Are the Rangers’ offseason moves over, or is the real work just beginning?
From the moment general manager Chris Drury fired coach Peter Laviolette in late April and brought in-two time Stanley Cup champion Mike Sullivan on May 2, it was clear the New York Rangers were looking to retool.
They came out swinging on July 1 with a flurry of moves that reshaped the blue line and added depth up front. That came not long after a trade with the Anaheim Ducks marked the end of the Chris Kreider era in New York.
We’re just a few weeks removed from the opening of training camp, and by all indications the Rangers have done the bulk of their offseason work.
But will that be enough as they work to return to the Stanley Cup Playoffs after one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history?
Much of the roster is set, and most of the top two forward lines will return intact. The goaltending tandem of Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick is solid, and the defense corps will have a new look with free-agent signee Vladislav Gavrikov likely being paired with Adam Fox on the No.
1 pairing. Younger forwards who have established themselves in the organization, including Will Cuylle and Alexis Lafreniere, are expected to assume larger roles, and the bottom six has been rounded out with returning depth pieces and low-cost acquisitions.
