The New York Rangers should consider all options to improve the current roster, whether that is making trades, promoting from within, or a combination of those approaches.
The New York Rangers are at a pivotal moment in this group's tenure. Will the team push all the chips in and bet everything to win a championship, or will the window be propped to ensure future success?
It is likely somewhere in between those poles.
The Rangers are in a position to add and promote from within to take a step closer to Stanley Cup contention.
The team has been 14-12-2 since Dec. 1 and needs fresh troops to fill in certain roster holes; namely a first-line complimentary winger, third-line center, and muscle in the bottom six and back end.
The Hartford Wolf Pack is providing suitable replacement players more than ever, and the front office has approximately $5.2 million to work with before the deadline to address what the lineup needs.
The club can promote from within, add reinforcements, or concoct a mixture of both methods.
They are not options but avenues that can be taken to bolster the roster. Neither are sure answers or outweigh the other. The modern Stanley Cup champion does both to win 16 games in the spring.
Promotion From Within:
The Rangers have received support from Wolf Pack players all season. In the longer term, Will Cuylle and Jonny Brodzinski have woven themselves into the fabric of the team.
Players such as Connor Mackey, Brennan Othmann, Louis Domingue, Adam Edstrom, and Zac Jones have also stepped up when called upon, doing more than just minute munching at the NHL level.
Not all of those players would be suitable to recall for a playoff run. A few showed flashes that a worth an extended look.
Mackey sparked the Rangers to a comeback victory in Ottawa on Jan. 27 by laying a heavy check on Tim Stutzle and fighting Brady Tkachuk. He also skated 16:27 of ice time with Jacob Trouba and Ryan Lindgren out of the lineup.
The Rangers need some defensive depth and potentially more muscle on the back end. It is worth giving Mackey a look for the next 13 contests pre-trade deadline to see how he could contribute.
Brodzinski has been with the Rangers for 30 of the team's 49 games this season. The Wolf Pack captain has recorded 11 points over that span.
With a month and change ahead before the deadline, it's worth seeing what Brodzinski can do at 3C when the stakes are higher. He may be a more motivated player knowing there is an opportunity to play beyond the regular season.
It also does not disservice the team by providing an extended look to a player who has helped the team survive for an extended period without Filip Chytil and Kaapo Kakko.
Adam Edstrom is currently injured but is another depth muscle piece the Rangers could consider.
Edstrom made his NHL debut against the Philadelphia Flyers on Dec.15, skating a solid 9:39 for the team and scoring his first NHL goal.
He is the third tallest player in Blueshirt's history at 6'7, is a green 23-years old, and played a solid all-around game for New York. It's worth giving him a shot down the stretch to see what he could bring to the table before the deadline.
There is nothing to lose if the Rangers provide a trial run for players within the organization that earned a look.
The operation does not have to be all eggs in one basket, but it could prevent the team from maneuvering cap road bumps.
Reinforcements:
Rangers general manager Chris Drury is a master at player acquisition. There is not a stone he leaves unturned when it comes to making the Rangers the best team it can be.
Drury has approximately $5.2 million in cap space to work with at the deadline and will likely have to pull off some money juggling to fill in all of the Rangers' needs.
Tyler Johnson, Vladamir Tarasenko, and Adam Henrique all carry salaries of about $5 million. Those are two viable third-line centers and a familiar top-line right winger that could help the team.
Teams will need to retain a cap or have a third party pick up percentages to acquire both necessities. That does not include depth additions like two-time Ranger Tyler Motte.
The front office has proven that they can and will do it all. Whether it was a spread approach of adding Andrew Copp, Frank Vatrano, and Justin Braun, or two superstars in Tarasenko and Patrick Kane to build an on-paper super team, it has been done.
It comes down to what the team can financially do, and teams that are looking for futures will likely fall victim to the Rangers.
Anthony Duclair is on a San Jose Sharks team this is 14-32-4. Tarasenko skates for a once-hopeful Ottawa Senators team that has a 5% chance of making the postseason. Henrique is performing for a Ducks team that is 7th in the Pacific Division.
All of these players are rental UFAs, the key would be not giving up future assets for one playoff run. Especially for a team that is 14-12-2 since Dec. 1. It shouldn't be too difficult for the Rangers to get these clubs to retain salary while retaining their first-round draft picks.
The rumors of Kaapo Kakko being traded may mean there is a bigger fish on the market available.
New York may be looking to add a bonafide player more to the tune of the Kane or Tarasenko acquisitions if they are willing to swap the 2019 second-overall draft pick to bolster the roster.
The team needs an instantly effective right winger, if they swing big enough outside of the speculated market, it could signal an all-in approach for the club.
That can go two ways; the same as it had for the Rangers with Vatrano and Copp in 2022, or like Pierre Luc-Dubois in Los Angeles.
There is not one clear approach. Context and variables will play into what the club opts to do.
The team can contend for the Stanley Cup with promotions within the club and through calculated trades.