The New York Rangers season is over in disappointing fashion despite the team making big investments for a deep playoff run.

The original six franchise was eliminated in seven games by the New Jersey Devils on Monday night.

The Rangers got off to a quick start in the series by taking a 2-0 lead – but everything turned around since Devils head coach Lindy Ruff made the move to put in rookie goaltender Akira Schmid in game three.

The Devils then went on to win four of the next five games.

Schmid posted a remarkable .951 save percentage with a 1.38 goals-against average in five games.

While Schmid was impressive, the Rangers failed to adapt and outwork the Devils as a team.

That comes despite the Rangers trading multiple draft choices including a first-round pick and a second-round selection to acquire what were supposed to be two difference-making players in Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko.

There are plenty of people to blame for the Rangers collapse.

The Rangers leading point-getter in 2022, Artemi Panarin, was abysmal and failed to record a goal in the series against the Devils.

Mika Zibanejad, the second-highest point-getter for the Rangers during the regular season wasn’t much better.

He had just one goal and four points in seven games.

When your best players aren’t your best players – it’s tough to win.

But when the Rangers with all the skill in the lineup are not ready to play hockey as a team in the most critical games in the season – that starts with coaching.

While they had a great game plan going into the series, they didn’t adapt.

The Rangers failed to generate enough grade-a scoring chances as the series went on.

Since game 3, the Rangers had only 36 high-danger looks compared to the Devils’ 74, according to data from Natural Stat Trick.

That’s a 2:1 ratio in favor of the Devils.

The Ranger’s starts were also abysmal, as it surrendered the first goal in the last four games in the series.

And when your team looks that bad with all the offensive firepower from Kane to Panarin, you have to look at head coach Gerard Gallant.

In addition to the tactical problems, Gallant chose to stick with giving Panarin tough minutes despite the results not being there.

So now where do the Rangers go from here?

Well, perhaps it could move on from Gallant after the early exit. Some argue he had the most talented Rangers’ roster since the Stanley Cup winner in 1994.

Some veteran coaching options that the Rangers could look at if it decides to go that route are Bruce Boudreau and Claude Julien.

But general manager Chris Drury will have a decision to make after incredibly underwhelming playoffs.

Jacob Trouba had to defend himself once again after throwing another legal body check, as the league considers taking action.

The New York Rangers defenseman has been involved in delivering a number of big hits in the past year plus.

While many have caused ire from opposing teams’ fan bases, most of them are well within the rule book.

They just look vicious in real-time speed, given the way bodies fly after impact by the 6’3 203-pound defenseman.

Some have, unfortunately, caused injuries.

But if we break down Trouba’s hits in slow motion – almost all of them continue to show the same theme.

He does not leave his feet before contact, shoulders and arms stay tucked in, the head is not targeted, and the point of impact is to the body.

And the hit Trouba delivered on Pittsburgh Penguins‘ forward Alex Nylander is no different.

Once again everything stays tucked in, with the point of impact being on the chest.

That’s about as clean as it gets and Trouba had to fend off retaliation from Evgeni Malkin and Jason Zucker.

The only controversial one occurred on Penguins star Sidney Crosby in the 2022 playoffs in game five.

That one was a bit different, as Trouba lunged with an elbow and caught the head of Crosby – forcing him to miss game six with a suspected concussion.

If not intentional, the play was a bit wreckless and was one of the turning points in the series last year.

But Trouba did not receive any discipline from the NHL’s Department of Player Safety, which is headed by former enforcer George Parros.

But on the Jeff Marek Show Monday, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman reported that the league could enforce referees to impose instigator rule more often to crackdown players getting challenged after throwing big hits.

So perhaps the fear of penalty minutes could stop Trouba from facing as much retaliation after he delivers a clean big hit.

The Chicago Blackhawks dealing Patrick Kane to the New York Rangers finally appears set to happen this evening deal after days of unrest – but the return isn’t great.

The Blackhawks are expected to get back a conditional second-round pick in 2023 and a fourth-round pick, reports NHL insider Frank Servalli.

It could become a first-round pick in either 2024 or 2025 if the Rangers win two playoff rounds.

With the Blackhawks retaining 50 percent of Kane’s $10.5 cap hit, the Arizona Coyotes will reportedly get a third-round pick for paying a portion of his salary.

That would lead to the Rangers only being responsible for just over a $2.6 million cap hit on Kane’s deal.

While it was a long a complicated process it’s not surprising that we got to this point.

It was no secret that Kane would only waive his no-movement clause to play for the Rangers.

