Should the Rangers rebuild or retool? It’s complicated

The New York Rangers claiming to be in a retoolbut many believe they are or should be rebuilding. The big difference is that a reorganization ensures that the fight gets going again quickly, while a reconstruction is worked out methodically to achieve the best possible long-term outcome, no matter how long it takes. The question isn’t as simple as should the Rangers rebuild or retool. It’s about their approach and when they want to get back into the fight. Personally, I’ve been in the rebuilding camp for a long time, but lately I’ve been hesitating toward the redesign.

Rebuilding: This team is terrible: Let’s face it: the Rangers aren’t one or two steps away. With that, there’s no point in trying to solve the team’s problems all at once, because that would be a lot of hard work with few resources. Sure, the Rangers will acquire assets from the trades they make this season, but flipping those assets could put the organization in the exact same spot they’re already in. That’s a good idea, right?

Retool: Igor Shesterkin and Adam Fox exist: Two of the best players in the world at their respective positions play for the New York Rangers. Yes, the Rangers are far from contentious. And yes, the Rangers filled two of the biggest checklist items as true contenders. This complicates the equation because unless the Rangers trade one or both, the Rangers not only have elite players, but also elite players that other players will likely want to play with.

Reconstruction: Free freedom of choice is becoming less and less common: The Rangers would conduct their previous rebuild after The Letter 1.0 much more methodically. Then Artemi Panarin wanted to become a Ranger. This time around, there is no clear player who is A. available soon and B. destined to become a Ranger. Maybe Alex Tuch wants to play at Madison Square Garden? That’s a disaster waiting to happen. Without a clear life raft, the Rangers would have to play the long game.

Retool: We don’t know everything: This is the one that keeps getting me. We can say what we want, but the world changes in one fell swoop. Today Connor McDavid could love Edmonton, tomorrow he could wake up and decide he only wants to play for the Rangers. Today, basic logic says that Quinn Hughes would never become a Ranger. Tomorrow he might decide that he hates his brother and wants to be a Ranger to defeat him.

These aren’t likely scenarios, but I’m trying to show that we really have no idea what will happen. Is Brady Tkachuk asking for a trade? Is that enough to change your plans? What if Auston Matthews keeps losing in Toronto? All this must be taken into account when planning the path.

So should the Rangers rebuild or retool?

This is a cop-out and I’m sorry for it, but the right path is to plan a methodical rebuild and then adapt on the fly. To me, this means that coming to terms with this could take a long time, while still being prepared if a McDavid, Tkachuk, or Matthews type decides he wants to play for the Rangers. The key will be to never give up on developing young players along the way. The Rangers cannot afford to sacrifice construction in the name of redevelopment.