Lundqvist gives first impressions on new coach, Rangers’ rebuild

A new year with a new voice from behind the bench, but for the Rangers, the same franchise goaltender with the same commitment to excellence.

“I think you’ve got to look at short term,” Henrik Lundqvist said following the first work day of his 14th training camp for his fourth coach. “I think right now, have a really strong camp and build it week by week.

“You can feel we’re starting over a little bit with a new system, new coaching staff and a little bit different mentality, so I don’t think we should look too far [ahead]. Have a good camp, a good start and build off of that and see how far that takes us. That’s going to tell us how we stack up against other teams.

“I’m not going to sit here and predict or say this or that,” the 36-year-old said. “I think the focus right now is the start. But we do have a lot of skill in the room, I see that, and a lot of hungry players. That’s a great combination.”

David Quinn is the new voice responsible for instilling the new mentality and new system. The coach, who was vocal and demonstrative through Saturday’s split sessions that focused on one-on-one battles, met with Lundqvist in Sweden in early July to begin to form a bond with the club’s senior and — still — most important player.

“I got a really great impression of him as a person, how he likes to discuss things. He seems like he’s very open, a great guy,” said Lundqvist — who previously has played under Tom Renney, John Tortorella and Alain Vigneault since crossing the pond in 2005. “Now it’s the other part of it, to see him as a coach.’’

“Moving forward, it’s going to be under different circumstances. It’s one thing to sit down in July and discuss and another thing to discuss under pressure. I’m curious to see how things are going to feel in here. I think every time you have a new coach, you have a new feel and you learn something.”

Lundqvist is coming off a season in which he posted three of the strongest months of his career from November through mid-January in carrying the Rangers to playoff relevancy, but was unable to surmount the breakdowns in front of him on a consistent enough basis both at the start and finish.

If the team has to be better, so does the King in what will likely be a 54- to 58-start workload for the organization to which he has pledged allegiance — over and over again.

“The shape he’s in certainly tells you he’s all in,” Quinn said. “He was always part of the conversations when I took the job, so I had a good idea that he wanted to stay here, wanted to finish his career here and be part of the next wave of success.”

Lundqvist is around the same 180 pounds he’s been the past three or four seasons after previously having played at 200. He took a few weeks off after receiving a postseason platelet-rich plasma injection in his knee before getting onto the ice a little bit earlier than usual.

see also

David Quinns challenge: Keep Rangers relevant during rebuild

The Rangers probably aren’t going to be as young as…

“I feel great. I’m excited to be back at the training center and back in New York after a great summer in Sweden,” he said. “But this is the time of year where you start to focus on what’s ahead with the new season and the new challenge.”

The challenge this time is to get the luxury liner turned around 180 degrees and moving in the right direction, and when you’re 36, as quickly as possible.

“People talk about a rebuild and nobody knows how much of a ‘project’ that is,” Lundqvist said while using air quotes.

“We’ll focus on the start. and see how we stack up and then move forward.

“There’s no place else I’d rather be.”