But the Rangers had to figure out a number of issues including finding a third party to eat up a portion of Kane’s contract to make the salary work.

The Rangers were forced in the past few days to get creative by trading forward Vitali Kravtsov and make multiple transactions between the AHL and NHL to make a deal work.

But it appears that it’s now over.

The Blackhawks get peanuts in return for one of the NHL’s top-scoring leaders in the past several years.

Normally this kind of deal would at least fetch a legit NHL-owned – but Kane didn’t give the organization any other option and took full advantage of his no-movement clause.

The Blackhawks only got back what the Rangers were willing to give up.

Now the Rangers will hope that Kane will be enough to take them over the top to win its first Stanley Cup since 1994.

The Buffalo, New York native is expected to make his debut on Wednesday with the Rangers.

While the trade hasn’t officially happened yet, it would be shocking if Kane got cold feet and refused to waive his no-move clause.

The trade will become official once the trade call is complete, which is expected to happen sometime tonight.

The New York Rangers and Patrick Kane have had the sports world on edge in the past 48 hours, as a deal is being worked on.

It all started when the team made forwards Vitali Kravtsov and Jake Leschyshyn unavailable to play on Thursday due to “roster management reasons.”

And of course, it’s very obvious that those two players are needed to go the other way to have any hope of getting Kane.

But the fact that the Rangers were willing to do that and play with 11 forwards and seven defensemen on Thursday might tell you that the organization feels confident that it will have a resolution soon.

If it’s not Kane getting dealt to the team today, all signs point to the Rangers making some sort of move to prepare for it.

And that would include putting at least one of Leschyshyn and Kravtsov on waivers today, assuming there’s no trade.

Assuming Leschyshyn gets placed on waivers today, that would give the Rangers $1.56 million in cap space, according to Rangers beat reporter Vince Mercogliano.

Then adding Kravtsov to a Kane trade would give it just enough room to make something work.

The Rangers would need around $2.63 million in cap space and it would reach that target by the March 3 trade deadline assuming those moves are made.

Having the Chicago Blackhawks retain 50% of Kane’s $10.5 million cap hit and another team swallowing 25% would do it.

But finding a third party shouldn’t be a huge issue as the Minnesota Wild have done this already twice this year – with the Ryan O’Reilly, as well as with the Dmitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway trades.

That should cost the Rangers a middle-to-late-round draft pick.

Multiple reports claim that the Rangers and Blackhawks are laying out the framework for the deal.

Along with Kravtsov, defensive prospect Zac Jones has been involved in discussions.

So if there is a deal in place, the only thing left is whether Kane would waive his no-movement clause for the Rangers by the March 3 deadline?

While there has been no decision made yet from Kane, he is only reportedly considering a move to the Rangers.

Waivers start at 2 pm today and the Blackhawks will skate around then.

On Friday, Kane took a “maintenance day.”

But regardless, something is likely happening today – but this potential deal will be complicated for a multitude of reasons.

The New York Rangers acted quicker than many may have expected to get Vladimir Tarasenko from the St. Louis Blues but he is already making an impact.

Just minutes into the 31-year-old’s debut on Broadway, the Russian native tallied his first goal with his new team.

While Tarasenko will need some time to adapt to a new system, it certainly helps playing with other star players in Mika Zibanejad and fellow countryman Artemi Panarin.

The trade that sent the Rangers Tarasenko in exchange for multiple draft picks also included a much-needed third-pairing defenseman in Niko Mikkola.

The good news with acting so quickly is not only because gives the new players a longer time to adapt before games really start to matter in the postseason, but it also alows the organization to see if there’s any other glaring holes in the roster before the trade deadline.

And that’s what general Chris Drury will be evaluating now until March 3.

The trade has resulted in head coach Gerard Gallant shuffling around his lines.

This includes moving Barclay Goodrow down to the 4th line and giving winger Vitali Kravtsov another shot to play inside the top six.

Drury in particular was asked if he would make an acquisition that would bolster the 4th line, which has struggled this year.

“We’re certainly still looking at ways to improve the group… I can see your point about that area and it’ll be one we look at for sure, as well as a few others and see what we can do between now and the deadline,” he said.

If Goodrow works out as the 4th line center then the Rangers could make a move to acquire a 4th line winger.

If that’s the case, the move that might make the most sense is bringing back Tyler Motte, who fit in well with the team during its playoff run last year.

However, the Ranger’s salary cap situation made it difficult to bring him back.

While he signed with the Ottawa Senators for one year at $1.35 million, the team will likely be shopping him at the trade deadline.

The cost? It would probably take a mid-to-late-round draft pick. In fact, the Rangers were able to snag Motte at last year’s deadline for a 4th round pick.

