New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin makes a save against the New Jersey Devils in the second period of Game 3 of the team’s NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series Saturday, April 22, 2023, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)
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The first wave of free agency has concluded for the New York Rangers and the team has been as busy as any other over the last few weeks.
Whether it’s bringing in a new core of free agents, resigning key young players, or the NHL Draft as a whole, life has been quite busy for general manager Chris Drury as he tries to end a near 30-year championship drought in New York. The Blueshirts began this offseason without a coach, plenty of roster holes, and minimal cap space to do much about it.
Despite that, New York continues to be in on key free agents across the NHL.
So while we reach the quiet period of the league’s offseason, let’s grade out the moves Drury and the Rangers have made over the last two months.
Head Coach Hiring
Hired Peter Laviolette as head coach: B+
A lot of people were not pleased with the team bringing in Laviolette after the disaster of an ending that was his time in Washington. That being said, there weren’t a lot of top head coaches available that have the experience or success Laviolette has had over the years. In his introductory press conference, Laviolette was a shining beacon of positivity that was a big change from recent coaches. While this grade won’t be fair until games are played, this was a move that looks better by the day throughout the offseason.
NHL Draft
Drafted Gabe Perreault in 1st Round of NHL Draft: A
It’s interesting how the Rangers were able to bolster their prospect pool following the 2023 NHL Draft. Perreault was considered to be a top player in the draft that the team would have no chance of getting and yet he fell to them with the 23rd overall pick. He’s now arguably the top prospect the Blueshirts have in their pool. All in all, New York…
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