Eight years after the Letter, Rangers are doing it all again
NY Post
The Rangers have been here before. For the second time in eight years, the team has issued a letter declaring the season dead, the Stanley Cup window closed, and announcing the commencement of a partial teardown they hope will someday lead to the Canyon of Heroes.
Let’s go back in time to Feb. 8, 2018, when the authors of the Letter 1.0 were then-GM Jeff Gorton and then-president Glen Sather and the words were almost identical.
The Rangers were coming off a string of seven consecutive seasons in which they made the playoffs under John Tortorella and then Alain Vigneault. With Henrik Lundqvist leading the way, they made the conference finals in 2012, lost to the Kings in the 2014 Stanley Cup Finals, and then won the Presidents’ Trophy and made the final four again in 2015. That was followed by two early playoff exits and then a last-place season in 2018, prompting Gorton and Sather to do what Drury just did.
Rick Nash was the first to go, sent to Boston for three players including Ryan Lindgren, and two picks including a No. 1 in 2018. One of the other players. Ryan Spooner, was flipped early the next season for Ryan Strome. This deal was a winner.
Next up was Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller to Tampa Bay for Vlad Namestnikov, Libor Hajek, Brett Howden, a first- and a second-rounder. The Rangers got very little from those players and the Lightning won two Stanley Cups, making the deal a major dud.
Mats Zuccarello, Kevin Hayes and eventually Marc Staal would be sent packing, as well, as the Rangers started to assemble a new core heading into the COVID era and David Quinn regime.
The Giants’ agreement with John Harbaugh to become their next head coach was inside the 1-yard line and up to the lawyers to run a successful Tush Push.
EDMONTON, Alberta — Put this one on the Vezina Trophy résumé for Ilya Sorokin.
Mike Tomlin offered a heartfelt parting message to DeMeco Ryans on Monday night after coaching what would be his final game for the Steelers.
SACRAMENTO — Jalen Brunson’s Achilles heel is his right ankle.
What the Mets won’t offer in contract length, they’re more than making up for in just how much they are willing to pay Kyle Tucker in a short span.
Perhaps Kirk Cousins sees the writing on the wall.
The booing, after each of the four Senators goals and whenever else the Rangers play warranted it, said it all. So did the cheers — the mock ones unleashed in the Garden when the public address announcer issued the one-minute remaining warning in the first period.
SACRAMENTO — Mike Brown called out Karl-Anthony Towns for a lazy play.
It wasn’t devastating for Scott Morrow. He knew he had to earn his spot, that nothing would be handed to him. He wanted to make the Blueshirts roster, sure, but he didn’t necessarily expect it.
The Yankees-Red Sox rivalry is alive and well.
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Relocated across the country, Precious Achiuwa said he’s in a role better suited to his playing style and it’s unfair to judge the aptitude of a Knicks bench last season that was ranked last in both points scored and minutes played.
An awful playoff loss isn’t shaking Jalen Hurts’ confidence.