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The Rangers went on a spending spree last offseason. Then, they went out and stunk up the joint en route to 29 wins and early-spring tee times. Now, under new management and coaching, life is sure to be different for the Blueshirts.

ESPN.com takes a Closer Look at the Rangers and what they need to get better in 2000-01.

Season Review: Costly mediocrity

	Fleury

Where to start ... How about Theo Fleury's 15 goals. Or perhaps, Valeri Kamensky's 32 points and minus-12. If not, try Stephane Quintal's incessant dissatisfaction with his decision to leave Montreal for New York's bright lights.

No matter where you begin, the offseason spending in 1999 didn't yield much good for the Rangers last season. Team chemistry wasn't good, and there seemed to be tenuous connections from former GM Neil Smith to his old-school coach John Muckler to his on-ice employees.

Brian Leetch's injury and the disturbing news of Kevin Stevens' arrest didn't help matters, either.

But the negatives all have been well documented, so let's focus on some positives. Rookie Mike York might not have won the Calder Trophy, but his 26 goals showed he's a legitimate NHL scorer. Jan Hlavac (19-23-42) is another rookie who showed promise. And although Petr Nedved won't be confused with A-list stars like Jaromir Jagr and Peter Forsberg, he played 76 games and produced consistently (24-44-68). On a team that scored 28 fewer goals than it allowed, both Nedved (plus-1) and Hlavac (plus-3) were among the few players on the plus side.

In goal, Mike Richter started 60 games, and his play -- especially early in the season -- often kept the listless Rangers in games in which they should have been blown out. But he seemed to tire at season's end, and his stats reflected that; Richter's GAA was more than 3.00, and his save percentage was less than .900 for his final 19 starts. Richter's 2.87 overall GAA was his highest since posting 2.92 in '94-95.

The Open Market: More money, moves
The Rangers said goodbye to several veterans, including defensemen Kevin Hatcher and Mathieu Schneider. To fill that void, new GM Glen Sather picked up Vladimir Malakhov, who helped the Devils to the Cup after being dealt from the Canadiens. The Rangers didn't lose too much up front, and the additions of Mark Messier and Sandy McCarthy help in terms of depth and grit.

	FREE AGENCY
	Key unsigned free agents: Alexandre Daigle. Signings/offseason acquisitions: Vladimir Malakhov, Sandy McCarthy, Mark Messier, Martin Richter, Jeff Ulmer.

The Rangers haven't really had a formidable tough guy at the NHL level, and McCarthy gives them an on-ice presence that should help quite a bit. And as far as Messier goes, his best playing days are behind him, but his mere presence -- need we remind you of his legendary status in New York for leading the 1994 Cup-winning team -- boosts fan interest and takes a lot of pressure off other high-priced stars like Fleury.

At the blue line, the Rangers might be a little old, but the hope is one of the AHL guys or reigning Hobey Baker winner Mike Mottau step up and emerge as a solid NHL defenseman to round out the top six. There really aren't too much player left on the market of any strong appeal, although Claude Lemieux keeps surfacing as a possibility. Lemieux expects a long-term deal, and it's doubtful the Rangers need another multimillionaire guy in his 30s, even if he is a proven winner. The better decision would be to wait and see if the team is a winning one, and then pick something up at next spring's trade deadline.

How to improve: Good start, good times
The Rangers' fan base and the city's media aren't famous for being patient. A fast start won't cure all that ails the Rangers, but it would build positive momentum -- a rarity the last few years.

It will be interesting to watch Messier and how he leads this team. He isn't one to like peripheral roles, and with all the strength at center, his ice time might be reduced. For Messier and the Rangers, that's a good thing -- he can be fresher late in the season -- but let's hope Mess realizes that.

The most important components for this team will be tempo and toughness. Let the skill guys skate, and McCarthy needs to make sure they have the room to do it. Even though the era of fighting is far gone, never discount the value of the opposition needing to respect a team physically.

The Rangers had no one like the 6-foot-3, 225 pound McCarthy last season, and often got pushed around. Sather and new coach Ron Low promise to infuse the up-tempo style of the Edmonton Oilers, which means more excitement for the fans, as well as optimizing the talents of Neved, York, Fleury and Kamensky.

The safest prediction -- an absolute oxymoron when it comes to the Rangers -- might be that the Rangers will be competitive, and Fleury will play much better.

Brian A. Shactman is the NHL editor for ESPN.com.