Michael

[text_output]Well that’s it folks, the 2017-2018 NHL season is mercifully over for us Rangers fans. A season that saw Henrik Lundqvist play his first “meaningless” regular season game of his entire career, and the first season that the Rangers had less points than games played since 2003-2004. The Rangers finished with the 8th worst record in the NHL, and management was so ready to move on that they fired their coach literally hours after the final game. However, despite the largely wretched on-ice performance for most of the season, it wasn’t all bad, and we at Blueshirts Breakaway think that there is definitely some reason for the optimism going forward. In this piece, Michael Carroll Keetner and Drew Way give their thoughts on the season that past, and offer some insight into their hopes and expectations for the upcoming offseason.[/text_output][image type=”thumbnail” float=”none” src=”2423″ alt=”” href=”” title=”” info_content=”” lightbox_caption=”” id=”” class=”aligncenter” style=””][custom_headline type=”left” level=”h5″ looks_like=”h5″ accent=”true” id=”” class=”” style=””][/custom_headline][text_output]– For me it’s honestly the underperformance of Shattenkirk with the injury. But the primary problem I have with it is that he kept playing on a bad knee and the coach tossed him under the bus for poor play while knowing about the injury. The only way this would not be awful is if only Shatty knew and refused to get any sort of treatment. But I highly doubt that no one on the medical or coaching staff knew about it. Player mistreatment overall is my big problem with this season.

Shawn – There were a lot of things that disappointed me. The way certain players were handled by our head coach, once again making me not understand why he was still our coach. The fact that our star defensive signing during the offseason turned out to be in some cases, damaged goods. Kevin Shattenkirk playing through an injury, that could have been avoided, if not taken care of right away, is something that sticks out. Now, I get it, sometimes a player’s pride gets in the way, and he doesn’t want to shut it down. Sometimes though, a team should force their hands to make a change happen. It didn’t

I think another thing that upset me, was the increased levels of Henrik Lundqvist bashing by a subsection of our fanbase. The fanbase has been going through a civil war with itself, that I covered earlier this year but this just puts the icing on the cake. This section of the fanbase will be the first to cry, the first to wear their Lundqvist jerseys at his retirement ceremony.

Does it really surprise me? No. But what does surprise me is a lot of them have come out of the woodwork the past two years. The end is near with Lundqvist, enjoy what we have while we have it, for goodness sake!

Keetner – Brendan Smith; from having come into the season apparently out of shape, being scratched for nearly 2-3 weeks, elevating his play from terrible to just a subpar level, getting demoted to the AHL, fighting with Vinni Lettieri which led to him breaking his hand. This is all nicely tucked under a $4.35 million x 4yr contract (plus a modified NTC). What a season, hey?

Drew – The play of the defense, particularly Brendan Smith, was by far the most disappointing aspect of the Rangers season for me. I’ll be the first one to criticize Alain Vigneault’s partial man overload system that he continues to deploy, despite years of evidence now that it does not work in the least. That said, even considering a poor defensive structure, this team flat out sucked on defense. How any professional athlete can come into a season out of shape the way Brendan Smith did is beyond me. You’re not Shaquille O’Neal, you can’t get away with that shit. The fact that Smith didn’t even do well in the AHL after his demotion tells you everything you need to know about him this year.

Smith wasn’t the only culprit though, as most of the team underperformed, even when you consider how they were mismanaged. Skjei had a down year and went through long stretches where he looked borderline lost out there. And while I still insist that McDonagh was clearly playing through injuries all year, there is no doubting that he was in the midst of his worst season since becoming the Ryan McDonagh we all grew to love, which I believe undoubtedly affected his trade value. I blame Alain Vigneault for a lot of the issues we’ve seen with the defense, but you are fooling yourself if you don’t also put part of the blame on the players as well.[/text_output][image type=”circle” float=”none” link=”true” target=”blank” info=”tooltip” info_place=”bottom” info_trigger=”hover” src=”2431″ alt=”Photo Credit: Abbie Parr/Getty Images” href=”https://www.blueshirtsbreakaway.com/” title=”Photo Credit: Abbie Parr/Getty Images” info_content=”Photo Credit: Abbie Parr/Getty Images” lightbox_caption=”” id=”” class=”aligncenter” style=””][custom_headline type=”left” level=”h5″ looks_like=”h5″ accent=”true” id=”” class=”” style=””]Okay, yea the season really sucked, we get it. Let’s try and highlight some positives now. What was the best or most encouraging thing about the season for you?[/custom_headline][text_output] Michael – I love these kids. I was probably one of the first people super excited when Pionk and Vinni signed, and I think after seeing them play it wasn’t an overreaction. Pionk is playing extremely well and he looks like the Dman that I was afraid of watching when my Gophers played Duluth in years past. On a personal level, I get excited for every Minnesota boy that gets pulled in and eventually we will have half or more of a defensive core comprised of Duluth or Gopher graduates. The players we got in trades are also so exciting. If the Rangers can convince them to also play some defense this will be a fast team who can’t be slowed down.

