As the 2021-22 NHL season is about to commence, the New York Islanders and New York Rangers will both look to go all the way and win the Stanley Cup. However, one is in a better position to do that than the other.

The Metropolitan Division has been retooled this offseason. Various teams have added to their depth chart and fixed weaknesses. One team in particular that has been busy this off-season is the Rangers. The Rangers made various management changes and on-ice personnel changes.

These changes are an attempt for them to get back to the Stanley Cup Playoffs after a four-year absence and adopt a more physical style of play. Hence, the Rangers traded out grit players for skilled players. Despite these changes, the Rangers are incapable of replicating what the Islanders have built.

The Rangers’ management sent a letter to their fans in Feb. 2018. After years of being Stanley Cup contenders, the Rangers were finally blowing it up. The organization had decided it was time to rebuild. They traded their aging core for draft picks and young prospects for the future. The Rangers, despite all of their fantastic playoff moments from the last decade, missed their window. They failed to win a Stanley Cup.

At around the same time as the Rangers started to rebuild, the Islanders cleaned house. They brought in Hall of Fame general manager Lou Lamoriello and head coach Barry Trotz fresh off a Stanley Cup with the Washington Capitals. Both NHL masterminds were tasked with fixing the Islanders, and they did.

With a new culture and bench boss, the Islanders soon started to trend upwards, while the Rangers slid downwards from their decade of contention.

Now, it is no secret that the Islanders are Stanley Cup contenders. After years of watching the Rangers top the NHL standings, the Islanders decided it was their turn.

The Islanders have firmly established themselves as the hockey team to watch in New York over the past two seasons. After years of being a laughing stock, the Islanders cemented themselves as a perennial playoff team. They then proved they were a Stanley Cup contender, shifting themselves onto the center stage in New York. It was not easy, nor was it expected, but the Islanders have become a success story under Lamoriello and Trotz’s leadership.

While the Islanders became the premier team to watch in New York, making back-to-back trips to the NHL Stanley Cup Semifinals, the Rangers’ rebuild has carried onward. Although they have shown glimpses of success, the Rangers have struggled to keep up with the rest of the Metropolitan Division, especially their New York foe.

The Rangers’ inconsistency is not surprising. Young NHL players cannot make the same impact that seasoned NHL veterans can make. A first overall pick, although extremely talented, usually cannot single-handedly carry a team to the NHL playoffs in his first season with the team. Although a very skilled and young team, the Rangers failed to be consistently successful and make the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

Furthermore, the Islanders‘ domination over the Rangers this past season is a part of why the Rangers decided to clean house this past offseason. The Rangers fired general manager Jeff Gorton and team president John Davidson plus head coach David Quinn, along with his three assistants as well. The Islanders’ physical domination against the Rangers resulted in a switch in the Rangers’ mentality. The Rangers went from primarily highly-skilled players to a mix of both skill and grit. The Islanders’ well-oiled machine of all four lines and their ability to wear teams down was a clear mismatch for the young Rangers’ team.

Gerard Gallant’s hiring as head coach of the New York Rangers symbolizes the Rangers are finished rebuilding and are in win-now mode. To accommodate this goal of winning now, the Rangers bolstered their physicality. Two of the Rangers’ biggest additions were two-time Stanley Cup Champion Barclay Goodrow, who will add depth and grit, along with enforcer Ryan Reaves, who will protect their young star players. The Rangers also added Kevin Rooney from the New Jersey Devils, brought back Greg McKegg, who used to play for the Rangers, traded for Sammy Blais from St. Louis, and signed six-foot-four defencsmen from Colorado Patrick Nemeth.

All of the Rangers’ acquisitions bring size, depth, physicality, grit and tenacity to a team of youth and talent. The Islanders’ team is built a similar way to the Rangers’ current team. The Islanders have a good mix of talent and grit, with depth players who can also score and be physical.

However, the Rangers will not be as successful as the Islanders. This is because the Rangers lack the tight team-identity the blue and orange have. The Islanders are an extremely tight-knit group. Their success was not built overnight.

Although there are new additions to the team, most of the Islanders‘ roster has stayed the same from when the team was a laughing stock. This transformation the team has gone through has made the group closer than ever. The Islanders did not just bring in a bunch of bottom-six forwards overnight and have them play with their talented young skaters, as the Rangers did. The Islanders fourth line has been playing together for years. They have chemistry and a close-knit bond. Each one of those guys is friends on the ice and off the ice.

The Rangers will not be successful in their attempt to imitate the Islanders’ strategy. Therefore, the Rangers are incapable of replicating what the Islanders have built on Long Island.

Ethan Halle

Ethan is an Economics Major at the University of Florida looking to pursue a double major in Sports Management with a minor in political science.