One massive issue seemingly doomed Rangers season from the jump

The Rangers locker room’s poor reception of the way Barclay Goodrow was waived and the way Jacob Trouba was shopped last offseason was well documented.It was not only widely reported in the immediate aftermath, but it was evident in just the feeling inside MSG Training Center on the very first day of training camp.Goodrow may have been on the other side of the country beginning his season in San Jose, after the Blueshirts circumvented his 15-team no-trade list in a prearranged deal with the Sharks, but Trouba had to come back into the room and serve as the captain of the team that just tried to get rid of him.Players always like to say it’s part of the business, but there was clearly a disconnect between management and the team with regard to how that business was handled.“I mean, even Troubs admitting it was hard for him to kind of lead this team in his situation,” Adam Fox said on Monday.

“Maybe a lot of it is subconscious, too.You don’t really think, but I guess when your captain has that thought and feels that way.

It’s a guy that has changed games for us in terms of the energy he’s brought and being able to change it with a hit or a fight.I think sometimes that could affect the team that sees that.

He was open with us about it.Even throughout the communication, with Lavy talking to us, Dru talking to us, I think it’s been there.“But, again, it’s also New York and there’s always going to be noise.

Especially when we’re not performing how we’re going to be, it tends to really take over.I think it didn’t help, but we also as players, we’re not going to blame missing the playoffs on that.”The way the remaining Rangers talked about Goodrow and Trouba on breakup day, however, suggests the season was doomed from the start because of what happened with those two players.It seemed to take up so much air inside the room and made it even more difficult to move on from.

Since Trouba remained with the Rangers until he was traded to Ana...