Here are today’s news and links:

Rangers News:

• Justin Tasch relays word that Mark Messier will be joining ESPN’s new team for hockey coverage in advance of the 2021-22 season (NY Post)
• Vincent Mercogliano lists six important goals Gerard Gallant will need to accomplish sooner rather than later (LoHud)
• Rachel Nones highlights Kevin Rooney as one player set to shine under Gallant’s watchful eye if he is still on the team next season (The Hockey Writers)
• Rick Carpineillo make$ five prediction$ for the Blue$hirt$’ new regime led by Gallant and Chri$ Drury (The Athletic)

Around the NHL:

• The clock finally struck midnight on the New York Islanders, as the team failed to show up and were dominated in a season ending Game 7 Stanley Cup Semifinal loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning (Lighthouse Hockey)
• Mike Vaccaro believes that in spite of already lucking their way past two better teams earlier in the playoffs, the Islanders’ inability to luck their way past a third better team will sting for a long time (NY Post)
• Luke Fox tells the story of the 2021 Stanley Cup Finals between the Lightning and Montreal Canadiens with 73 stats (Sportsnet)
• Rick Westhead reports that a lawyer representing a former Chicago Blackhawks player that was sexually assaulted by a coach in 2010 has requested 31 documents regarding the team’s internal investigation at the time be made available (TSN)