Rangers Daily: Timely painful reminder; Maple Leafs extend goalie
As if the New York Rangers needed another reminder of what it’s like to throw away a season full of promise and opportunity, the New York Mets just finished providing an excruciating example.
A 3 1/2-month descent into the abyss concluded Sunday when the Mets were shut out 4-0 by the Florida Marlins. That concluded an inconceivable nosedive of epic proportions, and resulted in the Mets failing to reach the playoffs after holding the best record in baseball in mid-June.
No spark. Lack of fire. Inability to rally late (0-67 when trailing after eight innings). Terrible fundamentals. Finding every possible manner to lose games, instead of win them. Absolute failure to meet high expectations. Passed in the standings by a seemingly inferior team (on paper). One of the most bitterly disappointing seasons in franchise history.
Sounds pretty darn familiar to the Rangers in 2024-25, doesn’t it? Fast start after reaching conference final the previous season. Complete collapse afterward. Miss the postseason.
The parallels between the Rangers of last season and the just-concluded 2025 Mets campaign are eerily similar. Not apples to apples in comparison. But awfully close. The biggest difference likely being that the Mets didn’t appear to have the organization-wide dysfunction the Rangers did. Of course, that only makes the Mets faceplant more difficult to explain.
But the point here is that the Rangers received a timely reminder before the puck drops on the 2025-26 regular season that nothing is a given in professional sports. Opportunities are fleeting and must be seized, not taken for granted.
A summer of reflection for the returning Rangers seems to have them in a better place ahead of the new season. Seeing the Mets painful collapse should help the Rangers overall resolve heading into the season, as well.
New York Rangers news and analysis
Coach Mike Sullivan explained why and how the Rangers coach will “manage workloads” for his top players this season .
Zac Jones isn’t with the Rangers anymore, but his issues landing a regular spot in an NHL lineup continue. The defenseman was placed on waivers by the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday.
The Athletic ($$): Per Peter Baugh, when he asked Mika Zibanejad if anyone from the Rangers approached the veteran forward about waiving his no-movement clause this offseason, the reply was a quick, “No.”
NHL news and rumors
NHL.com: The Toronto Maple Leafs signed goalie Anthony Stolarz to a four-year, $15 million contract extension which begins next season.
RG: Daria Tuboltseva reports that Evgeny Kuznetsov “wants to play in the NHL” and not the KHL this season. The Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers — now that capatin Aleksander Barkov is out 7-9 months following knee surgery — reportedly are interested in signing the Stanley Cup champion.
Florida Hockey Now: With Barkov sidelined, George Richards reports that centers Sam Bennett and Anton Lundell will move up a slot in the Panthers lineup, and Evan Rodrigues will shift from top-line wing to center the third line.
Sportsnet: Vasily Podkolzin will return to the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday after the forward left the team last week following his father’s death.
New Jersey Hockey Now: James Nichols breaks down where the New Jersey Devils and No. 1 goalie Jacob Markstrom stand in contract extension talks, including the club’s latest offer.
Daily Faceoff: Chicago Blackhawks defenseman Alex Vlasic sustained a lower-body injury in a 4-1 win over the Minnesota Wild on Sunday and is day to day, though he’s expected to be ready for the season opener next week.
Sportsnet: Eric Francis breaks down an intriguing goalie battle to be Dustin Wolf’s backup with the Calgary Flames this season.
