WASHINGTON — If one didn’t know any better, one might be tempted to think the Rangers opening the 2021-22 NHL season in Washington against the Capitals — and Tom Wilson — might not have been a random thing.
A cynic might think the league (and perhaps its new national television partners) may have seen value in pitting the Rangers in their season opener against the player who assaulted their star forward, Artemi Panarin, in a late-season game that ultimately started the dominoes falling on a revamping of the Blueshirts’ organizational structure and roster makeup.
But coach Gerard Gallant insisted Wednesday, that despite adding players such as enforcer Ryan Reaves and 6-6, 232-pound defenseman Jarred Tinordi to their roster over the summer, the Rangers were not planning on starting any trouble with Wilson and the Capitals Wednesday night at Capital One Arena.