The Rangers are projected to have around $1.6 million in cap space at the deadline, according to CapFriendly.

But the hard part for the Rangers is over, now it’s about filling in small holes to boost the team’s chances at winning.

The Rangers rank third in the Metropolitan division currently and it would take a monumental collapse to miss the playoffs.

Not even two seasons in, and the deal that has sent Pavel Buchnevich to the St. Louis Blues is looking like an unmitigated disaster for the New York Rangers.

In June 2021, the original six franchise traded the talented Russian winger for a second-round pick and bottom-sixer Sammy Blais.

The deal was always head-scratching from the Rangers’ point of view from day one.

But it’s obvious that general manager Chris Drury was overly desperate for some cap space and wanted to give some more ice time to young highly-touted wingers in Kaapo Kakko and 2020 first-overall pick Alexis Lafrenière.

The latter of the two made sense – but the return was still laughably bad.

But hopefully, the Rangers put that cap space to good use, right?

Well – not exactly.

The Rangers have Blais signed to a one-year $1.5 million contract and wound up trading and signing Barclay Goodrow to a six-year $21.85 million deal.

That has cost the Rangers roughly $5.1 million against the cap versus Buchnevich’s $5.8 million this year.

Buchenvich since the trade has recorded 112 points in 107 games, while Blais and Goodrow have combined for 61 points.

Blais and Goodrow have played 50 games and 122 games respectively for the Rangers.

So it’s been highway robbery for the Blues, which didn’t even have to surrender a first-round pick for a star player.

It has to be in the conversation for one of the most lopsided trades in the past decade.

One that comes to mind is when the Edmonton Oilers under the leadership of Peter Chiarelli traded star winger Taylor Hall straight up for Adam Larsson, who was a second-pairing defenseman at the time.

While both players are no longer with those teams, Hall went on to win the MVP award in 2018 with the Devils.

While the Blues completed highway robbery for Buchnevich, the Rangers did complete a fleecing of their own.

In 2016, the Rangers acquired Mika ZIbanejad in exchange for Derick Brassard, who was selected as a first-time All-Star in 2022.

Brassard has been mostly a bottom-six player and has 11 points in 32 games with the Ottawa Senators this year.

Zibanejad has been a staple for the Rangers its first line center, recording 45 points in 43 games this year.

But still, the Buchnevich trade is hard to fathom today for the Rangers.

Minnesota Wild forward Ryan Reaves isn’t feeling warm and fuzzy about his former team.

For the first time since being traded in November by the New York Rangers, the soon-to-be 36-year-old will face the Blueshirts tonight at 7 p.m. ET.

While Reaves was a popular player in the Rangers’ locker room, he wasn’t too happy about the lack of transparency the front office showed when he was scratched.

He claimed that the original six franchises shopped him before he insisted on being traded.

“I talked to my agent and he found out that there was a trade that was being worked on for a while already with Minnesota,” Reaves said.

“If you’re trying to trade me, you don’t want me, so then I’m going to push it forward and ask for a trade. But I’m not the one who put it in motion, we’ll put it that way.”

But Reaves didn’t stop there and said he would be “happy to go 2-on-1” with his former teammates.

He added, “That’s what it’s gonna take. You can write that wherever you want to write it.”

Throughout Reaves’ NHL career, he has made a living as a big 4th line player, who is recognized for working hard and dropping the mitts when he needs to.

He is also recognized for his off-ice personality.

While some argue the Rangers gave up too much to get him (a third-round draft pick), he helped build a new identity that helped the team get back in the playoffs following a rebuild.

But his time in New York was short-lived, as he was no longer needed with the team back as post-season contenders and other players have outperformed him.

Last year, Reaves played 69 games with the Rangers, registering 13 points and 43 penalty minutes.

This time, the Wild will hope the Winnipeg, Canadian native will help give the team some energy down the line as it looks poised to make the playoffs again.

The Wild currently sit in third place in the Central Division with 47 points.

But Reaves’ comments today could set the stage for interesting theatrics for the game.

The Rangers and Wild tonight can be watched on ESPN+ or locally on Bally Sports North and MSG Network.

The New York Rangers have agreed to terms with Jimmy Vesey on a contract extension and there isn’t much downside for the original six franchise here.

Ahead of training camp, the Rangers gave the 29-year-old a professional tryout (PTO) to see how he would fit in with the team.

Vesey wound up making a strong impression and earned himself a one-year $800,000 contract for this season.

After seeing him appear in dozens of games this year, the Rangers decided to enter negotiations to keep Vesey around a little longer.

