{"id":100840,"date":"2026-01-15T04:29:13","date_gmt":"2026-01-15T04:29:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/100840\/"},"modified":"2026-01-15T04:29:13","modified_gmt":"2026-01-15T04:29:13","slug":"rangers-insider-what-im-hearing-on-retool-vs-rebuild-artemi-panarins-nmc-and-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/100840\/","title":{"rendered":"Rangers insider: What I\u2019m hearing on retool vs. rebuild, Artemi Panarin\u2019s NMC and more"},"content":{"rendered":"

Let me preface everything I\u2019m about to write by pointing out that all of these concepts may look good on paper (or your screen), but putting them into practice \u2014 and producing the desired results \u2014 will be much more difficult. The New York Rangers have hit a wall<\/a> in the last year and a half, and things could very well get worse before they get better. Such is life when facing the prospect of a rebuild.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s considered a dirty word to some, and it\u2019s certainly not a term I expect to hear the Rangers utter any time soon. Even as the powers that be accept that a step back may be necessary for the greater good, my sense is that neither owner James Dolan nor team president Chris Drury has an appetite for a complete teardown.<\/p>\n

That may prove to be a mistake, but my job requires reporting what I believe will actually happen. And at this moment, all signs are pointing to a quick retool versus a full-scale rebuild.<\/p>\n

So, what could that look like? I\u2019ve asked around about recent turnarounds that were executed in a relatively short period of time and come up with these five guiding principles:<\/p>\n

Hit on draft picks (duh)
\nDo a better job of developing them
\nCollect assets to flip when opportunities arise
\nUncover diamonds in the rough through scouting and analytics
\nWeaponize cap space<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s go through one by one and examine some applicable examples.<\/p>\n

1. Hit on draft picks<\/p>\n

There\u2019s an argument that the biggest reason the Rangers are in this mess is because they whiffed on so many draft picks from their late-2010s rebuild. They made 42 total selections from 2017-21, including nine first-rounders. Outside of former general manager Jeff Gorton\u2019s final draft in 2020, from which Alexis Lafreni\u00e8re (No. 1 overall), Braden Schneider (No. 19), Will Cuylle (No. 60) and Matt Rempe (No. 165) remain on the active roster, only three other draftees from that five-year span are currently with the NHL club: Matthew Robertson (No. 49 in 2019), Adam Edstr\u00f6m (No. 161 in 2019) and Brennan Othmann (No. 16 in 2021).<\/p>\n

Othmann, who has appeared in just seven games with New York this season while struggling to earn organizational trust, is the only remaining first-round pick outside of Lafreni\u00e8re and Schneider. Lias Andersson (No. 7 in 2017) and Vitali Kravtsov (No. 9 in 2018) were busts, while Filip Chytil (No. 21 in 2017), K\u2019Andre Miller (No. 22 in 2018), Nils Lundkvist (No. 28 in 2018) and Kaapo Kakko (No. 2 in 2019) fell out of favor for various reasons and were shipped out of town.<\/p>\n

No team can build a sustainable winner with a hit rate that low.<\/p>\n

Colleagues Arpon Basu and Max Bultman recently analyzed how the respective teams they cover, the Montreal Canadiens and Detroit Red Wings, turned their fortunes around<\/a>, and for both it started with draft successes. The Habs hit on top-five picks Juraj Slafkovsk\u00fd and Ivan Demidov and found Lane Hutson in the second round, while the Wings are built around a trio of top-six picks in Moritz Seider, Lucas Raymond and Simon Edvinsson.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s been an element of bad luck for the Rangers, who had a pair of top-two picks in Kakko and Lafreni\u00e8re fail to hit their ceilings. I haven\u2019t heard of any team that would have made different choices in those premium slots, but you also make your own luck with a good development program. That\u2019s an area where New York has fallen well short.<\/p>\n

2. Do better at developing<\/p>\n

Drury hasn\u2019t made any top-10 picks since taking over as team president and GM in 2021 \u2014 and that very well could change this year \u2014 but his scouting and development teams, led by director of player personnel and amateur scouting John Lilley and director of player development Jed Ortmeyer, have barely produced any NHL contributors.<\/p>\n

The only Drury draft pick who\u2019s carved out a regular role is rookie center Noah Laba, who turned out to be a nice find in the fourth round of the 2022 draft. But in a damning statement about the Rangers\u2019 pipeline, they had only one player named in Corey Pronman\u2019s new list of top under-23 prospects<\/a>: 2023 first-round pick Gabe Perreault, who was ranked 120th.<\/p>\n

