Potential unrestricted free agents: Ryan Strome, F; Andrew Copp, F; Frank Vatrano, F; Tyler Motte, F; Kevin Rooney, F; Greg McKegg, F; Justin Braun, D; Keith Kinkaid, G
Potential restricted free agents: Kaapo Kakko, F; Julien Gauthier, F; Sammy Blais, F; Vitali Kravtsov, F; Libor Hajek, D; Alexandar Georgiev, G
Potential 2022 Draft picks: 4
Here are five reasons the Rangers were eliminated:
1. Road weary
The Rangers lost all three road games they played in the conference final.
They won Games 1 and 2 at home to take a 2-0 lead in the series. They had a 2-0 lead in the second period of Game 3 on the road, but held it for only 66 seconds before Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov scored a power-play goal.
The Lightning came back to win Game 3, 3-2, and then won Game 4, 4-1. They stopped the Rangers' eight-game home winning streak by winning Game 5 at Madison Square Garden, 3-1, and then New York's road struggles continued in Game 6 with a 2-1 loss.
The Rangers were 2-8 on the road in the playoffs and 8-2 at home.
2. Dead even
The series started out so well for the Rangers. They scored nine goals in the first two games, eight while skating 5-on-5; five in Game 1 and three in Game 2.
But New York scored only one more 5-on-5 goal in the series. It did not get any in Games 3, 4 and 6.
Ryan Lindgren scored at 5-on-5 in the second period of Game 5 to give the Rangers a 1-0 lead, but they couldn't hold it and lost 3-1.
3. Palat's all folks
Lightning forward Ondrej Palat was, as coach Jon Cooper called him, a "deadly assassin."
Palat scored with 41.6 seconds remaining in the third period of Game 3 to give Tampa Bay a 3-2 win. He deflected Mikhail Sergachev's shot from the point and scored with 1:50 remaining in the third period of Game 5, a 3-1 victory.
His pass in Game 4 sprung Nikita Kucherov for a breakaway goal that gave the Lightning a 2-1 lead at 13:07 of the second period. Palat then assisted on Steven Stamkos' goal at 4:56 of the third period and scored at 19:51 for the 4-1 final.
Palat also had assists on both Tampa Bay goals in Game 6.
He finished the series with eight points (four goals, four assists). The Rangers didn't have anybody with more than five points.
4. Stars go missing
Mika Zibanejad and Adam Fox each carried eight-game points streaks into Game 4.
Neither got another point in the series.
Chris Kreider had points in six straight games going into Game 5. He did not get a point in the last two games, or a shot on goal in Game 6.
Artemi Panarin was shut out in Games 5 and 6.
The Rangers' best skaters had their offense dry up right when they needed to deliver some signature performances.
5. Fatigue factor
The Rangers played 20 games in 40 days and it caught up with them.
Gerard Gallant said he thinks the offense dried up because of the fatigue that set in.
Zibanejad wasn't buying it, saying fatigue was not a factor. But the lack of offense suggests that maybe New York was gassed at the end of the series.