Both sides agreed on a two-year extension that’s reportedly worth $1.6 million or $800,000 each year, which came to fruition quickly.

“It’s a really good feeling,” Vesey told reporters.

“It’s nice to have stability. The last few summers have been stressful for me; not having a contract and waiting around.”

In 39 games this season, Vesey has posted six goals and seven assists for 13 points total.

But above all, his underlying metrics have stood out.

While Vesey is mostly recognized as a bottom-six player, he has shown that he’s capable of driving play.

Vesey ranks third on the team in expected goals at 56.71%, according to Natural Stat Trick.

Many analytical charts point to Vesey being a defensive stalwart and a strong penalty killer including one from JFreshHockey.

And plus, Vesey is making the league minimum this year and slightly above that in each of the next two seasons.

So there is not much risk associated for the Rangers if he does not perform well.

If that happens, the team could bury him in the minors and it would not have much impact on the $82.5 million salary cap, which will likely continue to rise over the next two years.

But if Vesey continues to play the way he has, this will look like an absolute steal of a contract for the Rangers.

The former Hobey Baker winner in college hockey first started his career with the Rangers after opting for free agency and choosing not to sign with his draft team, the Nashville Predators.

He earned a two-year $4.55 million contract with the Rangers in 2018 – but was traded a year later.

But now he’s back with the organization and has been a different player.

The New York Rangers have traded away Ryan Reaves and some are wondering if that will set up a big future move at some point this season.

Overall, just getting a fifth-round draft pick for a player who was scratched in seven of the last eight games with the original six hockey club seems like a big win alone for general manager Chris Drury.

But most importantly, the move gives the Rangers much-needed cap relief.

It now has just more than $2 million to work with.

More interestingly that number is projected to jump to about $6.68 million by this season’s trade deadline, which takes place on March 3.

That deal puts the Rangers back in a legit conversation to make a run at star Chicago Blackhawks winger Patrick Kane.

The Rangers with two first-round picks for the upcoming draft.

However, there are still some challenges that would need to be overcome to make a deal work.

For one, Kane’s cap hit sits at $10.5 million – meaning the Rangers would need the Blackhawks to retain some salary or take a contract.

Usually, rebuilding teams like the Blackhawks are more than willing to do this if a team is willing to add a sweetener to the package.

That could include another draft pick or a player/prospect.

The other issue is Kane has a full no-move clause – meaning he doesn’t even have to accept a trade anywhere if he does not want to.

Also, it’s important to note Kane’s troubling history off the ice.

In 2009, Kane and his cousin pleaded guilty to disorderly conduct after being accused of beating up a cab driver.

Also, the 34-year-old was under investigation after being accused of rape in Buffalo, New York but was not charged.

Kane only has months left on his current deal with the Blackhawks and he could accept a trade to go play for a Stanley Cup contender.

As expected the Blackhawks are having an abysmal season, sitting last in the Central Division with just 16 points.

Expect the Blackhawks to approach not only Kane but its other franchise cornerstone Jonathan Toews about trades as we get closer to the deadline.

As always, the Rangers will be an attractive draw under the bright lights of Madison Square Garden.

But it’s still early in the season and as of right now the Rangers are sitting out of a playoff position.

If that continues, then it’s less likely that the team would risk it and make a big deal for Kane.

So far on the season, Kane has 16 points (3 goals 13 assists) in 20 games.

The New York Rangers have gotten solid value for one of their top prospects Nils Lundkvist – but it’s still unfortunate for what could have been.

The Rangers announced it acquired a conditional first-round pick in the 2023 draft and a conditional fourth-round selection in 2025 from the Dallas Stars in exchange for Lundkvist.

The 2023 pick will reportedly be top-10 protected, while the fourth in 2025 could become a third if the Swedish defenseman puts up 55 points over the next two seasons with the Stars.

Should the Stars land a top-10 pick next season, the Rangers will get the Stars’ 2024 first-round pick instead.

The move by the Rangers came after Larry Brooks of the New York Post reported that Lundkvist was unlikely to show up to camp because he wanted another opportunity elsewhere.

The 2018 first-round pick was a highly touted puck-moving defenseman that was hoped to play important minutes for the Rangers in the future.

In Sweden’s tier one league (the SHL), Lundkvist holds the record for most points by an under 21 defensemen with 74 points.

However, the 22-year-old requested a trade in January after the Rangers sent him down to the AHL.

He wound up losing his spot on the roster to 2020 first-round pick Braden Schneider.

For the Rangers, there should be some mixed feelings on the matter.