Shawn – Hands down to me the biggest positive is the progression of Kevin Hayes as the replacement for Derek Stepan. He fills in nicely in that defensive role, shutting down teams’ top line while contributing offensively, something that has been on everyone’s radar, as it was nice to see him starting to put a puck in the net, and become a more dominant factor in all aspects of his game.

You also have to look at how Neal Pionk and John Gilmour have played since they have been called up by the Rangers. Pionk specifically could have played on this team from the beginning of the season and I would’ve been fine with it. While seeing him play in his own zone is a work in progress, the way he carries himself not only on the powerplay but also leading the rush is beautiful.

He’s a candidate to make the team out of training camp next year and boy, am I excited to watch his continued growth as a pro.

Keetner – One of the most encouraging parts of this season was the letter released by Gorton and Co. addressing their intentions to rebuild the team. Up until its release, I was very concerned with the possibility that management was delusional about the quality of the team being iced on a nightly basis, and that they would be more than willing to throw it all in again for another Cup run (see the 2015-16 Rangers). The last thing I wanted was another Eric Staal situation. However, management decided to be very transparent with the fans and let them know of their decision to rebuild the team. Though the letter was maybe more of courteous gesture (or to announce a free for all player grab…), it was reassuring to hear it directly from management. Further, in knowing their intentions, it made the understanding of certain decisions a lot more palpable (I miss you, McD…)

Drew – As a long-suffering Knicks fan, I know all too well how frustrating it is to root for a team with a delusional management structure that time and time again thinks that rebuilding is beneath them, and just lights money on fire in an effort to somehow remain relevant at all costs. That letter and press conference that General Manager Jeff Gorton sent out, followed up by him putting his money where his mouth was, was so refreshing to me. Especially when you consider the fact that the Rangers are owned by the individual that the Knicks are owned by, it was just incredibly refreshing and welcomed by yours truly.

Obviously, the real hard work is yet to be done, and any idiot can tear a team down, but I am encouraged by what I’ve seen out of this front office so far, and I am cautiously optimistic that they will be able to execute the rebuild well going forward. Sure, you nitpick the return the Rangers got for J.T. Miller and Ryan McDonagh, but personally I think it was a fair trade, especially when you consider McDonagh was injured, has a rather sketchy injury history, and was having his worst season in years. You can’t rip the team off in every trade in the manner the Rangers completely ripped off the Bruins in the Nash trade. The way Gorton and his staff have handled themselves since releasing that letter to the fans was definitely the most encouraging thing for me this season.

Lastly, while I don’t like to celebrate too much when someone loses their job, firing Alain Vigneault was a very encouraging sign in my opinion for the future. Regardless of how you feel about the job he did during his tenure with the team, I think it’s safe to say that he is not the guy you want at the helm of a rebuild.[/text_output][image type=”circle” float=”none” link=”true” target=”blank” info=”tooltip” info_place=”bottom” info_trigger=”hover” src=”2432″ alt=”Photo Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports” href=”https://www.blueshirtsbreakaway.com/” title=”Photo Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports” info_content=”Photo Credit: Noah K. Murray-USA TODAY Sports” lightbox_caption=”” id=”” class=”” style=””][custom_headline type=”left” level=”h5″ looks_like=”h5″ accent=”true” id=”” class=”” style=””]See, the season wasn’t a complete waste. Alright, time to turn to the future now. With Alain Vigneault now fired, what are the most critical things that must happen this offseason for the team to at least begin to turn things around?[/custom_headline][text_output] Michael – I think it’s trying to build some kind of consistency. For me, I get the most frustrated with these wild changes that happen all too often. I would like to see some amount of settling into certain play styles or lines once we know what we have moving forward. I get that changes are a thing that will happen and that’s fine, but I can’t imagine it’s easy to move lines (Buch) and play with different people (BUCH) on a near nightly basis. Developing chemistry takes time and I want to see more of it.

Shawn – The Rangers need to take this draft seriously, as the picks that they have (their own, and the two first-round picks they acquired in the separate Boston and Tampa deals), could make impacts on this franchise for years to come.

