New York Rangers Secure Second Overall Pick in NHL Draft Lottery

From the desk of:  RAISE GRESCH WITH THE GREATS

2019 DRAFT LOTTERY

New York Rangers Secure Second Overall Pick

New York Rangers: Glen Sather Determined to Screw Us Till The Very End.

Glen Sather may have originally hired Jeff Gorton as a scout, then put him in charge of Player Development, and then promoted him to Assistant General Manager.  Throughout that time, however, Sather remained alpha figure in the room.  So whatever Sather wanted, Gorton made sure to it.

When Sather retired/fired himself as general manager in 2016, and appointed Jeff Gorton as his replacement, I've since questioned whether Gorton indeed has complete autonomy, or if President Sather is really still calling the shots.

Last February, Jeff Gorton stood at MSG's press room podium reading a prepared statement informing the media and fans of the Rangers plans for initiating a full rebuild.  In the background, and in the fine print of said statement one could sense Glen Sather thinking, "... yeah but we wanna compete at the same time."

i.e., doing things half-ass ... like last year's trade deadline in which they didn't nearly go far enough.  Or this year's trade deadline in which they didn't nearly go far enough.

Now Glen Sather recently announces he's retiring as club president and retreating to a more senior advisory role to owner James Dolan.  Notice the timing of it all: he didn't step aside prior to last year's deadline or this year's deadline; nor did he step aside prior to Tuesday's draft lottery.  He'll very likely still be around come the draft as well.  The question which begs asking, then, is when the hell is he going away?

Sather says we will be advising Jame Dolan with regards to his own replacement.  On a recent interview on sports talk radio, he said he prefers the next president not change the existing operating procedures and structure, and somewhat stressed that the next president of hockey operations follow Sather's parting instructions to the letter.

At least that's how I interpret what he says.

Please just go.

The Rangers finished the season with the sixth least points in the NHL.  By sheer luck of Tuesday's NHL lottery, the Blue Shirts move up with the second overall pick in the upcoming entry level draft.  The onus is now on the new/old/whatever administration to not screw up a golden opportunity.

I've said this before, but ponder the following again if you will ...

In 1994, the Rangers snapped what was then a 54-year championship drought.  The Stanley Cup itself was hoisted up in triumph by a legitimate first line center named Mark Messier.  Sadly, another 25-years have elapsed without winning another.  Not coincidentally, the team has likewise remained hopelessly in search of their next first line center ever since, and to no avail.

How do teams go about obtaining one of these so called first line centers?

In the Rangers case, they were fortunate enough in 1991 to trade for a 31-year old future Hall of Fame center from the Edmonton Oilers.  However, previous to Mark Messier fans need rewind all the way back to Phil Esposito - another Hall of Fame, first line, albeit aging center acquired by trade from the Boston Bruins - whom in 1979 led the club to the Stanley Cup finals, only to meet defeat against the dynastic Montreal Canadiens.

Otherwise, first line centers are drafted.  But unless you're selecting first or second overall - outside of the rare wunderkind slipping through the cracks - odds are you're not securing a legitimate two way first line threat.  In order to be in that position, a team must really, really, suck ... and not just for one season, but endure two and three seasons of complete and utter toilet worthy play.

Here are just a few examples:

• Between the years 2003 through 2006, the Pittsburgh Penguins lost upwards of 65% of their games.  In 2004, they selected Evgeni Malkin with the second overall pick of the entry draft.  The very next year, Pittsburgh selected Sidney Crosby with the first overall pick of the entry draft.

• While not a center, Alex Ovechkin was the player selected first overall ahead of Malkin in the 2004 entry draft.  But in order to get themselves in that position, the Washington Capitals in 2003-2004 lost 64% of their games.

• The Chicago Blackhawks are no different.  Jonathan Toews is an example of a top center being selected third overall in the 2006 entry draft.  The very next year, winger Patrick Kane was the first overall selection of the 2007 entry draft.  However, being in position to draft either player, much less both, required the Blackhawks enduring back-to-back seasons of 60% futility.

• Locally speaking, this is how the Islanders got their hands on their former center John Tavares, and how the Devils were able to draft center Nico Hischier.  BTW, the Devils lucked out yet again by securing the first overall pick ahead of the Rangers.

Historically speaking, the Rangers have never allowed themselves to sink to such depths.  That explains the Rangers decades long lack of elite skill up the middle.  There's been just one instance within my lifetime in which the (1984-1985) Rangers lost 62% of their games.  The previous time occurred the year before I was born.  Between the years 1964 through 1966, they lost on average 64% of their games. After which Emile "the cat" Francis would draft the Rangers back into playoff contention and into the 1972 Stanley Cup finals.

The Rangers caught a break this year.  A number two overall pick should be icing on the cake considering the handsome clutch of draft picks amassed by Gorton over the last two trading periods.

Scuttlebutt says the Rangers will likely zero in on Finnish phenom Kaapo Kakko, who plays wing, not center.