When the New York Rangers released “the letter” in February 2018, I am fairly confident the team didn’t picture having two top-three picks in back-to-back seasons. At the time, Glen Sather and Jeff Gorton likely envisioned selling off key pieces who didn’t fit the scope of the rebuild for draft picks and young assets who would complement players selected with the team’s own draft choices.
But sometimes life happens and presents opportunities so great that it makes sense to go in a different direction. For the second year in a row, the Rangers have been given a tremendous gift.