If the Rangers do miss the playoffs, as currently projected, then nobody outside of the unappeasable will be discouraged or heartbroken. A bit wistful? Perhaps. But by making it a close call in March, the Rangers have exceeded most expectations for this season. The trajectory of the franchise is inarguably heading upwards.
So when the team’s offseason officially begins, the question that President John Davidson and General Manager Jeff Gorton will have to answer won’t be, “What went wrong?” Instead, their initiative will be to build on what went right in 2019-2020 and fill in the gaps so that this team can climb a few more rungs up the ladder towards Stanley Cup contention.