Have the Rangers Wasted Henrik Lundqvist's Prime Years?

[RGM81]

TSN's Travis Yost says yes...

http://www.tsn.ca/the-rangers-have-w...prime-1.478683

There was some criticism directed toward Lundqvist in the hours following New York’s early exit. To a degree, it’s understandable. Yes, Lundqvist was hung out time and time again by an abysmal and entirely overwhelmed blueline, but this was more or less the same environment he has played in for years. An 86.7 per cent stop rate just isn’t going to cut it in any circumstance, particularly so in a playoff atmosphere where goals are at a premium.
Still, you have to sympathize with Lundqvist’s plight. TSN’s Ian Mendes raised the point that Lundqvist may be one of the best players in NHL history to have never won a Stanley Cup. Considering he’s almost certainly the best goaltender to have never won a title, I think this is a fair statement.
Of course, none of this has been his doing. Lundqvist has been a staple of excellence for more than a decade on Broadway, right up and through this regular season – one where he continually glossed over mistakes made by a Rangers roster that would’ve punched a draft lottery ticket with league average goaltending.
It’s for that reason that I really struggle with pointing the finger at Lundqvist. Rangers executives, whether they want to admit it or not, have wasted a first-ballot Hall of Famer’s prime.

Discuss.

[Whoop]

Yup, just like the Canadiens are wasting, or will waste, Carey Price.

[RGM81]

That's my greatest fear. I'm still waiting for the Summer of Bergevin to revamp this team.

[spuds1961]

Or has Lundqvist wasted the Rangers prime years, he was the one who let in the softy in game 7 against Tampa Bay last year to end their season, this year he totally sucked in the playoffs, when they lost the cup to the Kings I had a feeling that was as far as this Rangers team would ever get.

[creasecollector]

I hope not. Mr. Consistent (Lundqvist) has managed to hit the 30-win mark ever since he first stepped into the league. Lundqvist, just like Carey Price, both deserve to win a Cup. They are just too good of goalie not to win IMO. But it's a tough league, and there's never going to be a guarantee unfortunately.

[pwaldo]

It seems like the career span for a goalie and his "prime" are longer than for other positions. He could pull a Patrick Roy and be dominant for a lot longer (or other goalies could as well in the current NHL environment).