Rangers Offseason

[devo22]

used to do more of these write-ups years ago. Might as well start doing them again.

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When the horn sounded on March 30th 2022, it was over. The fans knew it, the players knew it, and most importantly, the GM knew it.

The New York Rangers had just suffered a 3-1 home loss to the New Jersey Devils in game 5 of the first round of the 2022 CPHL Playoffs, resulting in yet another first round exit. It was the fourth in a row, but the latter two especially hurt, coming after stellar regular season campaigns with 113 and 108 points, respectively.

"we just couldn't get over that hump", GM devo22 reflects. "Excellent regular season team, no doubt. But then the games get tighter, the lights get brighter, the stakes get higher. And we couldn't handle that."

At the time, many fans and experts had already speculated for a while that the team would face some kind of facelift in the offseason, but the latest playoffs disappointment quickly dispelled any remaining doubts about the franchise's need for a major overhaul.

"It was a group that had run its course", GM devo22 adds. "We had spent a lot of resources building that team, and the window was closing. It was a do or die season, and that first round gave us a clear answer."

Faced with an aging squad and bare cupboards, the habit of trading away picks and prospects for immediate help had finally caught up with the Rangers, and with the owners' backing, GM devo22 slowly began to dismantle the team. One by one, reliable vets like William Karlsson, Jamie Benn, Reilly Smith, Blake Coleman and Esa Lindell were shipped out, in an effort to get younger, stockpile draft picks and build a prospect pool.

Three years later, GM devo22 feels the worst is behind the franchise. Back-to-back bottom 3 finishes (63 and 71 points, respectively) might have tested the fanbase's patience, but not broken the GM's spirits.

"Losing sucks", he says. "There's no doubt about it. But if you look at the bigger picture, we're in a much, much healthier spot than a couple of years ago."

With that in mind, his decision to again flip the switch is hardly a surprise. Having brought in a number of younger players and promising prospects and armed with four 1st round picks in this year's draft, the Rangers have decided to strengthen, and their willingness to trade the team's 2026 1st round pick shows that they are serious.

"Ultimately, this league is not about winning a lottery", GM devo22 adds. "We want to win on the ice."

A message that should resonate with the fans, who, after a couple of difficult seasons, will again be able to witness star power at Madison Squade Garden when the puck drops in the fall. In addition to midseason acquisition Alex DeBrincat, the Rangers have since added big names like forward Mitch Marner and netminder Juuse Saros. And GM devo22 indicates the Rangers are not done.

"We always want to improve", he says. "And we want to be a playoff team again. Sooner, rather than later."

This time, the first round would mark a beginning, not an ending.

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OFFSEASON MOVES SO FAR (excluding pick for pick transactions)

To NYR: Ross Colton
To WSH: Nick Perbix, Simon Zether

To NYR: Mitch Marner, Matty Beniers, 2026 2nd round pick (VAN)
To COL: Morgan Geekie, Yanni Gourde, Matthew Wood, 2026 1st round pick (NYR)

To NYR: Morgan Geekie
To COL: Ross Colton, pick #57

To NYR: Juuse Saros
To NYI: Jonas Korpisalo, Alex Kerfoot, pick #78, 2026 2nd round pick (VAN)

[devo22]

Round 1, Pick 4: C Caleb Desnoyers (Moncton Wildcats, QMJHL)
Sitting at 4, I knew I'd end up with a quality center, just didn't know which one. With Hagens off the board, I considered both Caleb Desnoyers and Anton Frondell ... in the end, I was happy to choose Desnoyers - one of those prospects that continued to impress me the more I learned about him. Despite injuries to both wrists, he led a top team in Moncton in scoring in the regular season, and even more importantly, he continued to step up in the playoffs to lead the Wildcats to a QMJHL Championship with 30 points in 19 games. He has all the tools to be a great all-around top line center, with a good frame and a solid 200 ft game already. He plays the game the right way, he never cheats and by all accounts he's a great kid and leader. The Wildcats have recently named him captain, but there's still a chance he goes to the NCAA ... either way, I'm happy to add him to our prospect pool and follow his progress.

