The quest to secure a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference just got exponentially harder for the New York Rangers, as they'll have to make due without two of the most important players on the roster in Adam Fox and Igor Shesterkin for the foreseeable future.
The star defenseman was placed on long-term injured reserve and isn't eligible to return until the last day of the month, while one of the league's best netminders will miss at least seven days on IR — but potentially longer since he has no definitive timetable.
As The Athletic's Vince Mercogliano reported on Wednesday, the Rangers are still “aggressively trying to trade for reinforcements,” with Vancouver Canucks rental Kiefer Sherwood at the top of the list.
“[The Rangers] have been pushing hard for Vancouver Canucks winger Kiefer Sherwood, a league source said,” the hockey insider wrote. “The asking price is believed to be a first-round pick and possibly more for the 30-year-old who has netted 17 goals through 42 games and is in the final year of a modest contract that pays him $1.5 million annually. The acquisition cost is prohibitive for the Rangers, but team president Chris Drury’s focus has been on netting a top-nine forward to bolster an offense that ranks among the lowest-scoring in the NHL.”
The outlook is bleak for the Blueshirts without Fox and Shesterkin, and the team is already behind the eight-ball at 20-18-6 and second last in the Metropolitan Division.
Despite that, they're only three points out of a wildcard berth, and Mercogliano believes the front office isn't yet waving the white flag. Instead, Drury and co. will wait to see how the team performs over the last 12 games before the Olympic break before making any decisions.
Rangers could re-tool if play doesn't improve
If things don't improve in January, New York could end up selling ahead of the March 6 NHL Trade Deadline. Two sources revealed to Mercogliano that “some degree of selling is an increasingly likely outcome for the Rangers” if the on-ice product doesn't get better this month.
Owner James Dolan seems to have given Drury the green light if he decides to trade veterans for future assets: “As an owner, you have to be patient. The guys set out a plan. When I get impatient is when we veer off the plan and reach for the shiny thing.”
If New York continues to play in mediocre fashion, there are various players who could be expendable — most notably pending UFA and leading scorer Artemi Panarin. The 34-year-old owns a no-movement clause, but that won't stop conversations about the Russian's future taking place if the Rangers can't climb back into playoff positioning.
As Mercogliano states, January is a crucial month; if it doesn't go well, this roster could look quite a bit different at the end of the first week of March. But if the team can string some wins together, it could convince management to add a piece or two instead.
New York is back in action against the visiting Buffalo Sabres at Madison Square Garden on Thursday night.