Fans and the organization will wonder just what his ceiling could have been if Schneider did not emerge or if the Rangers did not have other long-term obligations on the right side of its defense.

Likewise, he wasn’t going to be anywhere near as good as 2021 Norris trophy winner Adam Fox.

However, he may have had a spot on the team if the Rangers did not commit for four more years with newly named captain Jacob Trouba, who carries a full no-movement clause until 2023-2024 with an $8 million cap hit, according to CapFriendly.

That said, it was still a job well done by general manager Chris Drury to grab a first-round pick in what’s described as a deep draft class next year for a player who wanted out but has an unknown factor when it comes to the NHL.

That said, he’ll get a fresh start with the Stars, who could use Lundkvist’s talent on the right side on the back end.

In 25 games with the Rangers last season, Lundkvist recorded four points.

Next year, the Rangers are set to pick twice in the first round after not having a selection in the top 32 this past draft.

The New York Rangers finally have a new captain after years of leaving the role vacant.

Late last night ESPN hockey analyst Kevin Weeks reported that the Rangers would name defenseman Jacob Trouba captain at some point today.

The team wound up breaking the news officially this morning.

For some Rangers fans including myself, this came as a bit of shock.

I thought the unanimous choice would have been 52-goal scorer Chris Kreider, who is currently the longest-tenured Ranger on the team.

You add that to his obvious leadership skills just like when he destroyed an iPad after linemate Mika Zibanejad was watching his breakaway miss in the first round of last year’s playoffs.

Speaking of Zibanejad, he may have been a close second-choice in everyone else’s mind to have the C sewed on his sweater.

But it’s pretty obvious today after the announcement that the players and management are fully behind the Trouba pick for captaincy.

Even Kreider admitted in a statement: If you ask the guys in that locker room, 100% of them will tell you that he’s been our captain without actually wearing the “C” for the last couple of years.”

“He’s unequivocally himself as a person and how he leads. There’s no ego to him off the ice or on the ice.”

Some fans weighted in reactions and some got behind the move.

One said: “I would have preferred Kreider, but if the room wanted Trouba, I’m all for it. The puck is always going north. Let’s go! #nyr” 

“I am really not a fan of all the hate this is getting,” another said, criticizing the reactions of some fans.  

“We’ve heard for a long time now that he’s a big time leader in the team. They wouldn’t have named him captain if the players weren’t fully on board with it.”

But of course, there was a fair share of negative reactions. 

https://twitter.com/TylerRichard93/status/1556862031642386434

Eventually, the Rangers may have to address Trouba’s $8 million cap hit in the trade market, but it’s hard to say he isn’t deserving of the C – especially if his teammates all are behind it.

Trouba’s full no-move-clause turns into a modified no-trade-clause before the 2024-2025 season begins.

The Rangers have not had a team captain since trading defenseman Ryan McDonagh to the Tampa Bay Lightning in February 2018. 

The New York Rangers are the most valuable team in the NHL, and the first team to be worth $2 billion according to Forbes‘ annual rankings. The Rangers climbed 21% in this past year to take the top spot for the seventh consecutive year. The Toronto Maple Leafs at $1.8 billion and Montreal Canadiens at $1.6 billion round out the top three spots.

The Rangers aren’t the only team to see a large increase in value. The average team’s value actually grew around 32%. The dramatic increases can be attributed to a combination of a new seven-year media deal with ESPN and Turner Sports, new arenas and increased sponsorship revenue. Ticket sales are still down with the pandemic still being a factor, but there are some fans back in the stands which is better than an empty arena. The media deal is especially big. Before, the NHL brought in about $300 million a year. Now, the NHL is paid around $625 million per year.

“Revenue and operating income are for the 2020-21 season, include postseason and applicable non-NHL arena revenue, and are net of revenue sharing and arena debt service,” Forbes‘ description of the method they use to create this list said. “All figures are in U.S. dollars based on average exchange rate during 2020-21 season. Team values are enterprise values (equity plus net debt) of teams based on the current arena deal (unless a new arena is pending). Operating income is earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. Debt includes arena when recourse to team owner.”

There were no NHL teams that saw their value decrease. The Edmonton Oilers even saw their value double to $1.1 billion. Even the Seattle Kraken, who entered the league this season, are valued at $875 million, which is more than enough to cover the price, $650 million, they paid to join the NHL.

As for the Rangers, they’re are proving their place with their record standing at 17-4-3 so far this season.

Hockey Hall of Famer and New York Rangers legend Ron “Mr. Ranger” Gilbert has passed away. The team announced his passing on Sunday evening.

