New York Rangers: 5 Offseason Moves That Would Guarantee Another Stanley Cup Run

The New York Rangers finished this season two wins from reaching the Stanley Cup Finals. While the team had an electrifying playoff run, it is clear that they need to make upgrades if they want to make another Stanley Cup run next season.

The Rangers are not without issues. The first one is scoring. The Rangers finished 11th in the league in scoring, averaging 2.71 goals a game. That's not terrible, but that's not the only issue.

The Rangers finished 23rd in the league in power play percentage, scoring a power play goal on 15.7 percent of their chances. 

In the playoffs, the Rangers averaged 2.15 goals a game. It is clear that they are lacking a dynamic scorer, one who is a constant threat to put the puck in the back of the net. Their best offensive player, Marian Gaborik, is out at least six months with a torn labrum in his shoulder (via Yahoo Sports).

In addition to needing scoring, the Rangers also need defensive depth. While their top-four—Dan Girardi, Ryan McDonagh, Marc Staal and Michael Del Zotto—are very good, their bottom two are questionable. Stu Bickel became coach John Tortorella's whipping boy, often seeing less than five minutes a game. Anton Stralman, who was a pleasant surprise, is a free agent and it is unclear if he will return.

If the Rangers want to improve upon this past season, they will have to make changes. They will seek upgrades both offensively and defensively. 

The Rangers have a good deal of cap room to make some big moves. According to CapGeek, the Rangers will have over $21 million to work with. Some of that money will be used to sign free agents Brandon Prust and Ruslan Fedetenko, or their replacements. 

There will still be, however, plenty of money for the Rangers to make an offseason splash.

There are plenty of players out there who can help make a difference. Here are five offseason moves that will put the Rangers over the top. 

Trading for Rick Nash

The Rangers flirted with acquiring Rick Nash at the trade deadline, but a deal never happened. Will one happen this offseason?

With Marian Gaborik now out six months, it's very possible. Rick Nash is an elite offensive talent. This past season, he scored 30 goals and added 29 assists. He's scored 40 or more goals more than once and did so on bad Columbus teams. He's one of the best players in the NHL.

When the Rangers tried to acquire Nash at the deadline, they found the price to be steep. According to Yahoo! Sports, the Blue Jackets wanted Chris Kreider, Ryan McDonagh or Michael Del Zotto, Brandon Dubinsky and a first-round pick. 

While the price was steep then, it's even steeper now. Krieder became a playoff sensation, scoring five goals and notching two assists in 18 games—his first 18 games as a professional. McDonagh was a stud during the playoffs.

Giving up either one would be a tall order.

While Kreider is not necessarily off limits, it seems likely that the Rangers won't part with him and the same likely goes for McDonagh.

Del Zotto, however, had a rough playoffs, particularly in the Eastern Conference finals. The Rangers might be more comfortable dealing him. Brandon Dubinsky, who struggled all season, might be expendable as well.

Whatever the package might be, the Rangers will definitely be interested in Nash. One of the main reasons that the Rangers didn't beat the Devils was that they had no equivalent to Ilya Kovalchuk. They had no one who could score from anywhere on the ice. 

Nash can do that. While he has toiled in obscurity in Columbus, Nash is a bona fide superstar. He would instantly upgrade the offense and power play.

With Gaborik out, the Rangers need someone who can take his place. When he comes back, he would team with Nash to create a potent one-two punch, something that they were lacking this season. 

If the Rangers decide that the price to acquire Nash is not too steep, then he will be a more than welcome addition. His acquisition would dramatically improve the offense and would help the Rangers get over the hump.

Signing Zach Parise

Zach Parise was a main reason that the Devils ousted the Rangers in the Eastern Conference Finals, and it stands to reason that the Blueshirts would love to snag Parise from their rival.

Besides hurting the Devils, Parise would really help the Rangers. He's an elite scorer who scored 31 goals and added 38 assists this season.

Parise would instantly be the top line winger and would form a nice duo with center Brad Richards. When Marian Gaborik comes back, the three would create one of the best first lines in hockey.

Parise is going to be expensive. He made $6 million last year and it stands to reason that he will want upwards of $8 million. That would make Parise the higest paid player on the team. 

The Rangers do have cap room. According to CapGeek, the Rangers will have over $21 million in cap space to work with this summer. 

 The biggest challenge is prying him away from the Devils. If the Devils win the Cup, it is hard to imagine their captain leaving for their biggest rivals. 

