Elliotte Friedman speculates "earth-shattering" offseason moves for NY Rangers after disappointing season

NHL insider Elliotte Friedman shared his thoughts about the New York Rangers' offseason strategy. The Blueshirts experienced an underwhelming start to the campaign, but as the season progressed, they gradually improved their performance.

Despite this, the team finds itself eight points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the No. 2 Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference, with only five games remaining.

On Sportsnet 590, Friedman pointed out the offseason, when the team sought change but faced resistance, like when Jacob Trouba exercised his right to decline a move. Since the organization considered drastic measures, there have been fleeting moments of improvement, but the overall mood has remained lackluster.

"Their owner is not wired for this. He expects much better, so it comes down from the top," Friedman said."In the summer, they wanted to make change, Trouba — as is his right — said no. Ever since they brought the nuclear option on Trouba and Kreider, there have been moments where the team looked better, but generally they’ve been dispirited, kind of lifeless"

Friedman suggested that the Rangers will need to hold tough conversations about the players' and organization's feelings — determining who wants to stay, who wants out, and who the team wants to retain.

"They're going to have to have some hard conversations about how players feel, how the organization feels — who wants to be there, who doesn’t, and who the organization wants to keep," he added.

As the New York Rangers look to the future, Friedman senses growing talk of significant moves. He pondered what that could entail — perhaps an offer sheet or blockbuster trade — while questioning what game-changing pieces are still available on the market.

"It’s interesting when you map it out - what big moves are left? Is it an offer sheet? A big trade? You're starting to wonder — what are the earth-shattering pieces still out there?"

---

New York Rangers HC provides unusual response after loss to Lightning

The New York Rangers endured a disappointing 5-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning at Madison Square Garden on Monday.

Following the game, coach Peter Laviolette gave an unusual response when asked about his message to the Rangers' locker room after the loss.

"I don’t have a message right now. I don’t go into the locker room after the game," he said.

The Rangers host the Philadelphia Flyers at MSG next on Wednesday. The puck at MSG drops at 7:30 p.m. ET.

---