After missing the playoffs, the New York Rangers are preparing for big offseason changes, with roster and front office moves expected (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
The New York Rangers will not make the playoffs this season after winning the Presidents’ Trophy last year. There has been drama all season with the Rangers, including most recently with Calvin de Haan, as general manager Chris Drury looked to move out players after a solid start to the season.
Drury felt the mix was not right to get the Rangers back to the Conference Final and potentially a Stanley Cup Championship. In the process, he traded Kaapo Kakko, Filip Chytil, Ryan Lindgren, Jimmy Vesey, and Jacob Trouba and brought back J.T. Miller.
But those are not the only changes that could happen for the franchise, which will celebrate its 100th season next year. According to sources, the New York Rangers will be aggressive in the offseason as management believes they are still in win-now mode.
“They are probably not going to change course in terms of the roster construction and what they’re trying to build,” said a source close to the situation. “They’ll continue to be aggressive. It’s clear they are in a win-now window for how they believe it to be.”
As RG has previously reported, teams were calling on Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider back in the fall when Rangers management made it known they were looking to make changes. Could those players be moved in the offseason? What about Artemi Panarin, who enters the final year of his deal with the Rangers? Not to mention, K’Andre Miller needs a new deal as well.
“They have decisions to make this offseason on key players, and how they approach it is anyone’s guess,” another source told RG. “There will be a long evaluation process about who is the right fit for this room. But there will be changes.”
The roster might not be the only change that could come in New York in the offseason. Could the Rangers actually move on from Peter Laviolette after his second year in New York? The Rangers have really taken steps back in terms of how they play defense.
But if the Rangers do decide to make a coaching change, then their GM could follow suit, an anonymous NHL executive told RG.
“If they decide to make a coaching change, is the GM that far behind him?” an anonymous NHL executive said.
“How many coaches will he be allowed to hire? Continuously doing this every two years is not an ideal situation. Owners do not like that. Plus, who would want to coach there?”
Considering the Rangers’ dramatic fall from grace in just a season, the coach takes all the blame. Whether you agree or not, that is usually the case.
“When a team regresses like they are, this is the first position management will look at,” this NHL executive said. “But it is not always the right decision. Too many times, teams take the easy way out. Sometimes, it falls on the management to put a better team together to support the coach.”
Regardless, the New York Rangers have started the process of reshaping their roster into what they believe will be a contender. At this point, whether the coach and manager are there to see it through is unclear. However, changes are coming.
“Change is coming to the roster and to the core of the team. Chris Kreider’s name will be out there again,” the source indicated. “There is no way you can run it back with the same group.”
What the Rangers decide to do with RFA defenseman K’Andre Miller remains fluid, but as sources have indicated, if he is to sign, it will be a short-term deal; if he values himself too high, he could be moved for the right price.
“Miller was available earlier in the season and teams did call, but the asking price was high,” said another source close to the situation. “Teams will call on his availability this offseason as well. Don’t be surprised if he is moved as the shake-up in New York continues. Change is coming to the organization because of how volatile their owner is as he wants to win.”
And then there's Artemi Panarin, whose status with the Rangers moving forward is up in the air due to a recent report from The Athletic's Katie Strang, confirming that the star forward paid a financial settlement for sexual assault allegations.
“Oh yeah, things are going to change in New York this summer,” said an additional source on the matter. “This is a foundation shake to their core. I can't see the Rangers just ignoring all this.”
If GM Chris Drury is still running the ship this offseason, he'll certainly have his work cut out for him, as he will have to piece a roster together worthy of a centennial season; amid all this chaos.
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Jim Biringer
