Mark Messier. Jaromir Jagr. Artemi Panarin. The New York Rangers have acquired many franchise players in their extensive history, and those are just a few of the players who badly wanted to be Rangers along the way. New York is a destination city and the Rangers have long benefitted from that. But the NHL is going through changes, and the Rangers need a culture reset to continue to attract such players.
Especially after seeing what Jalen Brunson did for the Knicks. And Mikhal Bridges. And Karl Anthony Towns. And Josh Hart.
Dylan Larkin. Matthew Tkachuk. Quinn Hughes. The NHL is going through a serious culture change, with players such as those three not only demanding trades, but controlling their trade destinations along the way. Larkin has not yet been moved, but Tkachuk and Hughes both successfully landed with organizations they wanted to play for.
Connor McDavid. Auston Matthews. Those two players could become free agents or demand trades within the next couple of seasons. While the usual suspects such as the Vegas Golden Knights, Florida Panthers, and Tampa Bay Lightning will be involved if this ever comes to fruition, the Rangers must insert themselves into these discussions.
Yes, the weather is incredible in Florida. Yes, there’s no income tax. But to win in New York is to make yourself a legend, and the Rangers as an organization have not been touting that nearly enough over the years. Just look at Jalen Brunson, who went from castaway to New York legend, and perhaps the best player to ever wear #11 in Madison Square Garden.
There have been vague reports that Connor McDavid might have interest in the Rangers organization should he ever become truly available. The validity is certainly questionable, but the thought makes sense in theory: the best way for McDavid to become an all-time great is for him to play on the biggest stage. Of course the Rangers would have to compete with teams like the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs, but the Rangers would be in good position.
The Rangers need a culture reset and New York cannot keep missing out on top talents due to lack of assets or lack of appeal. Chris Drury has put the Rangers in a position where they do not appear to be legitimate contenders any time soon, and hockey players certainly know that. Why would a player like McDavid want to join a team that could be good in five years when he could win a championship now?
All of this is to say that the Rangers need a culture reset and need to figure everything out far sooner than later. If this is a rebuild, call it one. If this is a retool, actually retool. All this sitting around is just giving the rest of the league the opportunity to collect top players during this NHL cultural reset.
If the Rangers don’t act soon, they could miss out on generation talents such as McDavid or Matthews. Sure, Igor Shesterkin and Adam Fox are amazing players, but it truly cannot be overstated how far a player like McDavid could single-handedly bring this organization.
People hate New York sports teams often because they lure all the good players with cash and the New York scene. It’s time for the Rangers to earn the hate again.