Rebuilding “The Right Way” wasn’t what got the New York Rangers to where they are today.
That, of course, is preparing for the second round of the NHL playoffs after a businesslike opening sweep of the overmatched Washington Capitals, the Presidents’ Trophy winners being in their best position for a run at the Stanley Cup since also finishing with the league’s best record 30 years ago, when they captured the franchise’s first championship in 54 years.
A season in which the Blueshirts set team records with 55 wins and 114 points can be viewed as the fruit of the rebuilding project they embarked upon in February 2018, when they began the well-worn process of trading away veterans for prospects and draft picks, lowering the payroll and painstakingly accruing young, high-end talent.
Except … that’s not exactly what happened, and it’s far from the only reason why these Rangers have reached their current heights.
As important as the emphasis was on adding and bringing along kids with an eye on developing a long-term base, no moves have been more crucial to this season than the big-ticket free-agent signings of superstar winger Artemi Panarin on July 1, 2019 – barely a year after the rebuild was formally announced – and the inking of center Vincent Trocheck last summer, an acquisition that completed the core of this roster.
Panarin, Trocheck Power the Rangers’ Dynamic Offense
If the rise of a young, home-grown defense, all-world goalie and emerging former No. 1 overall draft pick forward formed the structure of the team, it’s Panarin’s Hart Trophy-worthy season and Trocheck’s masterful effort throughout 2023-24 that have been the fuel for the Rangers’ surge to the top of the NHL.
Panarin followed up his 120-point regular season with two goals, including what turned out to be the series clincher in the third period of the Rangers’ 4-2 win in Game 4 on April, and an assist against Washington. Trocheck, after a solid 2022-23 season, his first after signing with the Blueshirts on July 1, 2023, had his finest campaign with 77 points and carried it into the Caps series with three goals and three assists.
The two linemates were the Rangers’ best forwards this season. Neither came to the team in “The Right Way.”
The Blueshirts were Panarin’s choice when…
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