As much as the Rangers can’t seem to let go of it, are haunted by it, and are still immersed in the pain of it, yesterday’s gone.
But management personnel — who are hurting, too, in the wake of the final round, five-game defeat to the Kings that ended in excruciating double-overtime fashion on Friday — must immediately put it behind them and begin to focus on tomorrow.
Decisions loom, and quickly, with the free agent meet-and-greet interview period commencing June 25 in advance of the July 1 official market opening and the Entry Draft — in which the Blueshirts do not own a first-rounder — set for June 27 and 28.
Tomorrow is just about here.
And tomorrow must become today for younger players in the organization who will be counted upon to fill the holes and the roles left by departing veterans who will become casualties — or beneficiaries, take your pick — of the coming cap squeeze in New York.
There isn’t a whole lot more Ryan McDonagh, an emerging nation who turned 25 on Friday, can be expected to do on the ice next season other than take the natural next step. But, as the apparent next captain, the prospective Norris contender will have far greater responsibility in the room and as leader in the wake of what will be Brad Richards’ departure via an amnesty buyout.
Coach Alain Vigneault said the decision had not been made on Richards, but that essentially is a matter of semantics.
The Rangers really have no choice. And it is more than the looming cap-recapture a few years down the road that will drive the call to end ties with the center one-third of the way into the nine-year contract he signed two summers ago.
The fact is, the Blueshirts do not have the space with which to accommodate a $6.67 million cap charge for a third-line center and ice a representative team, regardless of No. 19’s intangibles that actually were pretty darn tangible down the stretch and throughout the 26-game playoff run.
The Rangers won three rounds and 13 playoff games without a captain, the position vacant in the wake of the trade in which Ryan Callahan went to the Lightning at the deadline. But Richards — who did not speak to the media on Monday — might as well have been the captain from the moment Callahan departed. And even though Marty St. Louis will be here to share his sage wisdom, there will be a void without Richards.
Vigneault said the club won’t appoint a captain until at least training camp commences. The coach signaled his intention to “seek feedback from a couple of players” while stating he expects “close to a consensus.”
The overwhelming sense is McDonagh will get the “C.” The fourth-year pro on Monday seemed comfortable with the prospect.
“Absolutely,” said the defenseman, who received Rick Nash’s public endorsement for the captaincy late in the regular season. “This year, with the way my play was escalating, I felt more confident as the year was going on.
“When you’ve been given a lot more responsibility and was able to kind of step up and help our team win a lot of games, I think that helps guys believe and rally around you when you say something in the room,” No. 27 said. “Guys follow in behind and want to do better.
“But the thing with this team is we have a bunch of leaders and you could appoint a number of guys — guys who have been here since I’ve been here — that could all be a part of this group.
“It would be a great responsibility for sure.”
Absent Richards, there will be more responsibility on Derick Brassard in the middle. Chris Kreider, who came a long way in his official rookie season, will need to become more consistent. If, as seems likely, Brian Boyle leaves, the Rangers could use a youngster to fill his minutes. If Anton Stralman goes, the Blueshirts are going to need a young defenseman to step up.
“You have to,” Vigneault said when asked about the prospect of adding younger players to next year’s mix. “Look at L.A., with those two kids [Tanner Pearson and Tyler Toffoli] and [Jeff] Carter were probably their most effective line.
“Hopefully we’re going to have a couple of guys pushing on the door, knocking to get into our dressing room.”
One of them has to be J.T. Miller, the 21-year-old center who just could not earn a standing role in New York this season. The Rangers need him, with his combination of speed and size, to stake a claim to the third-line center role next season.
Miller did not show up in New York last September until the day training camp commenced. Most players returned to skate together at least two weeks before camp opened. His absence did not go unnoticed by his teammates. Next year, it is critical Miller be noticed for other reasons.