Rangers fans can't be faulted for being puzzled.
Just two years ago the club – with basically the same core as today – finished first out of 32 teams and captured the Presidents' Trophy.
Today, they can't win at home; they can't score goals; their power play is oh-for-21 and, as Sean Avery notes, "They have no energy at all for long stretches."
Why has this happened? How has it happened? There are folks out there who have studied the Rangers plummet from grace very intently. One of them is Rich Isaak, who grew up at the Old Garden watching from the side balcony.
Isaak, a New Hampshire-based retired engineer with an. Argus eye on the Blueshirts, offers this view of the hockey club; with the firings of Jeff Gorton and John Davidson."What's happened to the Rangers was inevitable
"The team now has a roster with a handful of aging, 'B' level players and not nearly enough young talent to replace the players jettisoned in an attempt to remain salary cap compliant.
"If possible – despite his latest contract extension – Chris Drury needs to be replaced with a forward-thinking GM. Then, that GM would have to rid the team of its underperforming players and also draft well.
Same Old, Same Old Rangers Story
Santa Claus presented the <a href="https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-york-rangers">Rangers</a> with an advance Christmas present – the hapless Canucks. The Blueshirts rejected the gift.
"As for the high command's selections of Alexis Lafrenière and Kappo Kakko, they were the consensus #1 & #2 picks in their draft years. Filip Chytil was a good selection, but nobody knew that he would be prone to concussions.
"The older players who are left on the roster have to play their best in order for the team to win enough games to sneak into the playoffs."
THE MAVEN'S CONCLUSION: Despite the Rangers current malaise, there's plenty of time for front-office maneuvers to create a playoff-worthy team this season.