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Whether you're in love with the makeover or not, changes were needed. The Rangers have been bounced from the second round of the playoffs for two consecutive seasons, the last one more frustrating than the one prior. When you blow a 3-0 Game 1 lead in Pittsburgh and drop a series in five games to a younger, hungrier and more explosive team, you have to change with the times, make heart-tugging decisions and roll some dice.

The result is a quicker, more attack-oriented and aggressive team designed to keep up with the Penguins and tighten the defensive effort. Here's a snapshot look of what was done and a projected impact.

Farewell to The Great 68
It was tough saying farewell to Jagr, who despite diminished production took more of a leadership role than at any time during his Rangers career and practically willed the team in the playoffs.

I would have done whatever it took to keep Jagr around another season. Okay, he didn't mesh with Scott Gomez and Chris Drury, but he found a soul mate in Brandon Dubinsky and possessed a refuse-to-lose mentality that made the Rangers look better than they played in the postseason. Alas, Jagr and Glen Sather could not meet at common ground, so Jagr will finish his stellar career for Avangard Omsk, a Russian team that is part of the new Continental Hockey League. In the NHL, Jagr won two Stanley Cups in Pittsburgh, and scored more goals (646) and points (1,599) than any European-born player.

Avery takes antics to Big D
Sean Avery is a Dallas Star, inked to a four-year, $16 million deal, far more than Sather wanted to pay the volatile forward. The mutual parting of ways helps and hurts both sides.

For Avery, he got what he believed he's worth, but not only did Avery want to stay in New York, he needed the Rangers and the Rangers needed him. The Rangers were 50-20-16 with him in the lineup and 9-13-3 without him. Avery is no longer around to irritate the elite players of the Eastern Conference, and I don't see him having the same impact in Dallas. The chemistry Avery had in New York is impossible to overlook.

On the other side of the coin, Avery flamed out at the worst possible times. Compare his playoff production in the last two second rounds, both times when the Rangers' season came to a premature end, to the respective round ones.

2006-07
Round 1 vs. Atlanta: 1-4-5, plus-2 (Rangers win series 4-0)
Round 2 vs. Buffalo: pointless, minus-5 (Rangers lose 4-2)

2007-08
* Round 1 vs. New Jersey: 3-2-5, plus-3 (Rangers win 4-1)
* Nagging of Martin Brodeur inspired the league to enact "The Avery Rule"
**Round 2 vs. Pittsburgh: 1-1-2, even (Rangers lose 4-1)
* Avery's season ended with a lacerated spleen suffered in Game 3

At least the Rangers won't have to deal with him as an opponent too often. Avery is a classic example of a player you love if he's on your side, but loathe if he's against you.

The change of scenery theory
Naslund and Redden are in the twilight of their careers while Zherdev is hockey's version of Jose Reyes: petulant and immature, yet entertainingly talented.

The Rangers are banking on a fresh start to ignite a fire under players and team, respectively.

No longer willing to wait on Jagr, the Rangers signed Naslund to a two-year, $8 million deal. Naslund's numbers have declined since a 48-goal, 104-point campaign in 2002-03 and bottomed out to 25 and 55 last season, but playing on Gomez's left side should buck the trend and give Naslund second life.

Zherdev arrives from Columbus for Tyutin and Backman. He's off his best season so far (26-35-61), but was viewed as a me-first who shows up when he wants to. If Brendan Shanahan (assuming he returns), Drury and the other Ranger veterans grab him by the neck and demand he grow up, Zherdev will blossom in New York. The Rangers were correct to take a chance on him; Zherdev gives them a better chance to win than the two punchless defenseman they jettisoned, one of them whom a NY Journal News reader coined "Backman Turn-Overdrive."

The revamped blue line
Kalinin is an overlooked signing (one-year, $2.1M contract) who will provide a veteran and physical presence. Redden will also help. He's anxious to rebound from a bad year in a terrible environment in Ottawa, and puck-moving and passing ability will add spice to a maddingly inconsistent power play.

However, Redden is grossly overpaid at six years, $6.5M. Larry Brooks of the New York Post noted this last week: Zdeno Chara makes $7.5M over five years. Scott Niedermayer $6.75M per, Chris Pronger $6.25M per and Nicklas Lidstrom $7.45M per, and Sather refused to give Avery, his biggest impact player, an extra $4M over four years. One better hope Redden's down season was a by-product of the turmoil the Senators endured.

Under the radar
First pair defenseman Michal Rozsival returned for four years and $20M. Rozival's production dipped dramatically in the second half, but until Marc Staal develops fully, Rozival is the best offensive defenseman the Rangers have ... Paul Mara returned for a $1.9M over one year, a fair price for someone who will never meet his projected offensive numbers, but is a piece of a five top-six blue line corps ... Martin Straka will play next season in his native Czech Republic; the Rangers will miss the class, desire and professionalism he provided every night ... Stephen Valiquette will back up Henrik Lundqvist again. Valiquette is a fine second-string goaltender, but you'll still be in panic mode if Lundqvist is injured for a significant amount of time.