Now im not saying we should PURPOSELY lose the rest of the way but if the Rangers started to fall in the standings it would not be a bad thing. If we are builiding towards a future, obtaining young, talented players is paramount to doing so. Now I cannot sit there and hope my team loses but if they do I wont cry about it….(even though I wanted to cry after the loss to the Pens thursday night…wow what a tough one) I will not accept mediocrity and for those who think it;s ok jus to make the PO’s and get bounced dont see the big picture.

now why with the mets draft history under minaya would any met fan want them to get any let alone high picks. i am a yankee fan but this isnt baseball and the rangers cant go out and get CC, AJ, Teix this offseason to make up for finishing out of the playoffs or even squeaking in. hockey now is built mostly through the draft and the difference b/w the 15th best player in a draft year and say the 7th is significant if the rangers continue to draft as they have the last two years.

seriously???? um you cant compare this to baseball because we have a salary cap.(something baseball should adopt) and second of all would you rather be our team and make the playoffs and get bounced just too see a bunch of old guys leave and new old guys enter, while you can be the team that loses and gets high draft picks and eventually becomes the next Coyotes, Avalanche, Kings, Capitals, Flyers, Pens. Id rather see us become a younger team that eventually molds into a contender like those teams Ive mentioned, and in order to see that happen Im willing to take a season off or even two seasons off to see it happen. Now Im a Yankee fan and what happened this season was BS I didnt enjoy that team one bit, the ability just to throw enormous amounts of money at the best players so they play for you is rediculous, especially when the other teams cant even compete with there payroll. Im glad hockey has a salary cap so we dont become the Yankees of hockey.

And I’d almost guess it’s the opposite of what you said.. Yankee fans don’t tolerate this “hey, we made the playoffs!” stuff. The goal is championships, end of story.

This Rangers team is not a championship team, so the clearest path is to get someone in here who could help that goal. It’s more likely that player would be obtained in the top picks of this years draft than with the current FA class, who are either:

1) too expensive for the cap era
2) lifers with their current team
3) too old to be considered solid pieces when the team will be ready to compete.

That’s not saying they shouldn’t be active in FA for the role players needed, but in this NHL, the top teams all have one thing in common: Multiple top 7 picks.

2005-2006 Oilers

get bounced early and say yeah pick it up next yr with the same results….bullshit!!! Im not saying the Rangers should tank cuz as a competitor you always try. And Pittsburgh never tanked they just sucked with young players till they got better. Dont tank but to Glen Sather stop with the patchwork theory and stop buying underachieving FA every offseason who dont perform and BUILD a team. Thats my point. Build a team through the draft and if you add a few FA here and there so be it. Sather always has to go for the big name, big ticket FA every year and has it worked? NO!! Thats my point.

I agree and disagree, experience is valuable and intangible, but thats how Drury has been playing most of the season, and we’re still struggling. Love the guy as much as the next fan, but he hasnt put up the numbers he should be with the rags and as captain..but on the other hand, if we squeeze in as 8th seed or even get lucky with 7th, look who we’re going to play: 8th vs 1st(Washington swept in 4, maybe 6 if we have a really good home game stretch) 7th vs 2nd(either Jersey or Pittsburgh, Jersey, id give us a fighting chance to take it to 7, but Pitt, clearly we just cannot win against them, home, away, anywhere.

Now i do agree that it would make sather take a closer look at this team over the offseason, but hes going to be doing that regardless if we make the playoffs or not, its just too apparent that R&R are poison among this team, really, 2 goals on the WHOLE season rozi..2…so much for an offensive defenseman.

But i dont agree with bottoming out, pulling an Islanders, hoping for a top 1st round pick and put all of our future hopes and dreams on an 18 yr old or 21 yr old, when now we have a cornerstone at 2 ends of the ice, Gabby and Lundqvist. If we base the team core around those 2, including callahan(i leave out Dubi only because i feel like if were going to trade away for anyone of worth, were going to have to get rid of a person with worth, and theyll let dubi go before callahan IMO.) and delzotto and gilroy are definitely the future on defense with girardi and staal as the sem-veteran.

but we do need to make some wise moves, and by we i mean the man with all the power, and not make any drastic moves other than getting big contracts out, and getting people who can play up to our sometimes high, but do-able expectations.

 I personally would love to see another Staal grace the ranger jersey(if i had my way) i think that would improve both of them to a level where everytime theyre on the ice, theyll try to outperform eachother. But thats just me. i liked the rumors about Setoguchi or Pavelski, i thought they would both be prime candidates to play on the left wing with gabby and prospal. We just need people who love to play garbage pickup and get all those rebounds goaltenders clear to the left side off of a gaborik shot.

I have never read ANYBODY out here saying the rangers should tank and purposely lose games and I am a regular out here. This tanking thing has taken on a life of it’s own. What people have been saying b4 the trade deadline is SELL dont be a buyer. Gather extra picks and draft wisely cuz making the 8th spot and getting bounced isnt enough anymore. People who know what they are talking about actually want this team TO GET BETTER!!! And Newburghhockey I have never seen you out here b4……….who exactly are writing these TANK articles?

I think you can rebuild and be competitive and maybe even make the playoffs. The Rangers need to finish dead last, get a top 3 pick. In the NHL, you really have to suck to not make the post season. You know, the Rangers blew in the late 90’s to the tune of like 6 yrs no playoffs. Did that really help though? Were the drafts that bad? They need a top pick, that would restore moral, losing in the first round is nothing to really build on. Considering this team will look totally different starting next season, it is irrelevant of players build on going to the first round of the playoffs.