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It’s been a rough autumn for New York City sports fans.
The Yankees and Mets lost in MLB’s final four. The Giants and Jets are closer to the NFL’s top draft pick than their playoff berths. The Islanders are 12th in a 16-team conference with 50 games left in another middling NHL season.
But none, perhaps, are more disappointing than the Rangers.
Coach Peter Laviolette and Co. were regular-season kingpins and Presidents’ Trophy winners in 2023-24. They eliminated the Washington Capitals and Carolina Hurricanes before losing in six competitive games to the eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.
So to suggest optimism was high when the puck dropped this fall is an understatement.
Neither is suggesting that things—in the form of a 3-10-0 plunge from a 12-4-1 start—could seem much worse than they are one week before Santa’s adventure begins.
Predictably, the skid has prompted calls for housecleaning and it began with a deal that sent rugged defenseman and team captain Jacob Trouba to Anaheim for a player and a pick.
Next on the block could be winger Kaapo Kakko, who was drafted second overall in 2019 and was a healthy scratch in the 3-2 loss at St. Louis on Sunday.
TSN insider Darren Dreger said the 23-year-old is probably aiming for a fresh start amid the rumors, which prompted the B/R hockey team to consider a handful of updated landing spots should general manager Chris Drury pull the trigger on a trade.