Media Bytes: Post-Mortem Planning, Trocheck, Fox, Schneider, Rempemania 2.0
Trocheck is likely gone, Fox is likely staying, and Schneider’s fate hinges on whether a team meets the Rangers’ price. A busy offseason is taking shape.
Welcome back to Media Bytes, a weekly column from Blueshirt Banter. Every Sunday, we’ll help you start the week right with a quick catch-up on the latest stories and developments around the New York Rangers and the broader NHL media landscape.
The full version of Media Bytes is for Blueshirt Banter members only. To read the full thing and get it delivered to your inbox every Sunday, become a member at Blueshirt Banter today.
Post-Mortem Planning
1. Looking for more Rangers content? You’re in luck. Andrew Chelney and Arthur Staple have teamed up for Rangers Recon, a new Rangers-focused podcast dropping every Monday. On the show’s second episode, the pair dug into what comes next for the Blueshirts now that the season is officially over.
Staple opened the conversation by praising comments from Mike Sullivan, who drew criticism from a vocal corner of Rangers fans online after suggesting the team could prioritize strengthening the bottom-six and improving the mobility of its defense this summer.
“I liked hearing that. We can agree to disagree,” Staple said. “I know a lot of fans want more talent and more star power in the top-six, but this has been a top-heavy team—from the goalie, to the top D pair, to the top-six—for a long time. To me, Chris Drury recognized after they lost two years ago that that wasn’t going to work. They needed more depth so they could roll lines and D pairs more consistently to go deep in the playoffs.”
With the way the offseason and free agent market are shaping up, Staple believes improving the mobility of the second and third defensive pairings should be a top priority if the Rangers want to turn things around. He also noted that with Jonathan Quick now retired, the team needs both a reliable backup goalie and a middle-to-bottom six that’s “worth putting out there in key situations.”
If Drury agrees with Staple, this summer will be more about balance, less about blockbusters.
2. The duo also discussed the future of Vincent Trocheck, acknowledging what they see as a growing likelihood he’s traded this summer. While they understand the logic of moving him while his value is high, Staple cautioned that the decision isn’t purely a numbers exercise.
“When you're trading guys that are core guys you can have very good reasons for trading them player-wise, but person-wise, you need guys to fill that void,” he said. “They are going to need someone to fill that void if and when they trade Trocheck.”
In other words: even as the Rangers lean into a youth movement, don’t be surprised if they bring in a veteran center to help stabilize the room if and when Trocheck moves on.
