Kevin Shattenkirk said that this season for the Rangers needs to be about establishing a "culture of winning" and that the focus isn't just to improve a little but to make the playoffs. (NHL.com)
Shattenkirk added, "when you drive that home into players especially early in their career, you don't accept anything less than making the playoffs and trying to make a run for the Stanley Cup." (NHL.com)
He said that when you look around the league at teams going through a rebuild it takes a year or two but that the Rangers are "fortunate" to still have some veterans as well as an "ace" in net."(NHL.com)
Shattenkirk said that it's on him and the veteran players to "bear the burden" and build that culture of winning. (NHL.com)
On being around young players, Shattenkirk said "there's some young guys here with a lot of promise and a lot of talent. It's as matter of not getting in their way, first and foremost, letting them do what they do best, but really instilling the core fundamentals into what goes into being a good player: consistency and playing night in and night out to the best of your abilities." (NHL.com)
Rangers coach David Quinn has spoken about how the Rangers need to come to work with the mentality of trying to get better every day.
James Dolan has said that the Rangers don't intend to bottom out as they rebuild.
The latest issue of The Hockey News listed the Rangers as 27th in terms of teams under pressure for the 2018-19 season, writing that the Rangers are "committed" to their rebuild and that Henrik Lundqvist may be the only one on the team feeling the "burning need to win now."