Looking at the Rangers heading into the off-season

From Larry Brooks of the NY Post:

Up front, are the Rangers more likely to win the Stanley Cup within the next couple of years if they re-sign Jaromir Jagr for a base of approximately $5M, or if they instead the cut the cord and invest the $7M per for which Marian Hossa, who in his own breakout postseason, was Pittsburgh’s most consistently dangerous forward?

Are the Rangers more formidable with Hossa on the first unit playing with Scott Gomez and Chris Drury, and Brandon Dubinsky lined up as second and third pivots? Or are they better with Dubinsky playing with Jagr while Gomez seeks a compatible second-line winger and Drury is again dispatched to the third line? There is no guarantee Hossa will sign with the Blueshirts if he gets to July 1, but we have heard nothing to suggest he would not.

Read the entire NY Post article here.

Speculation is the name of the game here. All of the suggestions put forth by Brooks are based on the assumption that the players mentioned even want to sign in NY. That being said, he brings up some good points about possible defensive moves. As for Jagr or Hossa? The Rangers will have lots of competition if they want to go after Hossa. As for Jagr, he won’t be seeking a long-term deal and is closing in on 40, so teams won’t be as eager to sign him. It should make for an interesting summer in the Big Apple.