Last night, the New York Rangers made their second trade with the Golden Knights this off-season sending Vegas a third round draft pick in exchange for Ryan Reaves. This comes just one day after the Rangers signed free agents Patrik Nemeth, Jared Tinordi, Greg McKegg, and Dryden Hunt. There's a theme that plays into all these signings as well as the most recent trade for Reaves and despite popular belief, it's not all about Tom Wilson.
The Rangers plans for next season were to add some experience to their young roster, get grittier and tougher to play against. Something that is very important to keep in mind here is there's a difference between getting tougher and getting tougher to play against. It's easy to buy into the narrative that the Rangers went out and got Reaves and Tinordi because they're guys who can take Tom Wilson on in a fight but that isn't necessarily the case. The Rangers aren't adding "tough guys" for the sake of revenge nor are they doing it to lead the league in penalty minutes. They're making the moves they're making to be a tougher team to play against which was ultimately our biggest weakness from last season.
The Rangers lacking toughness was made obvious with the Tom Wilson fiasco but the fact of the matter is, that was just the breaking point. The Rangers could not compete with the Islanders at all this season because they were a tough to play against team. The Rangers struggled to compete with the Penguins all season because they were a team that was tough to play against. The Rangers were the youngest team in the league. In time, Kaapo Kakko, Vitaly Kravtsov and Morgan Barron will be tougher guys to play against but if the team wants to compete now, they're going to need guys like Ryan Reaves, Barclay Goodrow and Sammy Blais. Sure, these guys are "tough guys" but more importantly, they're tougher to play against, have experience and add an extra layer to this line up.
Another thing to keep in mind about the Rangers acquiring Ryan Reaves is this isn't the first time they tried to do that. The Rangers had interest in Reaves in the past so yes, while it may seem like this was a move to make in response to what happened with Tom Wilson this season, this is also a guy the organization has targeted in the past. Not to mention, Ryan Reaves has a connection with the teams new head coach in Gerard Gallant who coached him during his time with Vegas. Arguably most importantly, the Rangers now have options in their bottom six, depth that is extremely important if you're looking to be a playoff team.
As of right now, this how it looks like we will line up:
Kreider - Zibanejad - Lafreniere
Panarin - Strome - Kakko
Goodrow - Chytil - Kravtsov
Blais - Rooney - Reaves
With Barron, Hunt, McKegg, Gauthier all in the mix for options in the bottom six. Sammy Blais can play pretty much anywhere in the line up and I wouldn't be surprised if he slots in on the third line right wing spot to give Kravtsov some more ice time in Hartford. That's not to imply Kravtsov isn't NHL ready as much as it goes to show the kinds of options the Rangers are working with. Dryden Hunt is a very interesting option for this team as well, he's a smaller bodied guy but still plays a physical game and can add some secondary scoring. We know what Greg McKegg can bring as this will now be his second tour on Broadway, Barron and Gauthier can continue to develop either in Hartford or in occasional games with the Rangers and Reaves doesn't have to play every night, but he's a key role player that can give us presence in big games.
With the off season still young and the Rangers still having plenty of cap space left there is still the possibility for that blockbuster trade we've all been waiting for. Although, if this is it and this is the roster we're going into next season with, I still believe we're in a better spot than we were last year. Losing Buchnevich stings, and we would absolutely be better with him still in our line up but Kakko and Lafreniere need more ice time and if they're going to take the next step, this is their chance to do so. With Reaves, and all the other guys we brought on, this team has an even stronger identity and one that could be destined for its first playoff run in a couple years.
Chris Feldman
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