As soon as The Letter 2.0 was released, the Rangers shifted from win now to building for a (hopefully) quick turnaround and retool. To many, that means dumping all the veterans and playing the kids in top of the lineup roles, no matter what. There are many, many flaws in that line of thinking, but there should at least be a balance of putting kids in positions to succeed. But one aspect that may be missing is the Rangers showcasing players for trades, which would limit some kids playing time in the short term.
For all intents and purposes, the bigger names are known entities. Vincent Trocheck is Vincent Trocheck. Even Braden Schneider and Alexis Lafreniere, who are still top half of the lineup players on this team, are more or less known entities. That duo in particular has their value in age, team control, current ability, and perceived ceiling. But there are other players that are far less known.
As the trade deadline draws near, we should expect the Rangers to showcase some of their bottom of the lineup talent over the kids, at least in the short term. This includes Taylor Raddysh, Conor Sheary, and perhaps Sam Carrick. Of that trio, only Sheary is a pending free agent so he may get some of the priority. I find this to be hilarious since people seem to blame Sheary for everything wrong with the team, but I digress.
For what it’s worth, I think the Rangers hold on to Jonny Brodzinski since he seems to be a great mentor for the kids.
As the trade deadline nears, we may see some of these guys moved up or getting an extra shift or two. While they may be veterans and essentially known entities, as bottom of the lineup players there’s more of a question about system fit than anything else. Teams will want to see them play in different situations before committing trade assets. Especially for Sheary and Raddysh, who have bounced around a lot lately. Carrick, as a strong 4C, is less of a showcase need.
Rangers showcasing players may keep others in the organization
As the losses pile up and Brett Berard and Brennan Othmann continue to get the yo yo treatment, frustrations will boil over. But with both in Hartford, it does appear they won’t be part of trades at the deadline. Otherwise, the Rangers showcasing players would include prospects they don’t necessarily see as part of the future.
The Rangers showcasing players doesn’t necessarily protect or guarantee some kids from being included in trades at the deadline, but it does put them at the bottom of the immediate priority list until the dust settles. It may not be what some folks want to hear right now, but the first priority is extracting maximum value at the trade deadline, which includes the Rangers showcasing players for trades.
Once the trade deadline passes and the need to showcase players subsides, we can take a step back and look at Mike Sullivan’s lineup decisions and evaluate accordingly. Until then, the frustration is understandable but perhaps a tad premature. Players and coaches don’t tank. They still play to win, despite the new letter. The Rangers showcasing players will probably end next week. Let’s see where this takes us.