Rangers’ Rapid Descent Result of Blind Optimism

What exactly is going on with the New York Rangers? The organization has drastically and rapidly descended, going from Stanley Cup contender in the Eastern Conference to one of the most mediocre rosters in the NHL. It took a single calendar year for this shakeup, and the outlook in the Big Apple is grim.

The Rangers are entering a brand new phase in their organization after sending longtime winger Chris Kreider to the Anaheim Ducks for a return that includes a very intriguing prospect in Carey Terrence and a swap of draft picks. The Rangers are now officially in a full-on rebuild. With the franchise now undeniably in this next phase for their organization, their downfall is now a cautionary tale for the ill effects of blind optimism.

Hindsight is 20/20, but the warning signs were certainly there for the Rangers over the past few seasons. Guided by their blind optimism, the team made multiple crucial wrong choices, and now the repercussions are coming home to roost.

The Rangers have operated with a worry-free, oblivious to criticism style that has put them in this position. Multiple examples of parting with draft picks in bunches stand out. The Rangers sent three draft picks, including a first and second rounder in the 2022 NHL Draft, to the Winnipeg Jets for Andrew Copp at the 2022 deadline. The 2023 first rounder they acquired for Nils Lundqvist, one of the best moves of the past few years, flew out the window in a later deal for rental veterans Nikko Mikkola and Vlad Tarasenko.

This past season was a total mess. They sent out young players like Filip Chytil, Kaapo Kakko and Victor Mancini in separate deals, acquiring a massive contract in 32-year-old JT Miller and then extending defenseman Will Borgen to a bloated and lengthy new contract. Young impact players K'Andre Miller and Alex Lafreniere are both in limbo regarding their future with the organization after bumpy 2024-2025 campaigns.

Simultaneously, they traded out veterans like former captain Jacob Trouba, Barclay Goodrow, and, most recently, Chris Kreider. So, they don't want to get younger, but they are also clearing out their most expensive veterans. All that while bringing in a two-time Stanley Cup winner to be the new head coach. Where does that leave them?

Scrambling, is the answer.

And that happens when you operate as if your judgment is infallible and you are unaware of the consequences. The Rangers, the NHL, and all of us, myself included, bought into the facade that Igor Shesterkin and company were a Stanley Cup-winning team. That blind optimism led to wrong turns in the most crucial moments and errors in judgment from the organization's management team.

Heading into the bulk of the summer and offseason, the Rangers will continue to experience turnover. Their roster to begin the 2025-2026 season will be a shadow of the team that went to the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals, and they have nobody to blame besides themselves.