Rangers appear poised to run it back with little NHL free agency flexibly after Jacob Trouba drama
The answer to whether or not the Rangers improved will matter more after the 2025 trade deadline than it does now, at the beginning of the offseason.Though true in the grand scheme of things, it does not trivialize what has gone down since the Blueshirts bowed out in the Eastern Conference Final just over a month ago.There’s an argument to be made about the shape the Rangers are in compared to when they ended the season.They freed up much-needed cap space, but also waived an alternate captain and one of their most proven playoff performers in Barclay Goodrow, who was miffed by how the Rangers got around his 15-team no-trade list.And instead of effectively shedding Jacob Trouba’s contract like they set out to do, the Rangers had a touchy situation with their captain play out publicly.Kaapo Kakko is also still a Ranger after signing a trade-friendly one-year deal at his qualifying offer price.Despite adding veteran wing Reilly Smith for a discounted price in a trade with the Penguins and signing bottom-six center Sam Carrick to a three-year deal at an affordable $1 million per on Monday, the Rangers (sans Goodrow and free-agent departures Erik Gustafsson, Alex Wennberg and Jack Roslovic) don’t look much different right now.And for a general manager who appeared to be considering so many different options and directions to go in, Chris Drury may now be looking at running it back with more of the core group than initially planned.The hope is that the all-for-one and one-for-all mantra Trouba has spearheaded will prevail, for him more than anyone else if he is still a Ranger come opening night on Oct.
9.The culture and environment head coach Peter Laviolette helped instill and foster in his first season should help, too.But you know what makes tough business easier to endure? Winning.It is only just a couple of days into free agency, as well as over three months away from the first game of the season in Pittsburgh.
Previous ideas can still come to fruition, but w...