Rangers Preview: What Are The Rangers Going To Do This Off-Season

Rangers Preview: What are the Rangers going to do this Off-season?

        About a month ago Glen Sather announced his plans for this off-season. “This has been a long process, and it’s ongoing, but as we go into this summer, our plan is to keep our own players. I can tell you one thing—we are certainly not going to overpay for free agents. If we can improve with a signing that makes sense, we’ll look into it, but we want to give our guys the first shot.” So it sounds like Mr. Sather has finally decided to give up his Free Agency “plunges”, and start a rebuilding process with what the team has in their organization. Personally, I don’t disagree with Sather’s plan, but I don’t completely agree with it either. In the most recent poll posted on the New York Rangers website, it asks “On a scale of 1-10, how much activity would you like to see from the Rangers this free agency period?” Then the answers as follows: 4 or less, 5, 6-7, 8-9, or 10. Surprisingly, after all Sather said, the Rangers fans picked “10”. I am too a Rangers fan, and a big one at that, and I voted for “5”. While it is a good idea to start rebuilding, the Rangers front office needs to remember what we Rangers fans are like. I’m afraid if the Rangers start a rebuilding process that MSG may collapse because of all the “Fire Sather” chants when the Rangers fail to make the play-offs for a second season in a row. That said I also don’t agree with filling the team with big superstars this off-season (if you can find any besides Ilya Kovalchuck, and Alexander Frolov). So what do the Rangers need this off-season?

Follow to find out:

            This team has two known superstars, Marian Gaborik and Henrik Lundqvist. Amazingly enough, the top 2 things on the Rangers “wish list” have to do with helping our two superstars.

1.       A top line center (preferably one who can play well with Gaby).

2.       A backup goaltender who can play a solid 15-20.

3.       And maybe a 7^th defenseman.

4.       Also, the Rangers have to sing the likes of Marc Staal before they do much else with their other RFA’s, and should really consider bringing back Shelley, Prospal, Prust, Auld, and Eriksson.

So who could qualify for these jobs?

1.       Saku Koivu, Matthew Lombardi, and perhaps Marc Savard (through trade). Honorable Mention: Vin Prospal

2.       Johan Hedberg, Jose Theodore, Martin Biron, Dan Ellis, Patrick Lalime, and Curtis Sanford. Honorable Mention: Alex Auld

3.       Well, the Rangers could go out and sign a strong FA d-man like Volchenkov, Martin, or Hamuis (pending if he sings with Pittsburgh), but if the Rangers would like a 7^th d-man than perhaps a guy like Andreas Lilja, or Kim Johnsson could work. I’ve also heard talks between the Rangers and the Coyotes, about maybe swapping Donald Brashear for Jim Vandemeer. Honorable Mention: Anders Eriksson.

So ask yourself, what should the Rangers do this off-season? Continue to grow, make huge FA signings, or maybe something along the line of what I had to offer? Leave what you think the Rangers should do, in the comment section below. Thanks for the read.