The New York Rangers need a lot of changes to get better, and sometimes the focus isn’t always on what the Rangers need most. A lot. We’re not talking about a team that’s one piece away, we’re talking about a team that’s various organizational adjustments away from being contenders to even make the playoffs. While last season wasn’t completely horrendous (possibly an unpopular opinion?), things could get worse before they get better if the Rangers don’t make some changes soon. There needs to be a focus on what the Rangers need most, which is where the concern is.
I don’t trust Chris Drury at all to be the one to make the necessary changes and get what the Rangers need most. Drury has proven time and time again that he doesn’t understand what the Rangers need most, instead getting blinders on for whomever his new shiny toy is. So let’s help him out. Here are five things the Rangers need most, five being the least urgent, and number one being the most.
5. A New Identity
No more catchy slogans and faux grittiness. The Rangers need a new identity. It’s great to be a team that’s tough to play against, but how about a team that walks the walk? How about a team that gives the home crowd something to cheer for? How about a team that scores goals? The Rangers, including Mike Sullivan, need to refocus this offseason. Buzz words can only do so much.
4. Tanner Glass to be a Surprise Genius
The Rangers recently fired Jed Ortmeyer as the Player Development lead and promoted Tanner Glass. The guess here (and among many others) is that this will make no impact, and the Rangers will continue to be awful at player development. After all, they’re promoting a guy who learned the job from the guy they fired. Weird.
Still, maybe there’s a chance Glass is some kind of a development guru. We’ve seen this professionally in our normal lives where someone gets promoted and, despite learning under a bad boss, changes things for the better. The Rangers could certainly use that, as their player development has been horrendous.
3. Puck Moving Defensemen
Adam Fox cannot be the only defenseman on the roster who can make a pass. Vlad Gavrikov had a strong first season for the Rangers, but he’s best served working with Fox as a unit. The Rangers need someone who can not only make strong outlet passes, but also spend some time on the power-play and take a lot of the heavy lifting off of Fox.
Some might thing this is what the Rangers need most, and there’s a good argument for that. In all fairness, numbers 3-1 could be changed around in order of what the Rangers need most. Tomato. Tomahto.
2. Top Six Forward
Mika Zibanejad is awesome, but he’s only getting older, and shouldn’t be the Rangers best forward. Alexis Lafreniere appears to top out at a good top six player. Gabe Perreault isn’t projected to be a huge point-scorer in the NHL, though I disagree with that assessment. Still, the Rangers need a Guy in the top-six. They need someone who gels with the youngsters, can play with Zibanejad, and can play here for the present and future.
That brings us to….
1. The Top Five Pick to Reach His Potential
This goes hand-in-hand with either two or three, but the Rangers desperately, desperately need a star. You could certainly argue that Adam Fox and Igor Shesterkin are stars, but the Rangers need someone at a Nathan Mackinnon level. Someone they haven’t had in decades. Even if the top five pick becomes, say, the level of Miro Heiskanen, that’s an incredible addition to the franchise.
On the other hand, if the Rangers get someone at even the level of Alexis Lafreniere or Quinton Byfield, that will be another huge missed opportunity. New York needs a major addition to the future of the team, and this is the best chance.