Round 1, Pick 12: D Kashawn Aitcheson (Barrie Colts, OHL)
My plan was always to go C at 4, then go D at 12 ... I figured that between Mrtka, Aitcheson and Smith, at least one would be on the board. Well, it was two, and I went back and forth between Aitcheson and Smith. In the end, heart won over head, I guess, because Aitcheson has been a favourite of mine for a long time. He has some warts (but so has Smith), but he's an extremely exciting and entertaining prospect with a booming shot and solid skating. He's a bit of a throw-back, who plays a very physical game and is more than willing to drop the gloves and step up for a teammate. He scored an impressive 26 goals for the Colts and then again scored key goals in the playoffs, but he will have some work to do in order for the offense to translate at the pro level ... that will determine his ceiling at the NHL, but I think he has a high floor because of his physicality and will be in the NHL for a long time, even if the offensive game doesn't pan out. Ideally, I envision him as a top 4 guy who can play in all situations.

Round 1, Pick 15: Braeden Cootes (Seattle Thunderbirds, WHL)
Plan was to go back to C with this pick, and I wanted either Cootes or Reschny there. Cootes has been another favourite of mine, so there you go. I think the lack of talent on that Thunderbirds team has hurt his numbers a bit, but at the U18 WJC, he showed what he can do with more quality around him, leading Canada in both goals and points (6+6 in 7 games). By all accounts, he's another great teammate and leader, wearing the "C" both for the Thunderbirds and for Canada at the U18 WJC. He plays in all situations, has a good 200 ft game and has some bite to his game. He's projectable because of these traits and is another one with a high floor, but I can see him becoming a solid top 6 forward down the line. I'm a fan, and I'd be ecstatic if the Flames were to pick him at 18 next week.

Round 1, Pick 27: D Sascha Boumedienne (Boston University, NCAA)
Bill Zonnon was the guy I had circled for this pick, but he came off the board right before us. Tried to trade out, but eventually settled for the next name on my list, which was Swedish defenseman Sascha Boumedienne. Boumedienne made the decision to go to college a year early, which is rare for defensemen in particular ... and for a while, it seemed like he had made a mistake. He struggled in the first half of the season, resulting in him sliding on draft boards. However, he started to settle in as the season went on, and by the end, he was logging around 25 minutes a game for the Terriers alongside Tom Willander. Once he played against players his age again, he excelled and broke the scoring record at the U18 WJC for defensemen, scoring 14 points in 7 games. The second half of the season has made him climb on draft boards again, and frankly, there's a lot to like. He is a fantastic skater, has a good shot and was lauded at BU for his work ethic and dedication to improve during his freshman year. There's some areas in his game that need cleaning up, and he still has room to fill out (BU lists him at 6'2 and 183 now). He has the skill set to become a solid two-way defenseman and I'd expect him to take another leap in his sophomore year, now that he has adjusted to playing against older opposition.

Round 2, Pick 42: G Jack Ivankovic (Brampton Steelheads, OHL)
My swing-for-the-fences pick this year. There were a handful of players I had considered trading for in round 2, and Ivankovic was one of them ... had a couple of trade offers rejected before I found a dance partner in Philly. Not every smaller goaltender is going to be a Dustin Wolf, but I believe this kid has the tools to succeed. His numbers in the OHL didn't pop, but as with Cootes, he really excelled with Canada at the U18 WJC. I like him a lot, and I wouldn't be surprised if a team took a flyer on him even in the first round, given it's a weaker draft class. Ivankovic will go to the NCAA in the fall, having committed to the University of Michigan ... a very smart move in my opinion. And who knows, his dad is 6'5 or something like that - a late growth spurt surely wouldn't hurt.

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All in all, I'm pretty happy with the haul. Didn't plan on drafting a second defenseman, but Aitcheson and Boumedienne are a nice addition to a defensive prospect pool that already includes guys like Tanner Molendyk, Tristan Luneau and Seamus Casey ... I'd expect all three of them to play in the NHL (at least partly) next season, so I'm excited to watch how that unfolds. Up front, our top pick last year, Cayden Lindstrom, obviously has had a rough season, so here's hoping he can turn the page. Adding Desnoyers and Cootes certainly helps. Ivankovic immediately becomes our top G prospect by a mile, even though Yegor Zavragin is developing nicely in the KHL.

[Jiri Hrdina]

I like the Desnoyers pick a lot. I think two-way centres are really valuable in the sim.
Less a fan of the Aitcheson pick. I see him as an aggressive, but not very skilled dman who will take a lot of Pims.
Boumedienne is interesting because he has a lot of upside if he can develop a bit of consistency.

Cootes could go to the Flames and then you can flip him to Ravi for a massive price.

[Swayze11]

I am a big fan of Aitcheson - great pick there. I agree with your assessment that he has a very high floor, just need to determine his ceiling.

[devo22]

he's a bit of a controversial player for sure, the new Wheeler article also shows that scouts are split. We'll see.