Five questions facing the Rangers after being eliminated from the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs

1. Is Gerard Gallant a goner?

When then-new GM Chris Drury hired Gerard Gallant in the summer of 2021, it was a declaration by the organization that the rebuild, which had started three years earlier with The Letter, was over. It was time to return to the playoffs, and open the window for Stanley Cup contention. Gallant, who had guided the expansion Vegas Golden Knights to the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season that year, seemed the logical choice at the time to help the young, emerging Blueshirts take the next step.

But he was always viewed as a short-term solution. Gallant’s track record is that he has good results the first year, and then is fired at some point in the third season.

However, Gallant has compiled a 99-46-19 record here and became the first coach in Rangers history to record back-to-back 100-point seasons in his first two years with the franchise. His .662 point percentage is second-best all-time in club history, behind only Mike Keenan.

So, after taking the Rangers to the Eastern Conference finals in Year One, and getting bounced in the first round in Year Two, will Drury let Gallant return for Year Three?

2. Which, if any, free agents are returning?

Of the players they brought in at the trade deadline — Vladimir Tarasenko, Niko Mikkola, Tyler Motte and Patrick Kane — probably only Motte has a chance at returning, and even he might be too costly to bring back, based on the space the Rangers will have available under the salary cap. When he was looking for a right wing to play on the top line, Drury initially chose Tarasenko instead of Kane, partly because he was younger (31) and Kane, 34, has had issues with an injured hip. Adding Mikkola in the deal was a bonus, and both Tarasenko and Mikkola played well. Adding Kane later was something Drury did because it was doable, and so he went for it. But it didn’t work out so well.

3. Is Artemi Panarin not a playoff player?

In 57 career playoff games, Panarin has 16 goals and 30 assists for 46 points — not terrible, but well below a point per game. And he’s a minus-16 in the playoffs. In the regular season, he’s got 216 goals and 445 assists (661 points) in 590 games, so it does seem like he’s better in the regular season. But he’s 31 now, and the Rangers’ Stanley Cup window probably coincides with the remaining three years on his contract, so they’re going to need him to step it up in the playoffs if they’re going to have a chance to win a Cup. The problem is, it’s not like you can practice in the summer, or even during the season, for playoff hockey; you just have to raise your game when it comes around.

4. Who’s the right fit to play right wing on the top line?

Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider have been searching for the right guy to play on the right side of their line ever since Drury traded Pavel Buchnevich to St. Louis two summers ago. Salary-cap constraints meant Buchnevich had to go, but he’s never really been replaced. Frank Vatrano looked good with Kreider and Zibanejad after he was acquired at the trade deadline last season, but there was no way the Rangers could keep him after the season was over. Tarasenko looked good in that spot after being acquired this year, but they won’t be able to keep him, either. Kaapo Kakko has played in that spot a bunch and looked OK, so maybe it’s time to try him there for an extended period — at least until Drury can bring in another rental at next year’s trade deadline.

5. What prospects are ready to join the fray and freshen up the roster for next season?

Left wing Will Cuylle scored 25 goals for AHL Hartford this season and had a taste of the NHL when he was called up for four games in midseason. He’s 6-3, 204 and might be ready for some bottom-six forward action next season. Brennan Othmann, the 2021 first-round pick, is likely to need some seasoning in the AHL before joining the big club. There’ll be a spot open on defense, so will Zac Jones get another shot?

By Colin Stephenson

colin.stephenson@newsday.comColinSNewsday

Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.