Good News, Rangers Fans - They STINK
This is what we wanted. Fuck all those games where the Blueshirts opened up a multi-goal lead only to blow it yet tally up another “loser point” in the standings. That hurts us now AND in the future. Now we’ve finally got it right. Let’s just get slaughtered. Over, and over, and over again. Getting outscored 18-3 over 3 consecutive tilts is exactly how you do it if you’re not gonna be a good team. Don’t be a little bad. Be the best bad you can be – and that’s just what we’ve seen from the Rangers since Thanksgiving.
Thanks to a bunch of OTL/SOLs the Rangers are only the second-worst team since Turkey Day in terms of points (5-9-5) – but no team has won fewer games. No team has lit the lamp less, fired less shots on goal (the next worst team is 72 shots ahead) or compiled worse even-strength goal/shot/Corsi/scoring chance/high-danger scoring chance ratios. They’ve become undisciplined taking stupid penalties & increasingly irresponsible with the puck. Special teams are trash, defense is trash and even Lundqvist has thrown his hands up in the air and said “fuck it, I’ll be trash too”. The Blueshirts are the worst team in the league & the surge to lottery glory is in full effect.
That 9-1-1 streak was fun but now it’s time to focus on the big picture. It was less than a year ago when the Rangers organization sent a letter to fans that essentially said “shit’s gonna get bleak for a bit – hang in there”. Well here we are. It’s hard to be patient but that’s what the rebuild process requires. A small dose of victory might’ve gotten our hopes up but this is the reality, especially for a team that hasn’t sucked enough to be gifted a generational talent. Maybe that changes this summer, but regardless it’s time to sell & stockpile even more young pieces. Those who want to re-sign Hayes aren’t understanding the fact that, with the surrounding cast he’ll have over the next couple years, the best they’ll be is mediocre. Mediocrity is the last thing fans should want right now. NY needs as many young pieces/picks as possible to increase the odds of success in case Jack Hughes doesn’t fall into their laps. Not every NHL star has to be a top-5 draft pick (but it would be nice).
Speaking of top picks, let’s start with Lias Andersson & discuss some of the Rangers current “future” pieces. Everyone needs to pump the brakes on the bust bandwagon. I get it, everyone wants the 7th overall pick they traded a lot for to succeed on the big stage immediately. That obviously hasn’t happened with Andersson – but who else in that draft class outside of the top-5 has? Mittlestadt & Rasmussen were taken right after Lias. Both have rightfully struggled in their debuts. Pretty much all the names after that haven’t even had a cup of NHL coffee yet. Does that mean they’re all gonna suck? Of course not. Fans are judging Andersson unfairly based on the “NHL-ready” scouting reports but I don’t think that was off-base. I think he could easily be doing exactly what Middlestadt, Rasmussen or even Howden are doing which is filling a role while learning with the big club. The opportunity isn’t there though, thanks in large part to Howden winning the 3C gig fair & square. Once trades open up top-9 slots, Lias will be the first to take one & we’ll start to get an idea of what the 20 year-old can bring to the table. Don’t be so quick to write him off because he’s not Elias Pettersson.
As far as Howden is concerned, he’s done a solid job as a rookie 3C in almost every aspect. The offense has totally dried up though and it’s impossible to win without scoresheet contributions from your bottom-six. After a hot start, Howden hasn’t scored a goal in almost 2 months while racking up a mere 2 assists since Thanksgiving. Slumps are expected but for a first-round pick with his pedigree, it’s fair to expect more from a kid seeing a steady 15-16 minutes per night. He’s always projected to be more of a hustle/effort NHL player but there’s certainly enough skill there where 2 assists in 20 games is unacceptable regardless of his linemates or pro status. The fact that he’s able to hold his own already without a significant offensive impact speaks volumes though. If his scoring touch develops over the next year or two, the Blueshirts may not have landed a superstar but certainly the type of all-situations 3C a deep squad can rely on.
Pavel Buchnevich will be 24 in a couple months so he’s older than the other kids I’ve mentioned, but still fits the bill in terms of the Rangers future. I understand people will argue about how AV handled him his first two seasons but he received the same treatment from Quinn before catching fire, only to be derailed by injury. In his 11 games back he’s yet to find his groove (just 3 points) and I’m still waiting for a level of consistency from Buch. He’s still young, but comparatively speaking 24 isn’t a baby in the NHL anymore. This is when players break out. We’re not there yet though and there’s no reason for his talent to muster a mere 31 SOG over 25 games this year. He hasn’t stood out on the ice too often. Maybe expectations were always too high for him – and don’t give me the “he needs to play with better players” argument. Anyone can play next to elite talent, but what the Rangers need is that actual talent. Can’t ride anyone’s coattails if there’s no coattails to ride. Time is running out for Buchnevich to prove he can be an offensive leader.
Filip Chytil on the other hand looks like the dynamic scoring talent they hoped for when they snagged him in 2017. The numbers have some catching up to do & he’s an automatic minus lately but that’s to be expected. The 19 year-old has coasted by on every level with skill alone and still has a lot to learn about how to play a complete NHL game. Still, there’s plenty of reason to be excited about his offensive potential. It’s just gonna take time. Despite a tough recent stretch that’s found his minutes drying up & even earned him a scratch on New Year’s Eve, the kid is gaining more and more confidence creating chances. Mistakes are there too but he’s wowed on multiple occasions driving to the net, stickhandling or feathering a crafty pass that only the elite can. Whether it ends up being up the middle or not, it’s hard to believe the Rangers won’t have a lethal weapon once #72 hits his early 20’s.
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None of these kids are “sure things” though. That’s exactly why Gorton needs to get more and more of them. I’m not saying trade everyone right now for whatever you can get. There needs to be quality, seasoned players for youth to play with & learn from. That’s a big reason why I’m not in agreement with anyone who wants to trade Kreider right now. He’s still got a year left at a great price – and before you say “yeah that’ll make him more valuable to deal”, ask yourself how happy you were with the return when the Rangers traded TWO great, non-expiring players (JT was still under team control as an RFA) at the last deadline. When it comes to a guy like Hayes though, it’s a no-brainer. Fans should be ecstatic he’s done so well & become what could be the most sought-after deadline piece. Sell accordingly and increase the odds of developing top-notch NHL talent while also increasing those lottery odds with the dismal second half that’s a certainty for a Hayes-less Rangers team.