James Dolan weighs in on the Rangers’ current ‘course’

LAS VEGAS — Halfway through the first season of a dramatic and directed reset, there is no turning back for the Rangers. You can take that from CEO Jim Dolan.

“The stew has just gotten on the flame, so like everybody else, I’m waiting to see who we’re going to be,” Dolan told two reporters Monday after taking in his team’s practice in advance of Tuesday’s match against the Golden Knights. “I’m very happy with our coach, he’s a teaching coach, a development coach who understands how to work with kids, bring their level up and build a team.

“I’m very happy with how the organization is organizing itself around development. We’re staying the course.”

This trip here was not prompted by the sudden skid in which the Blueshirts have dropped three straight by an aggregate 18-3 since the holiday recess and have appeared demoralized for the first time. Dolan had been in Los Angeles, where he was on hand for a Knicks’ victory over the Lakers on Friday, and has other business in Las Vegas.

This is not an organizational five-alarm situation, not in the least, even if the team’s play in Friday’s 6-1 loss in Colorado and Sunday’s 5-0 defeat in Arizona was pretty alarming. But the recent stark downturn has neither fazed Dolan nor prompted him to rethink the direction in which he, president Glen Sather and general manager Jeff Gorton set the franchise on prior to last year’s deadline purge.

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“It shouldn’t surprise you too much,” he said of this slide. “It’s an opportunity, though, to learn, especially for the kids. They’ll probably always remember this dip because it’s so dramatic. Hopefully we won’t see one again. This is part of the learning process.”

The Blueshirts are 17-17-7, barely on the periphery of the playoff picture. And while there is always pressure in the NHL, there is no organizational pressure on Gorton or coach David Quinn to drive the Blueshirts to the postseason.

“I’m pleased that we’re following the strategy we agreed on,” Dolan said. “I don’t want them lunging for the playoffs. Nobody’s job depends on whether we make the playoffs or not, although the team still believes we can make it.”

But making the playoffs is likely not in the team’s long-term interest when premium draft picks are the reward for finishing at the bottom of the league. Still, even as the Rangers are expected to go through a second deadline purge in order to bulk up on draft picks and prospects, Dolan is not encouraging a Lose-for-Jack Hughes approach to the remainder of the season.

“None of my teams are going to tank. I’ll never tell a team to lose,” Dolan said. “I think teams that tank are giving away something really big. I think they’re giving away that emotional development for the team. You can see how important that is.

“You have responsibility to the fans; fans pay for tickets and they deserve best game you can give them. That’s probably No. 1. But when you go in and tell a team, even if you’re just telling the coach, to lose the game, you’re dispiriting your team. That hurts more than getting a better draft pick helps. It’s hard to reignite the spirit of the team.”

The 17-17-7 record (albeit 5-9-5 since Thanksgiving) flatters the team. It is no secret to anyone, including the man at the top, why that is.

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“It’s still a development year, but the one thing with the team that shouldn’t be a surprise to anybody is that Hank can carry a team,” Dolan said, citing Henrik Lundqvist. “I think our success up until this point is largely attributable to Hank, but that’s not what our plan is.

“Our plan, of course, is to stay with Hank but develop these kids and have a potent team besides the goalie. That’s coming along, but they’re young. The older guys, I think are contributing, but we’re not expecting to compete for a Stanley Cup this year.”

Lundqvist, who has been pulled from each of his last two games in allowing 11 goals on 50 shots in 81:18 and will back up Alexandar Georgiev on Tuesday, has of course pledged his fealty to the franchise on more than one occasion. No, he is neither jumping ship nor about to be pushed overboard.

“The real big difference between the Knicks and Rangers is Henrik,” Dolan said, in assessing the state of his two rebuilding franchises. “If the Knicks had a Henrik, they’d probably be competing for a playoff spot. No Henrik, no playoff spot.

“Hank is excellent about his conditioning, health, etc. He thinks he’s going to be here [for the payoff on the rebuild]. I think he can make it as long as [Martin] Brodeur. Maybe a little further on in his career we can give him a little more of a break here and there, but he’s an All-Star this year.

“It’s hard to find another Hank. Damn near impossible.”