Jacob Trouba said that this season will probably be the last crack for this core, but what exactly does that mean?
Are the New York Rangers entering the last dance for this current core?
On the surface, it seems that everything is perfect in New York as the Rangers are coming off of a season where they won the Presidents’ Trophy and made it all the way to the Eastern Conference Final.
However, there is a sense that the Rangers’ championship window is closing and the team may only get one more crack at a chance for the Stanley Cup, something that Jacob Trouba echoed to the media on Thursday.
“In all likelihood, this will probably be the last crack for this core," Trouba said. "I don’t think it’s a secret by any means.”
What exactly does this mean?
Well for starters key contributors for the Rangers including Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider and Vincent Trocheck are all over 30-years-old and aren't getting any younger.
Trouba’s words are a bit confusing though because all these players are still producing at a high level, so it’s hard to imagine their play just dropping off.
What Trouba could have meant was the Rangers window to win a Stanley Cup is not necessarily closing but the door is shutting on this specific core.
A few Rangers players are on pretty hefty contracts, which means next year when guys like Igor Shesterkin, Alexis Lafrenière, Kaapo Kakko, Ryan Lindgren, Will Cuylle, and Reilly Smith all become free agents, Chris Drury and the management group will have some tough decisions to make.
The team can’t keep everybody and the cap situation will be something to watch out for next offseason.
Shesterkin’s contract situation will completely shake up the Rangers’ future whichever way the organization decides to go in.
It’s critical to focus on the present and right now, the Rangers have a legitimate chance to win the Stanley Cup and until the season is over, that’s the only thing that matters.
If we are really witnessing the core’s last dance, this will certainly be a season for the history books.
