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A test for Rangers fans: which player would you deal but with a twist? |
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As we watch the playoffs - in my case, missing the daily stress associated with the pre, in- and post-game nightly, our minds turn to what will transpire this offseason. One main domino has already fallen with the hiring of Mike Sullivan and firing of Peter Laviolette. With that swap, associated changes are going to happen, what those will be remain to be seen.
On the coaching side, Sullivan still needs to determine his staff. Michael Peca and Don Muse are holdovers from the prior staff, though neither is guaranteed to have a spot. We have discussed that keeping both might be wise as they bring a youthful" energy that the team needs. Plus in both cases, moving on from either could result in the loss of the next great coach, given what we believe each could pan out to be down the road, especially in the case of Peca.
The biggest challenge remains on the player front. Who goes and then more importantly who comes. That conversation will drives us for the next month until the season ends, when a flurry of moves is expected. Team meetings are ongoing as Sullivan fully learns the personnel. He knows the players from playing and game planning against them. But he lacks the in=depth, intimate knowledge that comes with coaching them day in and day out, which is where the current coaching and support staff play a major role. Once decisions are made, transactions will occur up to and post draft and free agency, constructing the team in the image that GM Chris Drury and Sullivan envision for this squad.
If we do the 25 questions again or the should he stay or should he go, we could go daily for weeks given all the questions that exist. That may still end up being the case. But not the point of this column. One question will be posed. On the face of it, easy, but you all know me and know that won't be the case. Here is is:
Pick one player from the core of the team to go. Just one, that's it.
Sounds easy. But remember each move has an impact. So you can't say get rid of for example Mika Zibanejad but also really want K'Andre Miller to go. Similar on the flip side, where Miller is the player to be voted off the island but Zib would also have to go to make your grand vision of the team work. With this also needs to be salient rationale as to why this is the player you have selected and what gap is created by this player's absence. I also don't want to know who you would target to replace him but what skills that player must have to work within the new construct that is created.
Good luck.
New York Rangers Blogger • 
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