As this New York Rangers lost season they would be mostly excused for tanking now. So naturally they decided to start playing good hockey. The good news is that the wins are coming from the kids. The bad news is that it’s coming at the expense of potential draft position, or at least maximizing their odds at getting a top-two pick. Nothing would cap this Rangers lost season by messing up their draft position and finishing out of the top five. But draft position is just one area where the Rangers hope to turn things around next year. I have some thoughts.
1. I’m struggling to comprehend my own thoughts about Mike Sullivan as the coach for this rebuild or retool or rewhatever. On one hand, Sullivan clearly values playing the vets more than the kids as a way to make the kids “earn their minutes” and moreso to make his record look the best. On the other, it’s kind of working?
I vehemently disagreed with Sullivan putting JT Miller on the first powerplay unit over Gabe Perreault, but Miller looks great and has gotten his game back, while Perreault hasn’t been impacted too much. Sure, Perreault needs all the reps he can get, but I could hear an argument that getting Miller back on track is more valuable right now. Perreault has plenty of time and also remains on the first line.
Elsewhere, the Rangers are playing hard! Last season, it looked like they wanted to be anywhere except for the hockey rink. This season, they’re giving it their best! They aren’t backing down from battles, the goalie is fighting, the kids are fighting, and most importantly, they’re playing respectable hockey. This leads me to my second point.
2. Respectable hockey is so important. How you end one season absolutely impacts how you begin the next. It’s how the players go into the offseason and the energy felt around the organization. The Rangers are at best going to finish last in the Eastern Conference! That’s for certain! But if the team can play .500 or so for the post-Olympic Break period, that’s something to build off of. Mike Sullivan knows that and the players know that. It matters.
3. Huge shoutout to Mika Zibanejad for winning the Steven McDonald Extra Effort Award. Zibanejad was terrible last season, and I would have cheered a whole lot if the Rangers traded him this past offseason. Instead, he’s stayed, and played like a star. If the Rangers were a contending team, I’d still be fine with Zibanejad as the first line center.
It will be interesting to see what Zibanejad’s future looks like. There’s something to be said for trading him now that his value is seemingly back up, but at the same time, if the Rangers are legitimately trying to retool and not rebuild, Zibanejad is a pillar piece that cannot be replaced.
4. As we get into draft talk, I want to make one opinion super clear. We don’t know where the Rangers will draft, but it is imperative that they take the best player available. I don’t care if they need a left-handed defenseman more tan a right-handed one. I don’t care if they need a left winger more than a right winger. We’re talking about almost certainly a top six pick here. The Rangers must get this pick right. The way to get the pick right is to take the top talent. They can maneuver their roster accordingly.