must strike decisively if there’s a less-heralded option or two worth taking a chance on should that player fit the younger mold described above. That’s where the Rangers must trust their scouting department and player personnel group, even though these targeted players shouldn’t be cost prohibitive.
The bottom line here is that the next few weeks could define the Rangers moving forward. All of the bad vibes, losing games, trading away central figures from the 2022 and 2024 conference final teams, mishandling of departing players, firing the coaching staff, brought the Rangers to this point. Making this a critical juncture in Rangers history.
New York Rangers news and analysis
Dylan Garand signed a two-year contract Sunday, and our John Kreiser explains why the 24-year-old is firmly positioned to be the backup goalie behind Igor Shesterkin with the Rangers next season.
Jess Rubenstein’s latest explores why the Rangers have so few quality prospects in their pipeline ahead of this week’s NHL Draft.
This isn’t a huge offseason issue, but here’s an analysis from Ryan McInerney about how the Rangers can replace Jonny Brodzinski in the 13th forward role, should he, as expected, leave in free agency this summer.
In talking about the Rangers and Knicks this past week comes this nugget about a side “deal” made in the spring of 1994 between Rangers GM Neil Smith and his Knicks counterpart Dave Checketts.
NHL news and rumors
NHL.com: In a massive NHL trade on Father’s Day, the Tkahcuk brothers reunited, when the Florida Panthers acquired Brady Tkachuk from the Ottawa Senators for three first-round draft pick and one second. He’ll join big brother Matthew in South Florida.
The Athletic ($$): Mark Lazarus details why the Brady Tkachuk trade is just another sign of changing times in the NHL, where star players are forcing the hands of teams to play where they want to play, no matter their contract status is, very similar to what goes on in the NBA.
Florida Hockey Now: George Richards, of course, is all over the Tkachuk trade from every angle, beginning with where Brady fits in the Panthers lineup. He also details why the Panthers traded forward Mackie Samoskevich to the Seattle Kraken earlier Sunday, and how that affected their ability to acquire Brady Tkachuk later in the same day.
ESPN: Speaking of the Kraken, they re-signed Bobby McMann to a six-year, $34.5 million contract, meaning another significant pending unrestricted free agent is off the market before July 1.
Daily Faceoff: Senators general manager Steve Staois explains Ottawa’s side of the Tkachuk deal. Plus, here’s a breakdown of how the Senators fared in the big trade.
Sportsnet: The Edmonton Oilers re-signed Jason Dickinson to a five-year, $20 million contract.
TSN: In case you missed this, how cool was it that the Nic Deslauriers signed a new two-year contract with the Carolina Hurricanes during their Stanley Cup championship parade and celebration Friday?
Dallas Hockey Now: It appears that the Senators are now eyeing restricted free agent forward Jason Robertson of the Dallas Stars as a big-name target to replace the traded Brady Tkachuk.
