So yes, with 15 games to go and the launch of a tournament still within the possibility if you believe in divine intervention, it’s clear that the Rangers hierarchy sees the value of qualifying for the postseason.
But not to the point of adopting a Playoffs or Bust mentality on Monday’s trade deadline. Not to the point of sacrificing a possible piece of the future in exchange for an immediate solution. Not to the extent of deviating from the plan the organization adopted three years ago.
There has been enough short-term pain through three consecutive failures in the playoffs (likely to become four) to not put the plan in the shredder in hopes of making a short-term win.
“I see that most of the operations were done in the rental market and the focus wasn’t really on rents,” said CEO Jeff Gorton, whose team plays the first of four straight against the Devils on Tuesday in the night in New Jersey. “I wasn’t really interested in hiring players.
“It seems to me that if you look at our team right now, there are a lot of good things happening, a lot of people are gaining ice time and it’s going well. I didn’t want to bring players to catch them.
“Our approach has been to try to improve all the time. We try to play as many meaningful games as we can, grab them one day at a time and let the chips fall where they can, “said the GM.” We’re in a very difficult division and we’ve hung on pretty well.
“We have 15 games left to finish, we have a great week to come, so we’ll focus on that, but I’m happy that our games are meaningful, that our boys are developing, that you’ve seen these little kids improve and I feel just like our team plays [well] as we may have all year round. “
Disappointing efforts have largely overshadowed the most encouraging, but the fact is that the Rangers have gone 9-4-3 in 16 games going back to March 13 to get a 0.656 win percentage that is tied for seventh. best in the NHL during that time. They’re four points away from Boston, with Taylor Hall’s augmented Bs (we’ll see about that) who have a couple of games on hand for the playoff final invitation.
The Rangers were good, though not perfect, in winning three points in two weekend games against the Islanders, who are tied at the top of the East with the Chiefs. The Blueshirts have a 6-4-1 record against the division leaders.
“Based on the two games against the Islanders, I’m very happy with how things are going,” Gorton said. “As I said, young children, you see the steps they take and the opportunities they have and it’s hard not to feel good about the future of the Rangers and where we are headed.
“Overall, I think our team is moving in the right direction and there are a lot of things to get excited about.”
Gorton said there has been no recent action on Tony DeAngelo, whom the Rangers will expose to Seattle in the expansion draft and then buy (at a cost of $ 383,333 in dead space next season and $ 883,333). dead space in 2022-23) if Kraken does not bite. Apparently, there wasn’t much action with respect to Brendan Smith, whom the Rangers didn’t particularly want to move.
So they will follow the rest of the way practically with the staff that brought them here, except with supplements that come from college or downstairs. Zac Jones, the 20-year-old second defender of national champion UMass, is about to leave school to sign a contract with the Blueshirts and is expected to play at some point. Morgan Barron, the 22-year-old center who has spent his first professional season with the Wolf Pack, should also get some NHL games.
Gorton postponed comment on Jones, ranked third in 2019 in 68th overall, until he signs. But as for Barron, the GM said: “I think Morgan has played really well and we would hope to have him a chance or anyone who deserves it.
“We’ll keep him there for now, we’ll see how he does it, but he’s certainly opened our eyes to what he’s done, so we’re looking at it.”
The Rangers have yet to get there. But they’re not looking for any Rosie Ruiz shortcuts to the finish line. The March 2018 letter was not signed with ink disappearing.
“We’re going in the right direction,” Gorton said. “There are a lot of things to be thankful for and excited about moving forward.”