The New York Rangers had themselves a good day on Monday when they signed Ryan McDonagh to a long-term contract.
McDonagh, 24, could have opted for a path that would have eventually led to free agency. Instead, he inked a six-year, $28.2 million contract that will keep him on Broadway as the anchor of the team's defense.
The Rangers' backbone is their ability to play defense. Thanks largely to goalie Henrik Lundqvist, McDonagh, Marc Staal (when healthy), Dan Girardi and Anton Stralman and their defensive-minded forwards, the Rangers excel at stopping opponents from putting the puck in the net.
But the Rangers have learned that defense is not enough. They had the best record in the Eastern Conference in 2011-12 and were favored to win the East in 2013 when the truncated season opened, but they have failed to come through in the playoffs.
That was one of the reasons Rangers president and general manager Glen Sather fired head coach John Tortorella shortly after the team was defeated by the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference semifinals in the 2013 playoffs.
Sure, Tortorella is well-known for his argume ...
Read Full Article at Bleacher Report - NHL
Article written by Steve Silverman
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