“I am deeply saddened by the passing of Rod Gilbert — one of the greatest Rangers to ever play for our organization and one of the greatest ambassadors the game of hockey has ever had,” Rangers owner James Dolan said in a statement. “While his on-ice achievements rightly made him a Hall of Famer, it was his love for the Rangers and the people of New York that endeared him to generations of fans and forever earned him the title, ‘Mr. Ranger.’ Our thoughts are with Rod’s wife, Judy, and the entire Gilbert family during this difficult time. They will always be a part of the Rangers family.”

Gilbert spent 18 seasons with the Rangers from 1960 to 1978. During his playing career, he tallied 406 goals and 615 assists as a winger for a total of 1,021 points in 1,065 games.

Gilbert played with the Rangers from 1960 to 1978. Across parts of 18 seasons, Gilbert tallied 406 goals and 615 assists as a winger, for a total of 1,021 points in 1,065 games. Gilbert added 34 goals and 33 assists in 79 playoff appearances, including two trips to the Stanley Cup Finals. In the playoffs, Gilbert had 34 goals and 33 assists in 70 playoff appearances. He led the team to the Stanley Cup Finals twice, but the team failed to win the cup.

Gilbert’s No. 7 jersey became the first number ever to be retired by the Rangers and was raised to the rafters in 1979. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1982. In his post-playing career, he dedicated himself to humanitarian efforts and partook in various charities including the Garden of Dreams Foundation and the Ronald McDonald House.

Hockey legend Mark Messier has signed a multi-year contract with ESPN to cover the network’s NHL analysis.

Messier will now provide a studio voice on hockey for ABC, ESPN, ESPN+ and Hulu.

Messier released a public statement on his newest deal, part of which reads:

“My passion for the game is as strong as it has ever been and I am looking forward to sharing that passion, plus my insights and analysis with the sport’s incredible fans. The NHL is beginning a new era with ESPN and The Walt Disney Company — with an exciting, evolving game and phenomenally talented players — and I am thrilled to be a part of the team.”

Messier is as qualified as anyone to analyze the NHL. He is a Hall of Fame inductee, played for 25 years, netted 694 goals, collected 1,887 total points and is a five-time Stanley Cup champion.

ESPN vice president Norby Williamson stated, “As a six-time Stanley Cup Champion, he will bring incredible insight, knowledge and analysis to ESPN and The Walt Disney Company that will both resonate with fans, and connect more and more of them to the game and to the league.”

ESPN analysis and coverage of the NHL will begin for the 2021-2022 season for the first time since 2004.

The New York Rangers rebuild is seemingly not going well. It was well known a mere three years ago that the team was committed to coach David Quinn for the next five seasons, as he would usher them through a rebuilding period. The former Boston University coach was a highly regarded up and comer and it seemed as if in just a few seasons the Rangers could be back in competition for the Stanley Cup Finals. After all, they were just seven years removed from a  finals appearance.

One of the players on that team was still playing for the Rangers, Chris Kreider. Kreider even had this to say about how the season was going: “I think the group really came together over the course of the year,” Kreider told reporters at his end-of-season news conference. “Youngest team in hockey, a lot of new faces, lot of new guys stepping into roles and positions they may not have been in the past. I think the entire year was a terrific learning experience.”

The front office disagreed, and decided to fire head coach Quinn and three of his assistant coaches last week. The assistant coaches fired were David Oliver, Jacques Martin and Greg Brown with only goalie coach Benoit Allaire unscathed. These moves come right after a series of front office moves, as last week the team fired general manager Jeff Gorton and team president John Davidson.

In the absence of a general manager, the team promoted from within, giving the role to Chris Drury. Drury will also lead the search for a new head coach. He gave a statement yesterday Wednesday about the firings. “I would like to thank David Quinn, David Oliver, Jacques Martin, and Greg Brown for all of their efforts and dedication to the Rangers,” Drury said in his statement. “I wish each of them the best in their future endeavors. We will begin our search for a new head coach immediately.”

The Rangers are expected to turn to veterans for their solution, and their options are seemingly Gerard Gallant, Rick Tocchet, Patrick Roy or their former coach, John Tortorella. If New York decides to keep it in the family, AHL coach Kris Knoblauch is considered a strong candidate.

The NHL announced that it will only fine Washington Capitals right wing Tom Wilson for a recent hit.