If they lose the Cup, the Rangers could make Parise an offer he can't refuse and he could join the Blueshirts. 

If the Rangers can acquire Parise, he would present a huge offensive upgrade and will become one of the faces of the franchise. 

Signing Ryan Suter

The Rangers defense is very solid, but there are questions. Outside of the top-four, there is virtually no depth. Michael Sauer, who was a rising star before being lost for the season due to a concussion in December, is not a lock to be back for next season (via ESPN).

The two other defenseman who played most games, Anton Stralman and Stu Bickel, are free agents. Stralman was a pleasant surprise after joining the team midway through the year, but according to the Bergen Record, he is likely to return to play in his native Sweden.

Bickel barely played, even seeing less than five minutes of ice time in many games.

The Rangers reliance on the top-four cost them. For one, they played a tremendous amount of minutes in the playoffs. This took a toll. It also led teams to try to match up against the third pair, which caused problems and led to goals.

If the Rangers want to get over the hump, acquiring another elite defensemen would do wonders.

That defenseman could be Ryan Suter. The American scored seven goals and added an impressive 39 assists last season.

Suter is terrific both offensively and defensively. He can play on the power play. He is also a tremendous shot blocker, which fits with the Rangers identity.

While Suter is a candidate to stay in Nashville, the Rangers can offer Suter more money to play in New York. Signing Suter would give the Rangers one of the top defense corps in the league. He would represent a significant power play upgrade and would allow the Rangers to spread out their minutes more effectively.

Suter would be an ideal candidate to upgrade an already solid defense unit in New York. 

Signing Shea Weber

The Rangers had a woeful power play and signing Shea Weber would go a long way towards fixing it.

The Rangers ranked 23rd in the league in power play percentage, scoring on 15.7 percent of their power play chances.

Weber scored 19 goals and added 30 assists. He had 10 power play goals and possesses a booming shot from the point—something the Rangers don't have.

He helped Nashville have the league's best power play, scoring on 21.6 percent of their chances. 

Dan Girardi, Marc Staal and Michael Del Zotto each had one goal on the power play, which was the most for defenseman. Weber would change that instantly. 

He's also very good defensively and is one of the top players in the league. He would have been the Rangers fourth leading scorer last season.

Weber is a restricted free agent, meaning that Nashville will have a chance to match any offer given to him. If they decline to match, the team that does acquire Weber will have to provide Nashville compensation, usually in the form of high draft picks. 

It will cost a lot to get Weber. He made $7.5 million last year and will want more. In addition, the Rangers would have to give up draft picks. 

But it would be worth it. Weber would instantly enhance a dreadful power play and give the Rangers an offensive threat from the blue line. He would also add to an already good defensive unit.

Weber would be a welcome sight in New York. He has the ability to make this team much better. 

The Rangers will have to decide if he's worth the high cost. But if they do, it would help the Rangers get over the top. 

Trading for Alexander Radulov

The Rangers need scoring with Marian Gaborik out, and Radulov is one player they might be interested in.

According to Larry Brooks of the New York Post, the Rangers have contacted the Predators about acquiring the Russian forward. 

Radulov has spent the past few years in Russia, playing for the KHL. He is the KHL's all-time leading scorer, with 254 goals. In this past season, he scored 63 points in 50 games and won his third MVP award. 

In 154 career NHL games, Radulov has scored 47 goals and put up 55 assists.

According to ESPN, Nashville general manager David Poile thinks highly of Radulov.  "As I've said, he's the best player not playing currently in the National Hockey League," Poile said.

This year, returning to Nashville to play nine regular season games, he had three goals and four assists. In the playoffs, he scored one goal and notched five assists in eight games.

Radulov does come with some controversy, as he was suspended for Games 3 and 4 of the second round due to a curfew violation (via USA Today).

He also has an offer from CSKA in the KHL—one that would be much more than what the Rangers would offer him.

Radulov is a restricted free agent. The Rangers, however, could look to acquire his rights before he becomes a free agent, so that they do not have to compete with other teams to sign him.

In essence, they would get a head start. 

If he decides to stay in America, the Rangers would have to look very hard at acquiring him. He's an elite offensive talent, who would upgrade a mediocre offensive team. He's the kind of elite talent the Rangers don't have.

There are things to consider in dealing for Radulov. What do you give up for him? Will the Predators ask for a big package in return? Or will Radulov decide to go back to Russia?

If the Rangers are satisfied with the answers to those questions, Radulov will represent an upgrade for the Rangers offense and help them get to the Stanley Cup.