The Rangers also need to start thinking about their RFAs. Jimmy Vesey, Hayes, Vladislav Namestnikov and Ryan Spooner are the forwards that are going to be RFAs at the end of the year. Hayes will get some sort of raise after he has shown that he can take his talents to the next level. I’ve liked what I’ve seen with Spooner but don’t feel either way about if he stays or goes. Vesey is an interesting choice, just because we know the type of player we’re going to get with him but do we really think we’re going to see more out of him. Namestnikov has been the player I expected once traded to the Rangers. Him and J.T. Miller did a complete role reversal. Not a surprise.

On defense, we have Brady Skjei, who is a RFA and to me besides Hayes is the most important RFA that the Rangers have to sign. He’ll be coming off his ELC contract and if the Rangers think he is a part of their long-term plans, needs to be signed as such. A 4 to 5-year team friendly deal is something that needs to happen and needs to happen during this offseason.

Do we see more of the core go? Does Mats Zuccarello get traded? Do we bother getting back Rick Nash? There’s a lot of questions on moves that could be made. The only move that has to be made in my opinion is figure out the RFA situation and to get Skjei a deal that will make him feel he’s part of their long-term plans.

Keetner – The roster is very young — not only in terms of NHL experience but in young, emerging leaders (eg. Skjei, Hayes, Kreider, Zibanejad). With such a young and moldable roster, it’s dangerous if management is unable to find correct coaching staff, as it could hamper their development in many ways. Thus, the key focus of this offseason is finding suitable coaching staff.

Drew – First and foremost, I’m with Keetner in that the key moving forward is finding the right coach. We will get more into this as the offseason progresses, but long story short, my short list of guys I’d want to the Rangers to target as the 35th coach in team history is: Sheldon Keefe, Jim Montgomery, David Quinn and Todd Nelson.

In terms of roster construction, the key for the future in my opinion is to remain as flexible as possible in order to put themselves in the best position possible to obtain elite-level talent. You can wax poetic about roster depth all you want, but fact of the matter is, nearly every single team that has hoisted the Stanley Cup in the modern NHL has had multiple elite players. Sure, depth is important as well, so please don’t take this as me trying to mitigate its importance. But it is an objective fact, not an opinion, a fact, that it is damn hard to win the Cup without multiple top-tier talents.

The Rangers currently have a very good (but no longer dominant) Lundqvist, who is still in my opinion very much good enough to win, but not carry, a team to the promise land. They have a lot of cap room, a war chest of picks, a handful of nice current roster pieces and a collection of promising futures. Maybe one of the kids can develop into a true stud, but as things currently stand right now, the thing this team lacks the most is a true star-caliber talent. In my opinion, the key to the rebuild will be remaining patient and flexible, and putting yourself into a situation where you can pounce on an opportunity to obtain that elite-level player. Whether it be trading up in the draft, hoping some of the top players actually hit free agency in the next couple of years (Tavares, Doughty, Karlsson, Wheeler etc.) or taking advantage of a desperate or cap-strapped GM, the Rangers need to remain flexible in order to seize the opportunity to obtain an elite player if and when it arises.[/text_output][image type=”circle” float=”none” src=”2433″ alt=”” href=”” title=”” info_content=”” lightbox_caption=”” id=”” class=”aligncenter” style=””][custom_headline type=”left” level=”h5″ looks_like=”h5″ accent=”true” id=”” class=”” style=””]In your opinion, if the Rangers execute the offseason plan perfectly, can they be realistic Cup contenders next season? If not, how long do you think it will be until they are realistic Cup contenders?[/custom_headline][text_output] Michael – No I don’t think they will. I foresee too much change in the coaching staff and player core from the last cup contender to legitimately put a functioning cup run together. That is also totally ok. I’m happy to have a good team which can maybe make the first round just to give the new kids some pep. Ideally, I would love what the Leafs did last season to happen as a great uplifting moment for the new and old players.

Shawn – No, and they really shouldn’t be thinking about contending for the cup. The Rangers should be thinking about how they can build on their youth and reset a bit.

The Rangers need to think about starting life without Lundqvist. He has three years left on his deal going into the 2018-2019 season and should treat this about building towards that. They have the goalie prospect in Russia in Igor Shestyorkin. They’ll see him soon and when they do, they can start building towards his future.

Though, the Rangers could try to go all-in for Lundqvist, knowing that there is three years left on his deal and what I just said above doesn’t mean anything.

