The New York Knicks are NBA champions. They took out the San Antonio Spurs in five games in the NBA Finals. They went into the series as serious underdogs, but they beat Victor Wembanyama three times on his home court to win their first championship in more than 50 years. The Knicks, who spent much of this century as the laughing stock of worldwide basketball, now lifted a championship trophy.
This is also the first championship for James Dolan. He’s been getting himself some wins lately. Of course, his biggest win is the Knicks, which have taken over the sports world, made him look like an actual good owner, and he’s making money hand over fist at the Sphere.Â
Then, there’s the New York Rangers. They are the red-headed stepchild of the James Dolan empire. Heck, Dolan’s music career is going better than the Rangers have been as of late.Â
Right now, it seems pretty clear the Rangers should take a beat and go all-in on a short rebuild. They should cut it down to the studs and build around the youth. They have some interesting pieces in Alexis Lafreniere, Gabe Perreault, Will Cuylle, and Braden Schneider. If they all turn into the best versions of themselves, this could turn into a contender in no time.
Unfortunately, none of those players are close to the top of their talent level. And that’s why the Rangers are here. They are littered with talent, including one of the best goalies in Igor Shesterkin and one of the best defensemen in Adam Fox.Â
To the delight of New Jersey Devils’ fans, the Rangers season went into the tank last season.Â
The New Jersey Devils want the New York Knicks championship win to lead to James Dolan cancelling the New York Rangers' rebuild
The Rangers now have a top-five draft pick, a center in Vincent Trocheck who could get them a haul in a trade, and an interesting roster. Their wing depth is non-existent, but they are pretty well served at every other position. Could Chris Drury talk Dolan into going for a Stanley Cup again?
The Knicks sure helped Drury’s case, if that’s what he’s looking for. They hired Mike Sullivan last season, so it wasn’t like they were looking to lose. They sent another letter this season, explaining that a rebuild might be on the horizon.
Remember the last time they sent a letter? Not long after that, they sped the process up because Artemi Panarin fell into their lap and Igor Shesterkin developed into a superstar.Â
Just a few seasons later, Panarin is in Los Angeles and Shesterkin is now on the wrong side of 30. And the Rangers were one of the worst teams in the NHL. Meanwhile, the team they share a home with and an owner with just won a championship.
This is going to change how the Rangers approach the offseason. Will they keep Trocheck? Probably not, but they might use the assets they get in the Trocheck trade to try to make a splash in the form of Jason Robertson and Jordan Kyrou. Both of those players are great, but neither of them make the Rangers a true contender.Â
Keeping the Rangers in the missing middle of the NHL standings is exactly what Devils fans want. We love that the Knicks won the title. They were as likable a team as we’ve had in basketball in a long time. The Rangers? Not so likable.Â
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