With it looking more and more likely that the New York Rangers are heading for a teardown of their roster as they continue to lose, it is a reminder that it was not that long ago that the team was in a rebuilding phase. During the 2017-18 season, “The Letter” was sent out and the Rangers traded away many fan-favorite players to enter a full-on rebuild. Fast forward to the 2019 offseason and the rebuild was in full effect with the Rangers going into that summer looking to make some big additions via trades, the NHL Entry Draft, and free agency. While they did end up making some big moves that summer, those moves didn’t turn out the way many have hoped. Now five years later, some of those players aren’t even on the team anymore.
Rangers Acquire Jacob Trouba From the Winnipeg Jets
The first major addition the Rangers made that offseason was acquiring defenseman Jacob Trouba from the Winnipeg Jets. In return, they gave up struggling defenseman Neal Pionk and they gave the Jets back their 2019 first-round pick, which they first got in a trade for Kevin Hayes at the 2019 Trade Deadline. In Trouba, they thought they were getting a legitimate top-pairing right-handed defensemen as he was coming off a career season with the Jets with eight goals and 50 points in 82 games. He signed on an eight-year deal with the Rangers for $8 million a season and he never lived up to that deal. His play declined season over season and he was never able to reach the highs he did with the Jets. It was disappointing to watch.
He was named captain prior to the 2022-23 season which shocked many fans, but he was apparently loved by his teammates and they wanted him to wear the C. His final two seasons with the Rangers saw his play hit rock bottom, especially in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Florida Panthers. They wanted to trade away his deal last offseason, but Trouba blocked any potential moves and with the team continuing to lose this season, the dam finally burst. He and his entire salary were moved to the Anaheim Ducks earlier this month to finally end his time in New York. What started out with so much potential ended with drama and a divorce that needed to happen as both sides had finally had enough.
Drafting Kaapo Kakko Second Overall
Prior to the Trouba addition, the first big piece of news for the Rangers that offseason came when it was announced they would be picking second overall in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft behind the New Jersey Devils. At the time, the consensus-number-one pick was be Jack Hughes. The consensus number-two pick was Kaapo Kakko and that is exactly how it played out at the draft. Both teams got the players they were projected to get and it was exciting because the Rangers hadn’t had a prospect with so much potential in such a long time; there was so much hope that Kakko was going to turn into a superstar. However, for a multitude of different reasons, this never happened and his time with the team came to an end last week when he was traded to the Seattle Kraken.
Related: Rangers’ Kakko and Buchnevich Trades Have Big Similarities
Whether it was coaching decisions or injuries, Kakko could never find a stable spot in the Rangers’ lineup and was constantly moved around. His best season was the 2022-23 season which saw him finish with 18 goals and 40 points, but he could not get back to those kind of numbers in the seasons after. It is such a shame he couldn’t become the star player many wanted him to, but that is on the Rangers for never giving him a fair shot to show what he is capable of. Now, he is off to Seattle to see if a change a scenery will benefit him while Hughes and the Devils continue to be a thorn in the Rangers’ side and will continue to be for years to come.
Signing Artemi Panarin Was Smart, But Hasn’t Led to Success
The biggest move made that offseason, and the biggest shot in the arm the rebuild got, was the signing of Artemi Panarin in fre agency. It came down to the Rangers and New York Islanders and in the end, he chose less money to come to Manhattan; it has been a very good six seasons for Panarin with the Bluehsirts. He has been their best offensive player each of those seasons and was even nominated for the Hart Trophy after his first campaign with the team. He had the best season of his career last season with 49 goals and 120 points and while he likely won’t reach those numbers again — or at least this season — he has once again been the teams’ best offensive player. While he has been very good in the regular season, he seems to disappear at times during the playoffs when games matter more.
Panarin signing with the Rangers definitely gave the team the boost they needed, but when it comes to overall team and playoff success, there hasn’t been much in his six seasons with the team. While they have won the Presidents’ Trophy and have been to two Eastern Conference Finals, they haven’t been able to make a Stanley Cup Final or win a cup and that is the ultimate goal. With this season going off the rails quickly and it looking like the team won’t even be making the playoffs, it is going to be an interesting time for Panarin as he enters his last year of his contract. Will the Rangers sign him to an extension or would they rather go in a different direction and go after other top players? While they have some time to make that choice, there is no question that Panarin will go down as one of the top Rangers of all time, but when it comes to team success, he hasn’t made thhee impact they wanted him to in the playoffs.
There was so much hope coming out of the 2019 offseason for the Rangers. They acquired what they thought would be a top-pairing defenseman, they had a second-overall pick in the lineup, and they had signed the best free agent available. While they did make some deep playoff runs with these players, it all came crashing down this season. Two of the three aren’t on the team anymore and the third might not be here for much longer. Overall, the 2019 offseason was not as successful as many thought and hoped it would be. That is a disappointing truth.