Think about the team, not the player. Starting now.

Keetner – No, they will not be Cup contenders. Many players on the current roster have not even played half an NHL season, let alone a Playoff game. No matter what the moves are in the offseason, ultimately, these players need physical ice-time and playing experience. Being at this stage in their career, it would be unrealistic to expect them to reach a Cup final. Realistically, I think the Rangers will be Cup contenders around 2020-21 or 2021-2022.

Drew – No, and I think it could be detrimental to the rebuilding process if the Rangers fool themselves into thinking that this is a realistic possibility. I mean obviously weird things happen sometimes, and I guess there could be something that materializes that nobody saw coming that could fast track the rebuild. But the question being answered here is if the Rangers can be “realistic” Cup contenders next year, and I think the answer to that is no.

My biggest fear is that the Rangers decide that they are somehow in a position where they can go out and buy their way back into contention through this year’s UFA class. Outside of John Tavares, this upcoming class is fraught with good players who will likely get overpaid in terms of cap hit and tenure, and hooking your wagon to this lot now in a feeble attempt to win next year, instead of waiting for 2019 which, as of now, is perhaps the deepest potential UFA pool I’ve ever seen, could considerably set back the rebuild. Now, I’m not saying the team shouldn’t sign anyone at all this offseason. If you can get a veteran like Ilya Kovalchuk on a short term deal and a reasonable AAV than go for it, but I really hope the team doesn’t decide to blow it all and overpay guys in both term and salary like John Carlson and James Neal.

Even if the Rangers win the lottery and draft Dahlin (very unlikely) and sign John Tavares (also very unlikely) I still think the team is at least a year away from being a true cup contender. I will repeat what I said before, it is critical to remain patient and flexible, allow your youth to properly develop and not be rushed along, and then pounce when the timing is right.[/text_output][image type=”circle” float=”none” link=”true” target=”blank” info=”tooltip” info_place=”bottom” info_trigger=”hover” src=”2434″ alt=”Photo Credit: Abbie Parr/Getty Images” href=”https://www.blueshirtsbreakaway.com/” title=”Photo Credit: Abbie Parr/Getty Images” info_content=”Photo Credit: Abbie Parr/Getty Images” lightbox_caption=”” id=”” class=”aligncenter” style=””][custom_headline type=”left” level=”h5″ looks_like=”h5″ accent=”true” id=”” class=”” style=””]Let’s cap this piece off by giving the people what they want: HOT TAKES. What is one hot take of yours regarding the Rangers going forward? [/custom_headline][text_output] Michael – Tavares won’t sign here so don’t get your pants in a tangle when we don’t make a big splash this offseason. Heck we may not even get Nash or Kovy so just take a deep breath when big moves don’t really happen.

Shawn – The Rangers will not buyout Marc Staal. I think the Rangers will look at it, that they need some sort of veteran presence to help their younger defensive group that they now have.

Keetner – Short term: I don’t think Rick Nash comes back.

Long term: I think we will be on the cusp of being a great team, but the supposed lockout will seriously screw us and many other teams over.

Drew – My hot take is more of a shot at a mentality that I’ve seen permeating through a portion of the fanbase more than anything: it’s foolish to think the Rangers should avoid drafting a center in the first round. I’ve seen a number of people make comments along the lines of that the team “must draft” a wing or defense in round one, and avoid the center position, because of the prospect depth the team currently has at the position. I have news for you all: prospects bust all of the time, and trades happen all of the time, so the perceived depth at center has currently could be completely different this time next year due to trades and varying developmental curves.

I’m as high as anyone on the team’s current center depth, and I think all of Chytil, Andersson and Howden can become top-6 forwards in the NHL. That said, A LOT can happen in the next couple of years, and it would be foolish to be in the situation where a center is clearly the best player available, and you pass simply because you’d rather reach for positional need. If you have two similarly-rated players you are deciding between, and one is a center and the other is a high-upside defenseman or scoring winger, then sure at that point you can use position as the tie breaker. But by no means should the Rangers be passing on a center if he is clearly the best player remaining on their board simply because of the current perceived depth at the position among the prospect pool.[/text_output][image type=”none” float=”none” link=”true” target=”blank” info=”tooltip” info_place=”bottom” info_trigger=”hover” src=”2435″ alt=”Photo Credit: Bob Kawa” href=”https://twitter.com/bob_kawa/status/981896720224346112″ title=”Photo Credit: Bob Kawa” info_content=”Photo Credit: Bob Kawa” lightbox_caption=”” id=”” class=”” style=””]