Pro Sports

Rangers, Islanders, Devils all creating buzz in offseason

Posted July 06, 2019 7:00 am

By VIN A. CHERWOO

FILE - In this March 20, 2018, file photo, Columbus Blue Jackets left wing Artemi Panarin (9) is congratulated by teammates after scoring a goal against the New York Rangers during the second period of an NHL hockey game in New York. The New York Rangers' rebuild just took a giant leap forward. Winger Artemi Panarin, the top free agent available this offseason, signed a seven-year, $81.5 million deal to join the Rangers, a person with knowledge of the signing told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the team didn't announce terms of the deal Monday, July 1, 2019. (AP Photo/Julie Jacobson, File) The Associated Press

The New York Rangers' rebuild got a big boost with the additions of forwards Artemi Panarin and Kaapo Kakko. The New Jersey Devils drafted Jack Hughes with the No. 1 pick and traded for P.K. Subban to improve their defense.

The Islanders are coming off a second-place finish in the Metropolitan Division and a run to the second round of the playoffs for the second time since 1993. Now, they return the core of their lineup for the second year under Stanley Cup-winning coach Barry Trotz and president/general manager Lou Lamoriello.

With the opening of training camps a little more than two months away, the three New York-area teams - which haven't made the playoffs in the same year since 2007 - are buzzing with excitement.

"It's awesome just in this area, even south Jersey with the Flyers, but Islanders, Devils, Rangers have real strong teams," Devils general manager Ray Shero said. "It's an exciting time for all the teams in this area."

New Jersey had the top pick for the second time in three years. In 2017, the Devils took Nico Hischier at No. 1 and got off to a strong start before earning a wild card. They took a step back last year and missed the playoffs, and then won the draft lottery.

Hughes and Kakko were the consensus top two picks, with the Rangers certain to take whichever player New Jersey passed on.

"They're both really good players and it's hard to pick one over the other," Shero said, "because Kakko is a great kid, a hell of a player, it's good for the rivalry."

The Rangers and Islanders both tried to sign Panarin, the top player available when free agency opened on Monday. The 27-year-old Panarin signed a seven-year, $81.5-million deal, reportedly spurning more money from the Islanders to join a Rangers team that has missed the playoffs two straight years after a seven-year run that included a trip to the Stanley Cup Final.

"The rivalry will never change, which is great for the area, great for hockey," Lamoriello said. "As far as the ingredients to each team, all I worry about is the New York Islanders and competing against ourselves to be the best we can. I'm not losing any sleep over what anyone else is doing."

After losing out on Panarin, the Islanders calmed their anxious fan base by re-signing captain Anders Lee and adding goalie Semyon Varlamov to replace Robin Lehner - a favorite in his one season in New York.

Last month, the Islanders inked center Brock Nelson and forward Jordan Eberle to new deals, keeping two players that were instrumental in their run to the postseason.

"We feel very good about our team," Lamoriello said. "We feel very good about our core players, having them all back for the most part is very important."

Getting Panarin was a big move for the Rangers after they went into rebuilding mode at the trade deadline in 2018, dealing veterans for young players and draft picks. They continued that strategy at the trade deadline this year.

However, the Rangers have been busy improving their defense since the end of the season. They signed Adam Fox, acquired the rights to restricted free agent Jacob Trouba from Winnipeg and also signed forward Vitali Kravtsov and goalie Igor Shesterkin - two Russians they drafted in previous years.

"This by no means alters our plan," Rangers coach David Quinn said of the contract for Panarin. "He's part of the rebuild and part of the process that's been going on over the last year and a half."

Shero liked the competitive vibe that was injected into the rivalry with the top two picks of the draft, much the way it happened in 2017 with the Flyers, who took Nolan Patrick at No. 2. He believes the division matchups make it more exciting, with the young players going to teams that play each other more often than in the case of other recent top picks that ended up in different conferences.

"It's great for the area," Shero said. "It's great for the rivalry and whether you play four or five times, we hope to play more against teams like the Islanders and Flyers and Rangers because that means we're in the playoffs.

"You see all three teams here ... it makes for a real good rivalry and a great division."

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Follow Vin Cherwoo at www.twitter.com/VinCherwooAP

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More AP NHL: www.apnews.com/NHL and www.twitter.com/AP_Sports

New Jersey Devils forward Jack Hughes, center, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NHL draft, takes questions during a news conference introducing the prospect to local media, Tuesday, June 25, 2019, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez) The Associated Press

In this March 23, 2019, photo, New York Islanders' Anders Lee in action during an NHL hockey game against the Philadelphia Flyers, in Philadelphia. From the start of New York Islandersâ training camp last September, Anders Lee insisted his impending free agency situation was different from the one John Tavares went through. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) The Associated Press

FILE - In this April 2, 2019 file photo, Nashville Predators defenseman P.K. Subban (76) looks on during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the Buffalo Sabres in Buffalo, N.Y. The New Jersey Devils have acquired Subban from the Nashville Predators in exchange for Steven Santini, Jeremy Davies and a pair of draft picks, Saturday, June 22. . (AP Photo/Jeffrey T. Barnes, File) The Associated Press

New Jersey Devils general manager Ray Shero speaks to media during the second day of the NHL hockey draft in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, June 22, 2019. (Chad Hipolito/The Canadian Press via AP) The Associated Press

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