Before we get to this second part of our Rangers mailbag for the week (Part 1 is here), Ryan Lindgren spoke briefly after a summer game in Da Beauty League in Edina, Minn., on his one-year, $4.5 million contract and the Rangers in general.
“If the team’s successful, you’re going to be successful,” he said. “I want to be in New York — it’s all I’ve known the past six years. I love being there and I want to be there as long as I can.”
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As for whether the Rangers can make another long playoff run, Lindgren said they’re all “hungry” to get going again.
“We were right there last year. … It’s a grind to get to that point,” he said. “We’re just excited to get back it.”
And I’m excited to dive into some more questions — we’ve got some prospect talk, Kaapo Kakko’s future, a bit more on Jacob Trouba and how the big boss feels about Chris Drury.
Can you give us a more in-depth look at the younger Rangers…
1. Will Cuylle: Can we expect to see more than the grinder he was, quite successfully, this past season? Am I right or wrong in saying that he was a non-factor in the playoffs?
2. Gabe Perreault: Is one more season of college hockey enough for his development or do you see him staying for a third season? If he turns pro after sophomore season, I suspect he will need a season or two in Hartford?
3. Brennan Othmann: Would you expect him to be given a full shot at making the roster and playing next season? Or, like Zac Jones, making the team and not dressing very often or back to Hartford for fulltime development?
4. Does Jones have a chance to be a regular next season? Where is he lacking besides size?
4. How far away are Brett Berard and Adam Sykora? – John G.
On Cuylle: I agree that he faded in the playoffs, but that’s not completely surprising given it was his first time through. Especially in a longer playoff run for a young guy who doesn’t get serious minutes, it’s probably difficult to get into a rhythm with how much more intense those games can be. As we’ve seen in recent seasons with this team, it’s nearly impossible to break through for bigger minutes as a young player. So he’ll still be in that bottom-six role, and maybe with more of an understanding of what that role entails, he’ll have a more consistent year.
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On Perreault: I can’t see any way he stays at Boston College beyond this year. He’s going to be on the top line in the NCAAs once again so the production should be sky-high, and there’s nothing left to prove after that. It definitely depends on where the Rangers are once BC’s season ends in April, but I’d think Perreault goes to Hartford for the end of this season and then we see what he can do with a full training camp in 2025.
On Othmann: I think he will get a decent look at a roster spot, but as long as Kakko is still here, it’s more of a long shot. No chance Othmann sticks with the Rangers unless he’s playing every night; you’re not looking to stunt his development for any reason.
On Jones: It sure looks like he’ll get every opportunity to grab that third-pair spot. It’s not just size that seems to be a sticking point for him – it’s more how he approaches the area below the hash marks in his own end. He’s not a high-motor battler like Lindgren, and few defensemen anywhere have Adam Fox’s hockey IQ, so Jones has to improve his ability to clear the net front and win board battles in his own end. Up the ice, he’s more than capable.
On Berard/Sykora: I’d say Berard, who had a low-key strong season in Hartford, has a leg up in the prospect depth chart on Sykora. But as we saw with Matt Rempe, if you find an opening on the big club that suits your role, you can make the most of it. Sykora is probably not going to be a high-end prospect, but he’s got a chance because he can fill that fourth-line/pest role. So we’ll see how it shakes out for them after starting this season in the AHL.
Do you see a future for Kaapo Kakko with the Rangers, where they actually give him ice time, proper linemates and insulate him to succeed here? We all know he has the talent. – Martin B.
I don’t think it’s a question of giving Kakko ice time. He’s had opportunities before, including last season – he just hasn’t seized on them consistently enough, either due to injuries or his play. The situation with this Rangers team is clear: If you’re Kakko or Filip Chytil or even Alexis Lafrenière, you’re not going to get power-play minutes and you have to find ways around that to succeed.
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Chytil has done it before. Lafrenière did it, big time, last year. So now, in the absence of a trade, the burden is on Kakko to grab hold of a role and keep it.
