Team: 2020-21 New York Rangers

Initial Creation Date: Sep. 18, 2020

Published: Sep. 18, 2020

Salary Cap Mode: Basic

Goalies- Keep Georgiev. 1A/1B systems are ideal. Less wear over the course of a season. Goalie market is flooded this year, the assets that would be gained from trading Georgiev this season would most likely not be worth the loss of a 24 yr old G who has that level of talent.

Defense- In an ideal world the Rangers would have a more servicable 6-7 (As opposed to Smith/Staal) but I do not believe the Rangers will be able to move either one of them this offseason. Smith is more likely to be dealt because his 4.25 cap hit only consists of about ~2M in salary which could be attractive to a team who wants to spend as little as possible (Ottawa), however he is a much more capable player at this stage of his career than Staal. Both of them come off the books next season where that money can be put to better use.
Adding Vince Dunn would be huge for the Rangers. Again my price may be off for what his value is, but I'd imagine it is with-in that sort of range.
For the holes in DeAngelo's game, his style of play fits the Rangers style like a glove. High tempo- skill- one of the best stretch passers in the league. I would not mind signing him long-term, I really like his game and moving forward I think if they can acquire a LD who can play a shutdown role and as time goes along and they become a better defensive team, I think the deal will work.
Rangers also have K'Andre Miller in the system who has a real shot of getting looks throughout the season. If Smith/Staal are really struggling and Miller is showing he is NHL ready, they'd be foolish not to give him consistent minutes.

Forwards- ROLL 4 LINES!! Last year the Rangers bottom 6 was one of the downfalls of the team. Their top 6 was very good, and could compete with basically any team on any given night. Acquiring a few quality bottom 6 forwards who are above replacement level will add a few points in the standings for this team. Adding Laf on the LW is a big move and there is reason to believe he will be an above replacement forward given his skill set. Extremely small sample size, but I liked Kakko against Carolina. Me being a fan of him certainly clouds my judgement, but I believe he will be an above replacement level player this year.
I believe the Rangers will sign Strome for 2 years. He is a fine top 9 center who provides offense. I personally would rather sign him for 2 years (same amount Zib has left) than leave a hole at 2-3C and acquire a mediocre asset like a mid 2nd round pick.
Appleton and Stephenson are two KIND players I would like to see the Rangers acquire. Not saying these are the only two guys I'd like to see them get but I feel the Rangers really lacked forward depth last year and these are two undervalued players in today's game.

Overall I believe the 2020-2021 season is all about development for the younger players. I'd say the team has a 50/50 shot of making the playoffs, but they will be entertaining to watch. The 2021-22 season has a lot more potential for a better team with a lot of deadweight coming off the books, a year of development for prospects + Shattenkirk's buyout will drop down to about 1M. The prospect pool looks promising with players like Kravtsov, Lundkvist, and Miller headlining the group.
Acquiring Dunn+Laf, and resigning TDA this offseason will really help the team long-term, and the resigning of Strome + forward depth acquisitions should help the team remain competitive for the short team.

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