Rangers Offseason

That was tough. As much as I believed we were ahead of schedule and this was all gravy, losing like that was brutal. But the future is really bright, and it's been turned around really quickly. It will be interesting to see what moves the Rangers will make as they continue to fine tune the roster for a long run among the league's elite.

First off, as currently composed and coached, they are a little challenged on offense. The continued development of Kreider, Stepan and kids like Yogan and Thomas should help address that over the coming years, but will they want to do something sooner? Hard to know how they view their window and where they are.

Second, though their biggest problem is offense, will they trade Gaborik? He came up small in the playoffs, and has a big contract. Gaborik is still a much better player now than Gomez was when we got a boatload for him. It will be interesting to see if they move him then try to fill his salary slot with Parise or someone.

Third, will they bundle some talent and prospects to fill the offensive need? And if so, who are they willing to trade and who do they see elevating them on O?

Fourth, will Sauer ever be back? This is a big question, because McIlrath is probably still a year away, and Erixon doesn't offer the toughness that Sauer does when healthy. Will they look outside the organization for a rock ribbed replacement?

These seem to be the big questions, right off the bat. Thus far the Rangers only have 4 draft picks, but they usually end up adding more when needed during the draft, so expect another good one.

Anyway, we should all be very excited about what's coming. Go Rangers!