The New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks seem to be taking different approaches in moving on from this season, but some observers are concerned over how they're going about it.
Perched in the basement of their respective conferences, the New York Rangers and Vancouver Canucks are bottom-feeding clubs that seem to be trying to determine which course of action to take.
Rangers GM Chris Drury has been retooling his roster since last season, aiming for a quick transition toward regaining the Stanley Cup contender status they enjoyed just two years ago.
Drury made moves that brought established players like J.T. Miller to his roster, along with prospects and draft picks. A leader such as Miller would help them bounce back more quickly into contenders, while the younger assets would ensure their window would remain open for more than a couple of seasons.
Meanwhile, Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford appears to be tearing things down for a lengthy rebuild.
Core players such as Quinn Hughes, Tyler Myers and Conor Garland were jettisoned for promising youth and draft picks.
However, some observers are raising concerns about the direction of these franchises and how they intend to achieve their goals.
Peter Baugh of The Athletic evaluated Drury's recent trade history, noting the younger players he shipped out, such as Kaapo Kakko and K'Andre Miller, improved with their new teams. He also cited the club's poor player development in recent years and suggested that examining what went wrong and how to fix it must be a priority.
Baugh also wondered if Drury might be moving more toward a rebuild. If he is, bringing in the 33-year-old Miller was ill-advised, especially since they gave up a first-round pick in the return.
If Drury intends to keep retooling, Baugh believes finding suitable talent this off-season will be difficult.
While the Rangers have over $26.9 million in projected cap space for next season, it won't matter when this summer's free-agent market is weak, and they lack the capital to outbid other teams in the trade market.
At least Drury, his staff, and coach Mike Sullivan don't appear in any danger of losing their jobs.
In Vancouver, everyone seems to be guessing at what might come next.
Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos claimed it's unclear what off-season changes are in store, claiming that GM Patrik Allvin could be fired by the end of the season.
Thomas Drance of The Athletic stated that it's uncertain how far they intend to go, especially in the front office and with the coaching staff.
Drance speculated they could maintain the status quo of Rutherford, Allvin, and coach Adam Foote. They could also replace Foote and/or Allvin and bring up replacements from their AHL affiliate in Abbotsford, or simply clean house.
What's certain is that nothing more can be done to the Canucks roster until there is clarity about their management and coaching beyond this season.
For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.