Terrence Lee-Imagn ImagesI hope you enjoy today's "exhibition" game at The Garden; and I mean no harm to the visiting Jets nor beloved Blueshirts.
The Maven dubs it "exhibition" because it looms as a match of infinite futility. Or, if you will, two of the most disappointing teams in the league are going helmet-to-helmet.
At the start of the 2025-26 NHL marathon, The Hockey News' Yearbook picked Winnipeg to finish third in the tough Central Division and the Beloved Blueshirts fourth in the Metro.
"The Jets entered the season with a level of optimism," wrote THN's Jared Clinton.
And why not with Olympic Gold-winner Connor Hellebuyck in goal and old reliables Kyle Connor and Mark Scheifele up front. Not to mention the return of future Hall of Famer Jonathan Toews.
"The names look good in print but the total ice product was an awful disappointment," says The Old Scout. "Same with the Rangers."
You all know enough about the blunderers of Seventh Avenue.
What you'll see today in the New York uniform are at least a half-dozen players who are trade bait in one form or another.
How do you feel about Mr. Losing-GM Chris Drury unloading Alexis Lafrenière? He's the most attractive item because of age (24) late scoring rush in the past month and his being a top first draft pick.
After that, a couple of "maybes" in Will Cuylle and Will Borgen. The final score today – as in any "exhibition" – will be irrelevant.