NHL Power Rankings: Lightning strikes, Flames burn out

21. New York Rangers (-)

As the New York Rangers rebuild their roster, there are two crucial factors to getting it right. They need to develop their prospects correctly and draft well. They are positioned to do that this year in the NHL Draft. In the first round, they have three picks, one of their own, one from the Boston Bruins and one from the Tampa Bay Lightning. They also have two in the second round and two in the third. If the Rangers can draft well and hit on even half of these picks, their roster will be reloaded and they can get back to making the playoffs. Henrik Lundqvist is not getting younger and the Rangers’ chances of winning with him are getting smaller and smaller.

The New York Rangers have lost four of their last five games and are desperate for this season to be over. The Rangers were not a terrible team this season; they just never found their rhythm and could not put together a decent string of games. Their lone win this set came in a 5-1 beatdown of the Buffalo Sabres. The Rangers surrounded that lone win with losses to the Columbus Blue Jackets, Philadelphia Flyers, and back to back losses to the Washington Capitals. They will close their season out with games against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Carolina Hurricanes, New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders and Philadelphia Flyers. Once the season is over, the Rangers will need to evaluate which veterans they want to keep and which ones to sell off for draft capital or prospects