Henrik Lundqvist (Neil Miller)
Let’s understand this about the Rangers’ young core: Not one of them has even been nominated for a league trophy, not one of them has ever come close to making the postseason All-Star team.
Some have greater upside than others; Ryan Callahan yes, Marc Staal probably and Brandon Dubinsky perhaps. But Callahan and Dubinsky will both be on their third contracts once next season commences, which is to suggest that really, the young core isn’t so young in a league where Chicago’s Jonathan Toews won the Conn Smythe as a 22-year-old last year.
Which is to suggest it is un realistic to expect this team — that improved from missing the playoffs by two points last sea son and finishing 21st overall to mak ing the playoffs by two points this sea son and finishing 18th overall — to take a quantum leap forward next season without adding tal ented impact play ers.
The question is whether this is the time and whether the front office has the inclination to attempt to accelerate the pro cess, whether the dra matically increased price- points in a reno vated Garden will increase the pressure on general manager Glen Sather to add some glamour and marquee talent to the Black-and-Blueshirt infantry.
The question is, how long of a process is acceptable for a franchise that has won two playoff rounds over the last 13 seasons, and again, when the kids are quite all right but not one of them is Alex Ovechkin, Steven Stamkos, Drew Doughty or Patrick Kane?
“You can’t put a timetable on it; you need to stay with it,” coach John Tortorella said yesterday at the club’s breakup day. “You can’t get impatient with it because it does take time.
“Let’s not upset the building process and get rid of all our kids for a ‘maybe.’ There’s timing in this.”
The time, though, is coming when the Rangers will have to consider packaging three young assets for one young, All-Star caliber player either in need of a change or who might have a contract issue. Three from Column B for one from Column A. That’s not a maybe.
The time is also coming when Henrik Lundqvist will be 30.
That time is next March 2.
“This is the first year I realized I’m getting older and that there are not that many opportunities,” said The King. “We have a good group here, yes, but we need to improve.
“To be a great team, when you have an opportunity, you need to grab it. And when you’re older you really need to grab it because you don’t know when there’s another opportunity.”
Brad Richards, Brad Richards, Brad Richards. There’s one elite impending free agent, and the Dallas center with the Cup-winning history with Tortorella is it. There’s one gaping hole on the team, and first-line pivot is it. The Rangers need a center for Marian Gaborik, presuming the winger isn’t dealt following his dismal 22-goal season in which he lost both his shot and his way and Richards is it.
But the risk/reward on a pricey long-term contract must be carefully measured, especially with the 31-year-old Richards coming off a concussion, and with the cap going down after next season, perhaps significantly, if the league has its way.
But it would be a mistake of the highest order to sign Richards solely — or predominantly — to act as a catalyst for Gaborik.
But it would be a bigger mistake for the Rangers to fall too much in love with all their kids.