On Thursday afternoon, the New York Rangers brass announced their bold strategy to blow up their roster and rebuild for the future.
It's an interesting tactic, given it comes with the club sitting just three points out of the final Eastern Conference wild-card spot, and it proves how much the organization prides itself on not just making the playoffs but legitimately competing for a Stanley Cup.
General manager Jeff Gorton and president Glen Sather understand the club doesn't currently hold a candle to other strong teams in the East such as the Tampa Bay Lightning, Boston Bruins, Washington Capitals, or Pittsburgh Penguins. In fact, the Rangers currently rank 16th in goals for, 23rd in goals against, 18th on the power play, and 21st in shots per game - numbers that simply are not up to scratch, comparatively speaking.
So, for now, the smart decision is to sell players while they still have top value and attempt to turn around a club that has shown solid regular-season performances while not being able to make it out of the second round of the playoffs in the last two years.
So what could this pending rebuild look like?
Already in the system
First, it's worth noting the young pieces the club has developing. Though the likes of Jimmy Vesey and Brady Skjei, at 24 and 23 years old respectively, are still getting the hang of things at the NHL level, the team's two first-round picks from last season - Lias Andersson, plucked seventh overall, and Filip Chytil, snagged with the 21st selection - are both showing particular promise.
Andersson, who might be remembered for hurling his silver medal into the crowd at last month's world juniors, began the year playing men's hockey for Frolunda in Sweden, where he tallied 14 points in 22 games. He has since joined the Rangers' AHL affiliate in Hartford, where he's put up five points in six games.
Meanwhile, Chytil, excepting two games with the big club, has spent the season with the Wolf Pack, where he's been just shy of a point per game with eight goals and 22 points in 27 outings.
With two talented centers making big strides, the Rangers can head into the trade deadline knowing they already have two major building blocks at their disposal.
Trade deadline craziness
Here's where the fun begins.
With the Rangers seemingly the only club that has shown their hand ahead of the deadline, much of the noise regarding potential deals has involved their bigger-name players, as well as their quest to acquire first-round picks, which looks to be a priority.
Related - Report: Rangers ready to sell ahead of trade deadline
Sure, that sounds like a common-sense strategy for any club looking to rebuild, but for the Rangers, it should be even more so as prior to last season - when the aforementioned Andersson and Chytil were taken - the club had not made a selection in the first round since drafting Skjei 28th overall in 2012.
It appears to be just a matter of time until the club deals forward Rick Nash, who should garner a big haul. On Tuesday, Bob McKenzie reported on TSN's "Insider Trading" segment that the asking price for Nash was a first-round pick, a high-end prospect, and another lesser player, pick, or prospect.
TSN's Darren Dreger followed that up by noting Nash's agent had spoken to as many as 10 interested teams and that his top preferences were the Nashville Predators and the Dallas Stars.
Also believed to be on the trading block is Michael Grabner, for whom, according to McKenzie, the Rangers are seeking a first-round pick.
Then there is captain Ryan McDonagh, who could also be disposable. There's no reason to think he couldn't also fetch a first-round selection - although, unlike Grabner and Nash, he is not necessarily a rental player given he's signed through the 2018-19 season with a $4.7-million cap hit.
A couple other names also reportedly getting looks are Nick Holden, J.T. Miller, and Chris Kreider. On top of that, the Rangers also placed defenseman Brendan Smith - who they signed to a four-year, $17.4-million deal just last summer - on waivers Thursday.
All of this is to say there are plausibly no untouchables on the Rangers roster, meaning they are wide open for business.
Potential offseason moves could create quick turnover
What is also interesting about the Rangers' attempted rebuild is the thought this might not necessarily be a multi-year endeavor.
There is some belief that since both Nash and Grabner enjoy playing in New York, they might not be averse to re-signing with the Rangers again in the offseason after being dealt before the deadline, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman noted during last Saturday "Headlines" segment.
On top of that, there is another potential name to consider: Ilya Kovalchuk. As you might recall, the former New Jersey Devils forward - who currently resides in the KHL and will participate for the Olympic Athletes of Russia at the PyeongChang Games - attempted an NHL return last season but never managed it, partly due to his rights being owned by the Devils.
Related - Report: Rangers, Jackets, Leafs believed to be on Kovalchuk's wish list
However, next season he will be an unrestricted free agent, and it is believed he would prefer to play in New York if he is to return to the NHL, Friedman wrote in his "31 Thoughts" column.
One final way the team can rebuild on the fly is by electing not to deal arguably their most valuable commodity.
Given the goalie landscape, his long-term contract, and what he means to the franchise, the player with perhaps the best odds of surviving the overhaul is Henrik Lundqvist.
While he has had a shaky past five games, overall Lundqvist has been solid this season, rocking a record of 21-17-4 with a .917 save percentage and a 2.77 goals-against average. And with him manning the pipes, the Rangers can at least bank on the fact that no matter how much they strip things down, they have one largely dependable mainstay at their disposal.
There's no question the next few weeks and even months will be interesting in the Big Apple, and while the team might have warned its fans about a total revamp, it seems the Rangers will be better off for it in the not-so-distance future.
(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)
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