Forget the Big Splash, at least for this year. Even if there were a deep pool into which to dive, the Rangers wouldn’t do it. Next year, maybe … next year, probably … next year, definitely.
When the NHL’s free-agent, cash-and-carry market opens at noon Sunday, the rebuilding Blueshirts — get used to it, folks, this isn’t a retooling or a reshaping — will be operating largely on the margins. General manager Jeff Gorton will be looking for wingers to fill in some of the bottom-six blanks up front, and seeking, if possible, to add at least a pretense of veteran depth on the back line’s right side.