The New York Rangers rebuild got a shot in the arm when the team won the second pick in the entry draft lottery. With the addition of stud forward Kaapo Kakko (or Jack Hughes) the window for playoff contention got a lot closer. Is it too soon?
Why next year?
There are many reasons to believe that the Rangers are on the verge of making the post-season once again. With a young, skilled core, all it will take is to throw some big money at stud free agents.
With visions of a top six consisting of Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider, Kaapo Kakko, Pavel Buchnevich, Vitali Kravtsov and Artemi Panarin and a defense corps bolstered by Adam Fox and a healthy LIbor Hajek, the “We want the cup” chant could be heard at Madison Square Garden as soon as next May.