The Rangers’ 7-3-1 start has put them in a far better place than anyone expected, but it still hasn’t changed Dylan Larkin’s mind.
Through 11 games, New York has 15 points and sits second in the Eastern Conference entering Wednesday. The home record stands out even more: the Rangers are 6-0-0 at Madison Square Garden, a sharp turnaround from last season’s struggles there. Even with Igor Shesterkin apparently done for the year because of a knee injury, the early results have been strong enough to suggest the Rangers are starting to look like a real destination again.
Except, for Larkin, not yet.
The former Detroit Red Wings captain has been at the center of a trade saga for months after Detroit missed the playoffs for a 10th straight season. Larkin requested a move out of Detroit, citing the team’s lack of winning and a strained relationship with general manager Steve Yzerman.
He initially gave the Red Wings only three acceptable landing spots: the Florida Panthers, Minnesota Wild, and Vegas Golden Knights. That list stalled things quickly, since none of those clubs had the package Detroit wanted in return for its top center.
New York was believed to be interested in Larkin, but the feeling never went both ways. And on Tuesday, according to The Detroit Free Press’ Helene St. James, the Rangers still didn’t make the expanded list of teams Larkin would consider.
That new wishlist now includes the Panthers, Wild, Golden Knights, Dallas Stars, Carolina Hurricanes, Utah Mammoth, Tampa Bay Lightning, Colorado Avalanche, Washington Capitals, and New Jersey Devils.
So even after broadening the field to 10 teams, Larkin still isn’t looking at the Rangers. There’s an eyebrow-raising twist in that group, too: three Metro Division rivals are on it.
The Hurricanes have the best record in the Eastern Conference as of Wednesday morning. The Capitals, meanwhile, loaded up this offseason in hopes of pushing for a Stanley Cup run.
And the Devils would offer Larkin a reunion with USA teammate Jack Hughes after they won Olympic gold back in February.
The Rangers do have Mika Zibanejad and J.T. Miller as top centers, but there’s room for more depth, especially with Joe Veleno out long-term because of an injury. At the same time, it’s still very early, so any real pursuit would have to wait and see how the season develops.
For now, though, the bigger picture is hard to miss: New York’s hot start has not been enough to make Larkin view the Rangers as a place he wants to go.
That fits the larger trend around the franchise. The Rangers have long had the kind of pull that attracts star players, whether through free agency or trade.
But recent seasons have made that harder. They missed the playoffs the last two years and finished last in the Metropolitan Division last season.
This summer, the Rangers also tried to land Brady Tkachuk, only for him to choose Florida and join his older brother Matthew there instead.
The assignment for Chris Drury was clear: build a winner first, then worry about stars following. So far, the early returns are promising. Fifteen points in 11 games, with Shesterkin out after the sixth game, is no small thing.
Still, it may take more than a fast start before New York gets back to being the kind of team top players are eager to join.
In Other News...
Rangers Suddenly Have A Tye Kartye Decision They Didn't Expect
Tye Kartye arrived in New York as a waiver claim from Seattle, the kind of low-risk pickup teams make to deepen a roster and see if a hard-working winger can carve out a niche. Instead, the undrafted left winger has quickly turned into much more than depth, earning trust with the Rangers for the way he competes, handles his defensive responsibilities and helps steady the kind of line that can tilt a game.
What makes the situation interesting is how quickly Kartye has moved from hopeful addition to someone the staff has to keep in a meaningful role. His fit with the clubs top offensive players has already changed the conversation around what the Rangers thought they were getting, and now the bigger question is whether this early stretch is a real sign of staying power or simply the latest surprise in a season that is still taking shape. [Read more 🡒]
Sean Durzi Solves One Rangers Need While Exposing Another
Sean Durzi has already given the Rangers what they hoped to get when they brought him in over the summer: a steadier blue line and a presence that seems to fit naturally in the room. The comparison to Vincent Trocheck is obvious enough for anyone around the team. Both are similar in build, both play with a similar edge, and both come with the kind of workmanlike reputation that tends to travel well in New York. Durzi has also brought a little of the same personality and energy that made Trocheck so useful to the Rangers beyond the stat sheet.
What the move has also done, though, is shine a brighter light on the other side of the ledger. Trochecks departure left a hole down the middle, and the Rangers are feeling the effects in their center depth as the season goes along. Durzis past injury history is part of the broader picture too, because the Rangers know the upside is real but the margin for error is thin when a player has had to battle through health issues before. [Read more 🡒]
Adam Fox Is Turning The Garden Into A Huge Rangers Edge
Madison Square Garden has been doing its part, but Adam Fox keeps giving the Rangers another layer at home. In the 5-2 win over the Ducks, the defenseman added his 10th assist of the season and continued a stretch that has made him hard to keep off the scoresheet in his own building. New York is now 6-0-0 at home, and Foxs presence has been a big reason the building has felt like such an advantage early on.
Foxs latest milestone also put him in a familiar class within franchise history, as he became the fourth Rangers defenseman to reach double-digit assists in fewer than 12 games more than once. The more immediate note for the Rangers, though, is how steady he has been in Manhattan, where his point streak has now tied for the longest active run in the NHL. For a team trying to build separation at home, that kind of consistency matters just as much as the final score. [Read more 🡒]