NHL, NHLPA agree on CBA Memo of Understanding to resume season

Now that we've reached the final four of these Stanley Cup Playoffs, it's time to re-evaluate the remaining clubs. The Canadiens' unexpected run has been a terrific story, and they deserve recognition. Vanquishing the North Division champion Toronto Maple Leafs in Round 1 before sweeping the Winnipeg Jets was impressive work. The Jets couldn't pin their defeat on being without Mark Scheifele for the series' final three games, and he deserved his suspension anyway. Likewise, the Leafs couldn't - and didn't - use injuries to John Tavares and Jake Muzzin as excuses.

It’s not all negative for the Rangers. This year may have ended without the playoffs, but there were a ton of positives to take away from this season. From sophomore surges to key rookies, the future is bright for this team. Let’s look into what went right for the Rangers this season.

Mar 25, 2021; Denver, Colorado, USA; Vegas Golden Knights right wing Ryan Reaves (75) before the game against the Colorado Avalanche at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports. Vegas Golden Knights forward Ryan Reaves will have a hearing with the NHL Department of Player Safety on Monday. Reaves,...

A sophomore slump for Adam Fox impacting this year’s report card? Nah. Instead, Fox quieted any doubters by putting up a season worthy of a Norris Trophy. Fox put up a line of 5-42-47 in 55 games, which is a 7-63-70 pace over 82 games. To say it was a career year would be lazy, since it was his second year in the NHL. But to say that Fox has quickly become one of the best defensemen in the game is not hyperbole. The Rangers struck gold with him.

The debate on Jack Eichel will carry on until the Buffalo Sabres make a decision on his future. This does have some Rick Nash vibes to it, and perhaps it is inevitable that the Rangers land him. We know they made a realistic offer for him last year, and we know that Jeff Gorton was interested. What we don’t know is whether or not Chris Drury is interested. But if the Rangers go this route, then they must also keep Mika Zibanejad to go with Jack Eichel.

For a couple months, I’ve been piggybacking off Elliotte Friedman and our own Brandon Cohen on this weekly thought post. While I’d usually do these ad-hoc, I liked the idea of consistency and a common theme. This week, we finally get to do some non-reactive thoughts. Let’s discuss the Rangers offseason plans.

One of the top priorities for the Rangers this offseason is locking up Pavel Buchnevich to a long term contract. Tom Urtz at Blueshirt Banter beat me to the punch here, and you should be reading his piece as well. Given his production, expected cap hit, and current roster construction, Buchnevich is a no-brainer to re-sign this offseason.

About a month after he was let go from the Rangers, John Davidson is headed back to Columbus as their President of Hockey Operations. Before he came to the Rangers, JD stated that the only job he would leave Columbus for was his role with the Rangers. Now that he was unceremoniously let go, it makes sense that he would go back to the Blue Jackets. He left for the dream job, and it did not work out.

Final Season Record: 27-23-6 (5th in East Division) Last Poll’s Results: 6.63 (227 votes) It was an underwhelming season, with a few things that went wrong. But there were a ton of positives as well. The Rangers really lacked in the finish to the season. They were propped up by...

If the Rangers decide to trade for a center, and if the price on Jack Eichel is too high, then they will need to look elsewhere to fill that need. Now naturally those are two big IFs, but it seems like the Rangers will have a few other targets at center should Eichel not work out.

The Edmonton Oilers were swept right out of the playoffs by the Winnipeg Jets, and almost immediately the Connor McDavid spitballing started. The Oilers aren’t going to move McDavid, but the Jack Eichel situation may scare them into making decisions to get McDavid some help. They are a mess, and they need help all over the lineup. Their best trade chip, aside from McDavid of course, is Leon Draisaitl, and it would certainly qualify as a big splash for the Rangers.

In a bit of a surprising move, Chris Drury and the Rangers have dismissed Director of European Scouting Nick Bobrov. Bobrov has been director of Euro scouting for the past six years, with a pretty decent track record. Drury and Director of North American scouting Chris Morehouse will take over...

The NY Rangers have 1% odds of lightning striking a third time and winning the 2021 NHL Draft lottery. The lottery will be held tonight at 7pm, and will be broadcast on NBCSN. In the extremely likely event the Rangers do not win the lottery, they will pick 15th in the 2021 Draft. Remember, Arizona will not have a first round pick this year, so everyone after 11 gets bumped up a spot. That’s already good fortune for the Rangers.

In a difficult to contemplate year on and off the ice, the NHL managed to complete some semblance of a regular-season schedule with a 56-game slate impacted by the physically draining and mind-numbing coronavirus pandemic. When the COVID-19 virus was strengthened by the P.1 variant first identified in Brazil, 25...

Final Season Record: 27-23-6 (5th in East Division) Last Poll’s Results: 7.13 (391 votes) It’s been a slow week for the Rangers, as the only big move was firing Nick Bobrov, the Director of European Scouting. This happened yesterday. This might signal a new direction in scouting. With the OIlers...

Caps players open up about navigating the 2021 pandemic season originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington. The coronavirus has touched us all in one way or another over the past 15 months of the pandemic. The challenges for professional hockey players were unique, though no less taxing. With the season now over, and players having a chance to reflect, it gave them an opportunity to evaluate just how difficult this season truly was.

For a couple months, I’ve been piggybacking off Elliotte Friedman and our own Brandon Cohen on this weekly thought post. While I’d usually do these ad-hoc, I liked the idea of consistency and a common theme. This week, let’s talk about the Rangers scouting direction, and if firing Nick Bobrov was an indication of changes to come.

The big news this week from the NHL is that Seth Jones will not be re-signing in Columbus when his contract expires after the 2021-2022 season. He will test free agency, meaning the Blue Jackets might look to shop him now to salvage value. It’s expected he will be dealt this offseason. But Seth Jones is a name the NY Rangers should avoid at all costs.

Welcome to the seventh edition of Help Me Understand. Sports, hot takes and narratives. Some make sense, others perplex me. — Help me understand how Sidney Crosby was the third finalist for the Ted Lindsay along with Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews. The Ted Lindsay award is for “The most outstanding player in the regular season as judged by the members of the NHL Players’ Association.” This is simply who was the best.

It’s official. The NY Rangers will have the 15th overall pick in the 2021 draft. Lightning didn’t strike thrice for the Rangers, as was expected. To be honest, the post about getting the 15th overall pick was pre-written the day before. But that doesn’t mean the Rangers had bad luck. The odds played out as expected for most of the draft. With the order now set, let’s go through three bold predictions for the NY Rangers at the 2021 draft.