The incident occurred on Monday night when the Capitals were facing off with the New York Rangers. The two teams got into a scuffle in the second period. Wilson repeatedly punched Pavel Buchnevich in the head once Buchnevich was down on the ice after the play was stopped. Rangers left wing Artemi Panarin came to pull Wilson off from Buchnevich, but Wilson then proceeded to attack Panarin. Wilson attacked Panarin and pulled his hair before slamming his head down onto the ice. Wilson then punched him before slamming Panarin back onto the ice when the left winger attempted to get up.

Many fans, players and teams were upset at the league’s punishment for the right-winger. “Washington’s Tom Wilson has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for Roughing NY Rangers’ Pavel Buchnevich,” the NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced.

Former NHL player John Scott released his own response to the league’s decision. “Shame on you, NHL, you should have [done] something to protect Panarin, and shame on Wilson, you ought to know better,” Scott said. “It was a joke of a fine. Listen, I love this kind of hockey, I think we all do, but what Tom did, there’s no excuse for that. It’s insane to me that he only got a $5,000 fine.”

The former player went on to describe it as a bad precedent that the league is setting by only fining Wilson. “What this means: It’s fair game, baby, in any scrum,” Scott said. “If you go into a scrum anywhere on the ice and you see a star player, I’m throwing sucker punches, I’m grabbing this guy, I’m twisting ankles, I’m doing whatever I can because the worst thing that’s going to happen to me is a $5,000 [fine] because I don’t see anyone doing more than what Tom Wilson did to Panarin.”

The Rangers released their official team statement in response to Wilson’s fine. “The New York Rangers are extremely disappointed that Capitals forward Tom Wilson was not suspended for his horrifying act of violence,” the team’s statement read. “Wilson is a repeat offender, and we find it shocking that the NHL and their department of player safety failed to take appropriate action and suspend him indefinitely. Wilson’s dangerous and reckless actions caused an injury to Artemi Panarin that will prevent him from playing again this season. We view this as a dereliction of duty by NHL Head of Player Safety, George Parros, and believe he is unfit to continue his current role.”

Following the hit, Panarin did not return to the game. The team then announced that Panarin will not play for the remainder of the season because of a “lower-body” injury.

Since February 23, arenas in New York have reopened sporting events to fans at over 10% capacity for venues with over 10,000 seats. Two of the stadiums that have hosted fans since are Madison Square Garden and Barclays Center. 

With the resumption of fan attendance comes coronavirus concerns. Keeping this in mind, all staff and fans must have a negative PCR test within 72 hours of the event and must wear face coverings. 

As a result, Madison Square Garden and Barclays Center will be used as testing grounds for a new digital pass that could confirm owner COVID status. This pass will verify an individual’s vaccination status or recent negative coronavirus test status. 

What became known as the Excelsior Pass was first tested on February 27 at Barclays Center for a Nets game. It was tested for the second time during a Rangers game on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden. 

Like a mobile boarding pass, the Excelsior Pass can be printed out or stored on a smartphone. Each pass had a secure QR code that the venue can scan to confirm the owner’s COVID status. 

The pass only informs the venue if a pass is valid or not. There are currently plans for the Excelsior Pass to be available to the Apple and Google app stores. 

“We’re doing everything we can to vaccinate as many New Yorkers as possible, as quickly as possible, while keeping the infection rate down and reenergizing our economy in a safe, smart way,” said Gov. Cuomo (D). “As we begin reopening the valves on different sectors of our economy, we are putting guidelines in place to ensure individuals attending events involving larger gatherings have tested negative for COVID or have been vaccinated to avoid an outbreak of the virus. “

“The Excelsior Pass will play a critical role in getting information to venues and sites in a secure and streamlined way, allowing us to fast-track the reopening of these businesses and getting us one step closer to reaching a new normal,” added Cuomo.

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The most famous arena in the world is preparing to open its doors to the public again. Madison Square Garden will allow fans to return to their seats.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) announced that large stadiums and arenas could reopen on February 23. In order to be allowed entrance, attendees must provide proof of a negative PCR COVID-19 test within 72 hours before the event. This announcement comes after a successful pilot program at the Buffalo Bills’ playoff game against the Tennessee Titans. 6,700 fans – who showed negative tests and agreed to contact tracing – attended Buffalo’s wild card game in January.

The New York Knicks will host the Golden State Warriors when the Garden officially reopens on February 23. The Knicks have been one of the most surprising teams in the NBA this year. Showcasing a new young core and a new head coach in Tom Thibodeau, the Knicks currently hold the No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference with a 14-16 record. They have won three of their past four contests and are trending in the right direction. The Knicks have transitioned into one of the league’s best defenses under coach Thibodeau.

