It’s an overcast first day in June here in the Big Apple. There’ll be no more hockey played at Madison Square Garden this summer. Instead, it’s what could’ve been.

After the Rangers were eliminated by the Panthers in a closely fought Game 6 last night, I took a walk around the block. It was a nice evening for it. In that peaceful moment, you could feel a cool breeze. It was a perfect way to gather my thoughts.

So often, we get too caught up in our teams. The 2023-24 New York Rangers made you care about hockey again. Compared to the previous spring, when the end was anticlimactic, these Rangers played with passion. They fought hard under coach Peter Laviolette.

There were too many exciting comeback victories to list during the season. The resolve of this team made them easy to root for. It was the polar opposite of 2022-23. Laviolette’s voice proved to be the right fit. He gets his flowers for the job he did.

Nobody ever would’ve predicted that they would finish with the league’s best record to win the Presidents’ Trophy. The Rangers proved that they were the best team in the Metropolitan Division. They backed it up by sweeping the Capitals and taking out the Hurricanes in six games to reach the Final 4.

Unfortunately, they were up against a very proven Panthers team that played for the Stanley Cup a year ago. They lost to the Golden Knights in five games. Paul Maurice’s club looks determined to deliver the franchise’s first championship.

The biggest difference between the Panthers and Rangers in the Eastern Conference Final was the Cats’ ability to impose their will. They were relentless on the forecheck and defended well in front of Sergei Bobrovsky. The Rangers found it tough to get to the slot area and net.

Ultimately, the Cats clawed their way past the Rangers in six games to return to the Stanley Cup Finals. Their combination of size, speed, and strength was too much for the Rangers to overcome. It showed in how their aggressive style overwhelmed the Blueshirts at times.

Stars Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad found little time and space to make plays. Adam Fox, who showed a lot of heart, playing on one leg, was unable to have an impact. It all added up to the Rangers’ three best skaters combining for a single goal with nine assists. Chris Kreider only had a shorthanded goal and helper in a crushing Game 5 loss.

There wasn’t enough offense from the Rangers’ best players. A core that’s been together for three straight playoffs might see a change coming this summer. In 2022, the offense dried up in the last four games to the Lightning in the same round. For six games, the Rangers totaled 12 goals. Hardly enough production to beat Bobrovsky.

Alexis Lafreniere scored four of the dozen. He was the Rangers’ most dangerous forward. However, in Game 6, he was held without a shot. Vincent Trocheck had two goals with four assists for a team-leading six points. He led by example throughout the season. Barclay Goodrow was an overtime hero in Game 2 and scored twice in Game 3. Alex Wennberg got the overtime winner in a wild 5-4 win last Sunday.

As it turned out, that was the last celebration of the season. After defeating the Rangers on a Sam Reinhart overtime winner in Game 4, the Panthers scored three straight times to grab a 3-2 victory in Game 5. Lafreniere made it interesting. But it was too little, too late.

The Rangers attacked more yesterday. But they fell behind due to a defensive breakdown. Sam Bennett buried a one-timer following an Erik Gustafsson turnover in the neutral zone. He and Jacob Trouba got toasted. It was a backbreaking goal because it came in the final minute.

Close calls from Jack Roslovic and Zibanejad will be replayed for a while. Who knows how it would’ve gone had either scored.

Instead, Vladimir Tarasenko put away an Anton Lundell feed in front with 10:52 left in the third period. That proved cruel due to Panarin finally scoring with 1:40 remaining. The Rangers got nothing afterward.

It isn’t easy to figure out what’s next. The Rangers have a good core that’s come close. However, it’s now 31 years and counting without a Cup. Time is ticking. Can they really consider running it back when their star players continue to come up small in big spots?

Igor Shesterkin was heroic in defeat. Without his incredible play, the Eastern Conference Final would’ve ended much sooner. At 28, he’s a year away from unrestricted free agency. With a bargain cap hit of $5.67 million through 2024-25, Shesterkin can write a blank check. That’s how remarkable his level was in the postseason.

This summer, the Rangers have decisions on a few key players. They include Ryan Lindgren, Braden Schneider, and Kaapo Kakko. All are restricted free agents.

Lindgren is a year away from unrestricted status. They must decide if he’s worth signing long-term. Considering the tenacious style he plays, they might want to see if he’s amenable to a team friendly deal between four to five years. Players like Lindgren don’t age well. That should be an interesting negotiation.

Schneider doesn’t have much bargaining power. He finished up an entry-level contract. The Rangers can sign him to an affordable deal that’s more short-term.

Kakko is more of a question mark. Having wrapped up a bridge deal that saw him make an AAV of $2.10 million, the Rangers can qualify him for $2.4 million.

The 23-year-old former 2019 second pick expressed frustration after being a healthy scratch for Game 2. He was right that everyone wants to play in the playoffs. A strong possession player who’s never scored consistently, Kakko has a secondary role on the Rangers. It’s not what he envisioned at this point.

His career best season was in 2022-23, when he posted 18 goals and 22 assists for 40 points. In an injury plagued 2023-24, Kakko struggled to score. He finished with 13 goals and six assists in 61 games.

Kakko has played exactly 300 career games. He’s totaled 57 goals and 60 assists for 117 points. A reliable defensive forward who’s never established himself in the top six or gotten top power play, it might be in his best interest to seek a trade. Supposedly, there are a few teams interested.

He might need a change of scenery. From a Rangers’ perspective, Kakko is affordable. They can keep him for another year and see if he can improve. More than likely, he could be traded to a team that can give him a better opportunity.

Blake Wheeler, Wennberg, Roslovic, Gustafsson, and Chad Ruhwedel are unrestricted. It’s doubtful that anyone will be back. Zac Jones is ready to take over the sixth defenseman role for Gustafsson. Unless Laviolette still wants Gustafsson to return, they’ll probably move on.

Next summer, Lafreniere and K’Andre Miller are RFA’s. Might the Rangers be interested in locking up Lafreniere, who started to blossom this postseason? That could make sense. Miller was better in the playoffs but remains inconsistent.

Shesterkin should be the top priority. Getting him extended makes sense. Do they really want to wait?

Currently, the Rangers have over $12 million in cap space. What will Chris Drury decide? Is there a move to be made that could change the dynamic of the team? Look at how much of an impact Matthew Tkachuk had on the Panthers. Even Bennett helped mold them into a much tougher team.

The Rangers’ biggest stars all have no-movement clauses. Trouba is signed another two years with an $8 million average cap hit. Panarin makes $11.64 million per year through 2025-26. Zibanejad is signed through 2029-30 with an AAV of $8.5 million. Kreider has a more affordable $6.5 million cap hit for another three years.

If they do decide to move on from a core player, it’ll be to change how they play. The Rangers must become a heavier team that’s harder to play against.

It’s only June 1. We’ll have a better idea what management thinks when the heat intensifies.