The eyesore organization in Chicago now becomes the first major market revenue-producer in pro sports to shamelessly embrace tanking. It may be a while before the NHL’s favored nation franchise gets back into the Winter Classic.
Trading 24 year-old Alex DeBrincat off his second 41-goal season in the past five years in order to effectuate a rebuild because of looming future contract obligations — or at least that was the excuse — would have been tantamount to the Rangers moving a then 24-year-old Mika Zibanejad in 2018.