The New York Rangers' season went out with a whimper Tuesday night in a 4-2 loss on home ice in Game 6 against the Ottawa Senators.
Despite accruing 102 points in the regular season and avoiding the Metropolitan Division to begin the playoffs, the Rangers weren't able to deliver despite a seemingly favorable path through the postseason.
The Rangers boast four quality lines up front, and while Henrik Lundqvist endured more ups and downs than usual this season, goaltending isn't completely to blame for New York's departure.
Instead, the team's aged defensive corps was its undoing, unable to contain Ottawa's resolve or the best defenseman in the game, Erik Karlsson.
Alas, another season in the Rangers' expiring championship window has fallen by the wayside, and fixing the problem won't come easily for general manager Jeff Gorton.
The outlook
Ryan McDonagh is a legitimate No. 1 pairing defenseman, while Brady Skjei emerged as a reliable defender in his first full season.
They aren't the problem - it's the elder statesmen on the back end who need to be addressed.
| Player | Age | Cap Hit | Contract Expires | CF% | Scoring Chances For - Against | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dan Girardi | 33 | $5.5M | 2020 | 44% | 139-145 | 15 |
| Marc Staal | 30 | $5.7M | 2021 | 46.9% | 185-185 | 10 |
(All regular-season stats recorded at 5-on-5, Courtesy Corsica-Hockey)
After a troubling regular season, Girardi and Staal continued to struggle in the playoffs. Despite averaging the second-most minutes of all New York blue-liners, Girardi was ineffective in suppressing shots while improperly deployed on the top pairing.
Staal, meanwhile, logged a modest 19:15 per game in 12 playoff contests with a team-worst 45.88 Corsi For percentage.
The eye test did neither player favors, either, as the declining footspeed of both Girardi and Staal left them exposed in various matchups throughout the postseason.
Unfortunately for New York, the stay-at-home style that the duo employs is becoming less and less effective in today's NHL, making the committed money much more difficult to bear.
The options
Both Girardi and Staal own no-movement clauses, meaning automatic protection in the upcoming expansion draft. If New York chooses the 7-3-1 protection format, the third spot will undoubtedly go to McDonagh, leaving a younger, cheaper, and more reliable Kevin Klein available to be plucked.
The most feasible option for New York to move on from Girardi or Staal would be a buyout, and while it would still count against the cap for years to come as dead money, Gorton and the Rangers' brass have to consider it to overhaul the blue line.
Is there real room to improve?
New York went out and acquired Brendan Smith at the deadline, which helped, but he's a pending unrestricted free agent, and there's no guarantee he won't test the market - especially if the Rangers can't clear any money.
The pool of free-agent defensemen this summer is thin, but is headlined by Kevin Shattenkirk, who was linked to his hometown Rangers in trade talks all season. Again, available funds will be the deciding factor.
The wound of another early postseason exit is still fresh for the Rangers, but any attempt at improvement this offseason has to be centered around repairing the back end. Difficult, imperative decisions lie ahead.
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