Coming up short this season was as heartbreaking as it gets, so what does Glen Sather need to do for the New York Rangers this offseason?
By Robby Sabo
There will be no more fitting the puzzle pieces on the Stanley Cup big board. 11 wins was the unfortunate stopping point in 2015.
The only thing left after it was all over was questions and answers.
Questions such as how bad was Mats Zuccarello’s injury? And answers such as the one we received from Alain Vigneault about captain Ryan McDonagh and his broken foot.
If there’s one thing we do know, it’s that Henrik Lundqvist is part of the solution, not the problem.
Inexplicably, the New York City airwaves and social media worldwide was suddenly flooded with Lundqvist hate following Game 3’s loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Hank gave up six-goals in back to back games to the most skilled team in the world, and fans suddenly endured serious panic attacks.
Watching those games it was apparent that – while Lundqvist wasn’t on his game – he wasn’t the reason for those disappointing defensive efforts.
Lightning head coach Jon Cooper successfully lured the Rangers into playing a run and gun style, something Tampa thrives on with their quick transitional game after a defensive or neutral zone turnover.
Once New York got back to playing a structured game, things leveled off.
It’s a shame though. In a series featuring two teams so close in overall play, Game 3 became the turning point.
Both teams went back and forth all series long. It was a true chess-match of epic proportions. It was the Nikita Kucherov overtime winner in Game 3 that propelled Tampa to the only two-game winning streak (taking Games 2 and 3).
Still, even after giving up that soft Kucherov Game 3 winner, Lundqvist is the face of the Rangers and will be until the day he retires.
As for the rest of the squad, Sather has some decisions to make.
Here’s our five-step plan to make the New York Rangers 2015-16 Stanley Cup Champions:
5. Bid Farewell To St. Louis and Boyle
Of all possible opponents for the Rangers to face in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Lightning brought the most to the table. Not because of their skill and talent, but because of who they’ve acquired the past season and a half.
Brian Boyle, Anton Stralman and ex-captain Ryan Callahan all came into the series as ex-Rangers, and all walked away with the Price of Whales trophy.
The worst part about it all was the fact that Dan Boyle and Martin St. Louis – the direct replacements for Stralman and Callahan – were a shell of their former selves all playoffs long.
While nobody is arguing the Callahan for St. Louis swap worked for at least one playoff run, from this point forward the Rangers will severely pay for this deal.
Callahan is making $5.8 million a season for the next five-seasons. St. Louis made $5.265 on the last year of his deal. Along the blueline, the 29-year old Stralman currently brings in $4.5 million a year for the following four-seasons, while the 38-year old Boyle received the same $4.5 million.
What Rangers fans experienced this series was quite possibly the difference in a Stanley Cup.
Does anybody think the Rangers wouldn’t have won the series if Stralman and Callahan were on the team instead of St. Louis and Boyle? It’s amazing.
Sure, Sather didn’t want to be locked up long term with both the Stralman and Callahan contracts, but perhaps he played it a little too safe in both those situations. If he had signed both guys, a strong case can be made that enough money would still be in the bank to bring back the unrestricted guys at the current time.
This is a real discussion because of the awful play we saw from St. Louis and Boyle. One goal from St. Louis all playoffs long doesn’t even tell the true story. Whichever line he was on stunk up the joint.
While Boyle, on the other hand, started to come on later in the Tampa series, he was by far their worst defenseman.
Sather needs to allow St. Louis to walk (unrestricted), and buy-out the last year of Boyle’s deal. This will remarkably clear up nearly $9 million for the Rangers two worst players.
4. Re-Sign The Necessary Youngsters
The salary cap entering the 2015-16 season is expected to get to the $71 million mark. The higher it goes, the better off the Rangers will be.
There are four-restricted free agents Sather must bring back without any hesitation.
These guys are Derek Stepan, Carl Hagelin, J.T. Miller and Jesper Fast.
There’s no question that Stepan will be signed, sealed and delivered. Due to Derick Brassard’s $5 million from a season ago, Stepan will receive around the same amount.
Youngsters J.T. Miller and Jesper Fast will also be back. The question all of Rangerstown has right now surrounds Carl Hagelin.
Hagelin currently warrants $2.25 million annually. All indications point to him being the tricky signing. Should he hit the open market, he’d most definitely be offered more than $2.25.
Sather must find a way to bring Hags back.
3. Trading Cam
Yeah, we all agree. Cam Talbot is a starting goalie in the NHL.
And yes, it’s true. The Rangers would be in a more beneficial situation if they actually traded Lundqvist’s $8.5 million salary and went with Talbot’s $1.45.
However, Talbot is entering the final year of his deal and would garner more money after 2016. Lundqvist will be 34 years old next year, while Tallbot will still only be 28.
For all the positives Talbot brings to the table – including his stick-handling which gets the transition game moving faster and more free – Lundqvist will be the Rangers goalie and face of the franchise until the day he retires, or slows down.
Trading Cam for something will be much needed bonus. The tricky part about it is finding young talent that won’t hurt the cap.
2. Think Nashty
Rick Nash defenders seem to not get it.
It’s not that Rangers fans don’t like Nash. It’s not even the fact that they don’t realize Nash does so many things other than putting the puck in the net that supports his team. It comes down to the fact that he makes a hefty $7.8 million salary.
Putting together an NHL roster is like fitting puzzle pieces together. If NHL fans look around and see that Nash is only scoring a few goals during the course of 19 playoff games, then they’re gonna raise a brow.
If Nash is not finding himself in the spotlight like other superstars around the league – i.e. Jonathan Toews, Steven Stamkos, etc. – then questions will be asked.
Now, at 30 years old and three-years left on his current deal, Sather has a decision to make with Nash.
Could he actually field calls for the guy and go in another direction? Or, does he stay the course?
1. Stud Step Up
The last and most important piece for the Rangers to contend for the Stanley Cup in 2015-16 comes down to guys stepping up.
Let’s not get this twisted. We’re not simply talking about stepping up, we’re discussing stepping up to an elite level.
Who else on this Rangers team can you claim as as superstar other than Lundqvist?
Nobody.
When you look around the NHL right now, you see Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane and Duncan Keith in Chicago; Steven Stamkos and the entire Triplets line in Tampa; Ryan Getzlaf, Corey Perry and Ryan Kesler in Anaheim.
The Rangers only have Hank.
Nash has simply not been a superstar. He’s been a great hockey player, but not a guy who’s lifted his game to an elite playoff level. Not many guys can do it.
New York has a plethora of candidates to be this guy. Chris Kreider, Kevin Hayes, Derick Brassard and Derek Stepan are a few that come to mind. Even captain Ryan McDonagh hasn’t lifted his game to that studly-like level.
The Rangers, and Lundqvist, will need at least one guy to do this next spring.