The New York Rangers Rebuild: What Did and Didn't Work? – Hockey Writers – New York Rangers

Although the New York Rangers have been one of the top teams in the NHL for the past few seasons, it wasn't that long ago that they were completely different. In the 2017-18 season, they hit a wall with their key players and it looked like their championship window was closing and it was decided to make changes. In February 2018, the management will send what is now known as “The Letter” to the fans informing them that changes will be made and many players from the team at that time will be gone.

This began a rebuild that spanned four seasons and made a number of seismic changes to help the Rangers rebuild their franchise, acquire young talent on the NHL roster and help get them where they are right now. In this piece, we'll look at some of the successes and failures of this rebuild and how it led to where the Rangers are today.

The current Top-6 Defense Team Was Formed During The Rebuild

When the rebuild began, none of the Rangers' top six defensemen were part of the organization. We'll go in chronological order and see how each of them made their way to the Rangers. It started with Ryan Lindgren in 2018. He was the primary prospect brought back in the deal that sent Rick Nash to the Boston Bruins. Andre Miller was next and the team traded up in the 2018 Draft to get him. Adam Fox was acquired in April 2019 from the Carolina Hurricanes with two second round picks.

Their current captain, Jacob Trouba, was acquired from the Winnipeg Jets in June 2019 for Neal Pionk and a 2019 first round pick, which the Jets traded to the Rangers early in the season for Kevin Hayes, so they got their own pick. Zac Jones was drafted in the 2019 Draft in the third round and finally, Braden Schneider was drafted in the first round of the 2020 Draft.

The Rangers were able to build their defensive base through drafts and trades where they didn't have to give up much. They got a Norris Trophy winning defenseman in Fox and will likely win a few more before his career is over and they have a solid team around him. While this team has its flaws, it is miles ahead of what the Rangers had in 2018 when the rebuild began. This team is still young and still has the potential to improve as the years go by.

10 Most Wasted Draft Picks

While the rebuild technically began in the 2017-18 season, the first real movement took place in the 2017 offseason when the draft was underway. The Rangers traded Derek Stepan and Anti Raanta to the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for Tony D'Angelo and the seventh overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft. The move allowed the Rangers to free up cap space and gain access to a first-round pick from 2012.

However, this selection ended up not turning into anything good as Lias Andersson was the chosen player. He played in just 66 games for the team before being traded to the Los Angeles Kings in 2020 for second-round pick Will Cuylle, who just had a great rookie season with the Rangers. This season, Andersson signed an agreement to return to Sweden to continue his playing career.

Related: Revisiting Artemi Panarin Signing 5 Seasons Later

The following season, the Rangers picked up a ninth title, but did not learn from their past mistakes. They took a gamble by selecting Vitali Kravtsov and it didn't pay off. Like Andersson, both players had problems playing in the American Hockey League (AHL) and felt they didn't have a chance to succeed in the NHL. Kravtsov requested a trade from the team, but eventually returned and gave it one last shot with the Rangers. It didn't end and he was traded before the 2023 trade deadline to the Vancouver Canucks for Will Lockwood and a 2026 seventh round pick. Now he is back in Russia playing in the Continental Hockey League (KHL).

The Horrible Ryan McDonagh/JT Miller Trade to the Tampa Bay Lightning

The first major rebuilding move came at the 2018 Trade Deadline when the Rangers traded their then-captain, Ryan McDonagh, and JT Miller to the Tampa Bay Lightning. They will receive a package in return that includes Brett Howden, Vladislav Namestnikov, Libor Hajek, a 2018 first round pick and a 2019 second round pick. It was a poor return for McDonagh, who still had another year left on his contract, and Miller, who was out of power. This trade would end up being a disaster for the Rangers and none of the players they acquired or drafted are still on the team today.

Howden was nothing more than a sub-six center in three parts of the season with the Rangers and was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights who eventually won the Stanley Cup. Namestnikov, like Howden, was an under-six player and was traded to the Ottawa Senators and has gone on to make big league appearances. Hajek was the team's sixth/seventh defenseman and was released as a free agent last season. The second of 2019 was used on Karl Henriksson who recently signed an agreement to play in Sweden. The first of 2018 was spent on Nils Lundkvist and the only bright side he had was that he was traded to the Dallas Stars for a first round pick in the 2023 Draft. That pick was eventually used in the deal that brought Vladimir Tarasenko to New York. So as of now, the Rangers have nothing to show for the McDonagh/Miller trade and it could be argued that it was one of the worst trades in franchise history.

The Rebuild Helped Get The Team Where It Is Now

Of all the players who were on the 2017-18 squad, only two remain on the roster heading into the 2024-25 season. Those two players are Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad. This rebuild allowed the Rangers to move away from aging players who might not be part of the future and allowed them to bring in draft picks and prospects and young players who could make an impact in the NHL. They also got lucky in the draft lottery which allowed them to get Kaapo Kaako and Alexis Lafreniere in back-to-back drafts. They were also able to bring in big time free agents like Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck because they have cap space and can trade players that the future is bright in New York.

Now, the Rangers are about to enter another season where they look like one of the top contenders to bring home the Stanley Cup. It's crazy to think that if this team can't get the job done, they may need to enter another phase of rebuilding as they figure out what's best for the franchise moving forward. This current roster has been rebuilt and now, they are looking to bring the Stanley Cup back to New York.