The New York Rangers were marred by ups and downs this season. The team was plagued by injuries, poor coaching, and overall bad luck. When the team failed to pull themselves out of the hold they had dug themselves into, management announced that a rebuild would begin.
The team seriously committed to the rebuild come the trade deadline. They traded away leading scorer Michael Grabner to the rival New Jersey Devils in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2018 draft and defensive prospect Yegor Rykov. Defenseman Nick Holden was traded to the Boston Bruins shortly after for defenseman Rob O’Gara and a third round pick in the 2018 draft.