That, above all else, must change if we\u2019re to believe a quick retool is possible.<\/p>\n

3. Collect assets to flip<\/p>\n

The Washington Capitals are another good example. The rise of middle-tier prospects such as Martin Feh\u00e9rv\u00e1ry, Connor McMichael and Aliaksei Protas aided their swift turnaround, but president of hockey operations Brian MacLellan was also aggressive \u2014 and willing to take risks \u2014 in the trade market once he decided to rip the Band-Aid off in 2023.<\/p>\n

Starting at that year\u2019s trade deadline, MacLellan sold off Garnet Hathaway, Dmitry Orlov, Marcus Johansson and Lars Eller, netting a first-round pick, two seconds and two thirds. While all of this was going on, he jumped at the opportunity to land talented young defenseman Rasmus Sandin from the Toronto Maple Leafs, using that recently-acquired first-rounder to complete the deal.<\/p>\n

Even though the Caps were on their way to the playoffs the next season, they recognized that they weren\u2019t true contenders yet and flipped Evgeny Kuznetsov, Anthony Mantha and Joel Edmundson for a total haul of a second-rounder, two thirds, a fourth and a fifth. That summer, they used that draft capital to kick the retool into overdrive. Washington traded for Jakob Chychrun, Pierre-Luc Dubois, Andrew Mangiapane and Logan Thompson without giving up anything higher than a second-rounder. Some worked out better than others, but by the spring of 2025, they were Metro Division champs and the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.<\/p>\n

The formula is pretty straightforward: Capitalize on contending teams\u2019 thirst for veteran help for a couple deadlines, which in turn will arm your organization with enough assets to pounce whenever desirable targets become available. The Quinn Hughes trade made it clear the Rangers don\u2019t have the ammunition to go big-game hunting<\/a>, but they have an opportunity to restock if they play their cards right. That way, if Brady Tkachuk, Jason Robertson, Robert Thomas or any fill-in-the-blank star hits the market in the next year or two, they\u2019ll be positioned to make a competitive offer.<\/p>\n

4. Find diamonds in the rough<\/p>\n

A star or two would surely help, but it will be of equal importance to replenish New York\u2019s depleted depth by uncovering a few hidden gems. That onus falls on scouts, led by director of pro scouting Garth Joy, as well as forward-thinking data analysis. The Rangers must identify reclamation projects who can be acquired on the cheap and possess specific skill sets and\/or underlying metrics that suggest they can be cultivated into useful players.<\/p>\n

Look at the Florida Panthers, who signed Carter Verhaeghe as a little-known free agent in 2020 and spotted the potential in Gustav Forsling when the Carolina Hurricanes placed him on waivers in 2021. A few years later, they were core pieces on Stanley Cup-winning teams.<\/p>\n

5. Weaponize cap space<\/p>\n

Rebuilding teams aren\u2019t always in position to weaponize their cap space, but the Rangers will be by the time we get to the summer. Once July 1 rolls around, they\u2019re projected to have over $30 million to spend.<\/p>\n

Rather than handing out bloated contracts to a diluted free-agent class, most of whom won\u2019t help the roster get younger, Drury can take short-term gambles on undervalued players who may turn into trade assets by next year\u2019s deadline. He can also offer to absorb contracts other teams are looking to get rid of. That could net additional draft and prospect capital, and if he targets the right players, perhaps he\u2019ll stumble into someone who thrives with a change of scenery. (Which would also check the box for Step 4.)<\/p>\n

A best-case scenario would be what the Canadiens did with Sean Monahan in 2022, when they took him off the Calgary Flames\u2019 books in exchange for a conditional pick that turned into a first-rounder, then flipped him two trade deadlines later and landed another first from the Winnipeg Jets.<\/p>\n

All of these steps will require savvy and creativity, with a healthy dose of skepticism about Drury\u2019s ability to pull it off. His track record of drafting, developing and managing assets features plenty of blemishes, which explains how the franchise has reached this sorry state to begin with<\/a>. But with all signs pointing to Dolan leaving Drury in charge and giving him the green light to proceed as he sees fit, the best Blueshirts fans can hope for is that the current regime will learn from its mistakes, commit to a new plan and execute an efficient retool strategy by emphasizing the five guiding principles.<\/p>\n