Lots of rumors this summer about Kakko+ going in trades this summer, for instance I’ve seen for Alex Tuch or Trevor Zegras etc. How close, in your estimation, was a deal like this to being complete or was this always wish casting? – Ciphernine 9.
I don’t think the Rangers have ever been interested in Zegras, much as the local kid would love to be a Ranger. I don’t think the Sabres have ever seriously considered moving Tuch. And if the Rangers were in on either of those guys, it would take a lot more than Kakko as the centerpiece of whatever was going the other way.
The deal with Kakko now, after five pro seasons and 300 NHL games, is that he’s not a player other teams are coveting. Teams surely want him, and I’d guess Drury has received offers but nothing good – he’s a buy-low player now.
Given the disappointing off-season moves (or lack thereof), how go-for-broke do you see Drury being at the trade deadline even if the Rangers have a good record? The most recent season proves that even though he didn’t give up much, the conservative approach (and the underperforming players he’d acquired) bit him by the time the Rangers faced Florida in the ECF. – Chris S.
The last two trade deadlines haven’t been ideal for Drury and the Rangers. Alex Wennberg and Jack Roslovic were positive additions considering what they contributed to a conference finalist; in hindsight, given what the Hurricanes gave up, the mistake was not pushing harder for Jake Guentzel.
With the window for this core looking half-closed rather than half-open in the next couple years, I think Drury will be aggressive around the deadline this year. The Rangers have fewer and fewer tradeable assets to move – first-rounders the next three years, yes, but no second- or fourth-round picks until 2028 – so being aggressive might mean something different this deadline, like trading a prospect or two.
Everyone from Drury on down is well aware this is still a very good team – but being very good isn’t enough.
In regards to the Trouba situation, is there any clear indication that after next season he’ll be moved, either via trade or buyout? I know the team will keep him this season, but, what holds him back from vetoing a trade during summer 2025? – Stephen B.
He’s submitted his no-trade list already and this is valid until July 1, 2025. So the Rangers know where they can send him before then. I don’t think anything’s been set in stone as far as a move next summer but I think both sides understand: The Rangers will need cap space next summer, Trouba can be moved to 16 teams or bought out, and his family’s situation will be more settled.
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So there can be a professional way to go about it. Whatever went down this offseason felt like a standoff more than a solution.
The fanbase and Peter Laviolette has basically decided that the Panarin-Vincent Trocheck-Lafreniere line is untouchable, and admittedly they were by far our best line last season. My question is what if the RW1 solution is moving Laffy to the Mika Zibanejad/Chris Kreider line? Then Reilly Smith or maybe a more aggressive youngster slots in with Panarin and Trocheck. It also might be easier to find a match for Panarin-Trocheck at the trade deadline than a match for ZBJ-Kreider who we’ve swung and missed on for a while now. What are your thoughts? – James B.
I think most coaches, at least the ones that don’t like to tinker that much, tend to go with the “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” guideline. So I would imagine you’ll see some different combinations throughout camp – Laviolette did plenty of experimenting last camp – but ultimately they will likely start with Panarin-Trocheck-Laf and see if it’s still as good a line as it was last season.
If you break that line up and try to find a fit with Panarin and Trocheck and neither line works, you’ve messed with the chemistry of your top two lines. Not something many coaches are looking for.
Where does Drury fit in James Dolan’s “good book?” Glen Sather having a lifetime library pass with him, does Drury seem to have any similar in terms of rope > results? – Alexander N.
If we’re on an owner confidence scale where 10 is highest, I’d say Drury’s at an 8. Dolan did get rid of John Davidson, a longtime member of the Garden’s inner circle, and handed the keys to Drury just three years ago. The Garden does hire and fire people with alarming speed, but I think Drury is in a good spot.
Even if there’s disappointment in not winning the Stanley Cup the last three years, two conference final appearances and a Presidents’ Trophy make for a pretty good resumé.
—The Athletic’s Joe Smith contributed to this report.
(Photo of Brennan Othmann: Bruce Bennett / Getty Images)
