Ilya Kovalchuk is Rangers’ most obvious step forward

Ilya Kovalchuk after winning gold at the Olympics.Regarding the Rangers, in the midst of organizational meetings at Glen Sather’s spread in La Quinta:

1. The selection of a coach to replace Alain Vigneault will inform the club’s player personnel decisions even as the evaluation process proceeds this week. Management is committed to adding a phalanx of more reliably competitive north-south players to the mix. That should be understood by whomever remains a candidate to take over behind the bench.

2. Quibbling over whether the Rangers are entering a “complete rebuild” or “aggressive retool” represents a mindless waste of energy. Orchestrating a plunge toward the bottom would be a…