After going unbeaten in their first four games out of the Olympic break, the Rangers fell flat against a mediocre Devils team. Scheduling made this the first matchup against the Devils this season, and naturally with both teams flailing it was on national television. With how the Devils dominated, it brings to light how bad the Rangers roster is, especially with how bad the Devils are too. Don’t you miss the days when both teams were arguing over which team had a better rebuild?
There were very few positives to take away from the game, but I continue to be encouraged by how the likes of Vlad Gavrikov, Noah Laba, Gabe Perreault, Alexis Lafreniere, and Mika Zibanejad conduct themselves on the ice in an otherwise forgettable season. There is much to justifiably complain about this roster after the top line and top defensive pairing leave the ice, but hopefully those solutions are coming soon.
He won’t be receiving any Calder votes for rookie of the year, but I have been very impressed with how Laba has played this season. He will go long stretches where he doesn’t record any points, but he makes many smart plays that bode well for his development. The play he made on his backhand to find a wide open Gavrikov was very savvy and, assuming the Rangers don’t screw him up like every other prospect, hopefully develops into the norm from him. It also helps he is one of the noticeably faster skaters on the entire team, though the bar might be on the floor there.
In net, Jonathan Quick is washed, unfortunately. His decline has been prevalent this year, and we are at a point where this should be his final year. It is probably time to give Dylan Garand a call up to get a game or two in at the NHL level, but it’s unlikely to happen without injury. Teams can carry three goalies as long as they stay under the 23 man roster limit, so the injury needed to recall Garand doesn’t necessarily have to be from the goalies.
This centennial season is going to go down as one of the most embarrassing showings in New York Rangers history. Very few players were bright spots, including the now traded Sam Carrick. This is our new reality with the New York Rangers. No matter what you call this, a retool or a rebuild, until there is trust and direction in the front office, this team is going nowhere.