Rangers have yet to approach Panarin about NMC<\/p>\n

In order to kick-start that process, the Rangers must begin by selling off veterans who aren\u2019t part of the long-term vision. Leading scorer Artemi Panarin is at the top of our list of trade candidates<\/a> because he\u2019s on an expiring contract and seems unlikely to sign an extension, but it won\u2019t be as simple as just shopping him around. The 34-year-old winger holds a full no-movement clause, meaning New York can\u2019t trade him anywhere unless he signs off on it.<\/p>\n

My understanding after speaking to a league source on Tuesday is that the Rangers have yet to approach Panarin to gauge his willingness to waive the NMC or inquire about his preferred destinations. They\u2019ve yet to make any final decisions with the March 6 trade deadline still nearly two months away and are holding off on that conversation for at least a little longer. But make no mistake: The clock is ticking, and it would behoove Drury to be proactive in a situation that will require some delicate maneuvering.<\/p>\n

\"Brennan<\/p>\n

\n Brennan Othmann\u2019s play has seen an upswing since the new year across the AHL and NHL. (James Guillory \/ Imagn Images)<\/p>\n

Othmann finally turning the corner?<\/p>\n

One player we know the Rangers have had trade discussions about is Othmann, who was recalled Sunday and promptly inserted into the lineup for Monday\u2019s 4-2 loss to the Seattle Kraken<\/a>.<\/p>\n

There may have been an element of showcasing behind that decision, but coach Mike Sullivan was adamant about the 23-year-old winger earning his latest look, saying, \u201cHis last five or six games have been his very best down there in (AHL) Hartford.\u201d That echoes what I\u2019ve been hearing, with one source saying Othmann has been the Wolf Pack\u2019s best forward \u201cby a mile\u201d to start the new year.<\/p>\n

Earlier this season, a scout told The Athletic it looked like Othmann was suffering from \u201can identity crisis<\/a>.\u201d He was reeling from the disappointment of getting cut from NHL training camp, then quickly saw his name pop up in trade rumors<\/a>. All the while, the 6-foot, 192-pounder was trying to prove he could fill the role Sullivan and the Rangers envisioned for him: a physical force in the bottom six who agitates opponents and chips in timely goals.<\/p>\n

It led to overthinking and pressing, with Othmann often skating himself into mistakes as a result of trying to do too much.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you look at the past teams I\u2019ve been on, it\u2019s always been a top-six player or first line, and play in all situations. Then here, you\u2019ve kind of got to work into that, and you\u2019ve kind of got to earn that a little bit more,\u201d he told The Athletic on Monday. \u201cI don\u2019t know if it\u2019s unlucky, but it\u2019s just, since I\u2019ve been here, there\u2019s been three different coaching staffs. Towards the end of last year, you kind of think you\u2019re building up trust with that coaching staff, and then another new coaching staff comes in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Othmann\u2019s first attempt fell flat. He made his season debut on Oct. 26 in Calgary and committed a couple glaring defensive errors, which prompted Sullivan to bench him for the rest of the road trip.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt sucks,\u201d Othmann said. \u201cI was disappointed in myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

It would take nearly a month to get another chance, and when he returned for a five-game NHL stint around Christmas, the results weren\u2019t much better.<\/p>\n

Othmann was sent back to Hartford on New Year\u2019s Day, but this time he resolved to play freer. He credited Wolf Pack coach Grant Potulny for reviving his confidence with ample ice time, which led to a five-game point streak with four goals in that span. The points bolstered his case for a third recall, but his purposeful all-around play, which included a nose for forcing turnovers and drawing penalties, also drew positive reviews.<\/p>\n

There\u2019s still a long way to go to restore his status as a promising prospect, but there have been glimmers of hope the last couple weeks.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been more worried about playing winning hockey and playing the right way, and it\u2019s just kind of been working for me,\u201d said Othmann, who played his best game of the season for the Rangers on Monday and just missed his first NHL goal while hitting the post twice. \u201cYou can\u2019t really change the past of how you played or what the decisions were. You can only worry about the now.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Let me preface everything I\u2019m about to write by pointing out that all of these concepts may look…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":100841,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[9,24,55,54,541,56],"class_list":["post-100840","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-york-city","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-new-york-city-headlines","tag-new-york-city-news","tag-new-york-rangers","tag-ny"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100840","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=100840"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100840\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/100841"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=100840"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=100840"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=100840"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}