NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 03: Mika Zibanejad #93 of the New York Rangers celebrates with teammates after scoring a third period goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game Two of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on June 03, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JUNE 03: Mika Zibanejad #93 of the New York Rangers celebrates with teammates after scoring a third period goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game Two of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on June 03, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

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3 things Knicks can learn from Rangers’ run in NHL playoffs

by Adam Kester
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New York Knicks

Cam Reddish, RJ Barrett, New York Knicks. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

The Knicks need a long-term plan

Now in fairness to the current Knicks’ front office, they’ve shown a lot more dedication to having a long-term vision for the team than in years past. It’s still not very evident if they can reach sustained success, but they got a taste of it in 2020-21.

That taste of success prompted them to go into “accelerated rebuild” mode until they had to slam the brakes this year. The “accelerated rebuild” is always a dream for any young team. It’s a reality for the Rangers.

From 2006 to 2017, the Rangers went to the playoffs (the same format as the NBA, eight teams make it) 11 times out of a possible 12. They went to four conference semifinals, two conference finals, and one Stanley Cup final. Can you IMAGINE if the Knicks had that kind of success? What kind of dream world is that?

And then, guess what? The era of success began to dwindle. An absolute rock of a franchise player, Henrik Lundqvist, was getting old. The team was getting old. And the Rangers, transparent as ever, literally wrote a public letter to the fans saying “we are going to rebuild.”

They had a plan. They traded away beloved veterans, got a ton of draft capital, made some smart signings, and now… just four years later, they are set to be a playoff team for years to come once again.

How many years have the Knicks been a team without any direction? You cannot change the course of a franchise overnight. It takes a ton of time.

So far, this Knicks front office has, for the most part, seemed committed to long-term success. There have been a few large contracts, a few great trades, and a few iffy ones. For now, they seem much better off than in years past, but they still have plenty more to learn from the Rangers.

Next: A key to long-term success

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