Additionally, Julius Randle has emerged as a true All-Star caliber player. Although he had shown signs of strong offensive play, he has never proven that he was an all-around great player until this season. Randle is averaging career highs in minutes, points, 3-point field goal percentage, rebounds and assists. He is the primary reason that the Knicks are in the playoff picture, but he isn’t the only reason. RJ Barrett has also taken the next step in elevating his level of play. The second-year playmaker is producing 16.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game. Rookie guard Immanuel Quickley has progressed nicely and is exceeding expectations in his first season for the Knickerbockers. The 21-year-old is averaging 12.4 points in 19.4 minutes per game off the bench. New York has six players averaging double-digit points. This exciting team has beaten playoff teams from the West and has brought excitement and electricity back into the building.

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Three days following the Knicks game, fans will be allowed to watch the New York Rangers host the Boston Bruins. Similar to the Knicks, the Rangers are going through a rebuild with a solid young core. The Rangers are led by Mike Zibanejad, Artemi Panarin and rising goaltender Igor Shestyorkin. New York squeaked into the playoffs last season, but they are struggling to get on the same page this year. New York is in second-to-last place in their division with a 4-7-3 record. They are currently on a four-game losing streak. That said, there are reasons to be optimistic. Alexis Lafrenière was the first pick of the 2020 NHL Draft and is still getting used to playing in the NHL. Lafrenière has been described as a generational talent and fans will need to exercise some patience when watching his development. The Rangers also have 2019’s No. 2 pick in Kaapo Kakko. Both young players are expected to be stars so the future may be brighter than what it seems like at the moment. 

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It should be noted that because the state is only allowing arenas to fill at 10% capacity, only 2,000 fans will be allowed at Knicks and Rangers games. So, if you would like to attend a game, it won’t be as easy as it used to be to purchase a ticket. Fans will want to check ticket availability immediately if they would like to attend a game this season.

On Sunday, the New York Rangers placed defenseman Tony DeAngelo on waivers. The decision to place the 25-year-old on waivers stems from an altercation following the team’s loss on Saturday.

New York faced off against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday. The Rangers were able to stall and match the Penguins in the game. The game was even as the score was tied at four and went into overtime. During overtime, it was Penguins’ star Sidney Crosby that scored the game-winning goal as it slipped past Rangers’ goaltender Alexandar Georgiev.

The altercation occurred immediately after the loss. As the teams were heading into their respective tunnels, DeAngelo started the altercation by saying remarks towards the goalie following the loss. It is believed that the two had a miscommunication on the ice, prior to Crosby’s game-winning goal. The defenseman made a remark to the goalie that caused the altercation to become physical between the two players. Luckily, the two were broken up by teammate K’Andre Miller.

The Rangers responded to this incident by placing the 25-year-old defenseman on waivers the following day. The decision to waive the young player goes beyond Saturday’s incident. The 25-year-old has had prior issues regarding his behavior on and off the ice and recent poor performances did not help his cause. It goes without saying that this latest incident was the breaking point for the Rangers.

While playing for the Arizona Coyotes in 2017, the defenseman was suspended for abuse of an official. Furthermore, he was suspended twice in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) for violating the league’s harassment, abuse and diversity policy. New York already disciplined him in the past for social media behavior that drew criticism.

DeAngelo’s waivers clause expire on Monday. If no team claims him, he would remain with New York. If that were the case, then it is likely the team would demote him to their affiliated development team, the Hartford Wolf Pack of the AHL.

While being introduced for the first time in front of fans in April, New York Rangers rookie K’Andre Miller heard some racist comments. Miller commented on his reception on Monday via Twitter.

In his tweet, Miller said that he has struggled all his life with being accepted. “I struggle because I’ve never been fully accepted by either the black community or the white community,” Miller said. “I struggle because for years I have been one of the only people of color on my hockey teams. I have been targeted because of my race when I was in youth hockey by some coaches, parents and players, but I refused to give up because of my love for the game.”

The 20-year-old Miller, during a video introduction with fans, saw various comments featuring the n-word directed toward him. Miller waited to comment on this incident because of the coronavirus pandemic, but in the wake of the death of George Floyd, Miller saw an opportunity, expressing his support for the Black Lives Matter movement.

Miller concluded his Twitter post talking about being drafted by the Rangers and how now is the time to see black people for who they are and not for the color of their skin. “You can only imagine how it felt to have an organization like the New York Rangers draft me, the hockey player,” he said. “For that one moment in time I didn’t have to be defined by the color of my skin but rather on my hockey skills, athletic ability and character. This is how it should be all the time. It’s time for action, time for change and once and for all, it’s time to let black people be judged based on who we are not what we look like.”

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