I diagree with that and have always felt it's an excuse that corportations use because they don't want to see even a temporary dip in their profits.
I think the majority of fans rally around the home grown guys. They rally around the core fours and the guys who come up through the system. No one moves merchandise like those guys.
In the early 90s, fans rejoiced when Steinbrenner was forced away from the Yankees for a few years and the team was able to restock and move forward.
Look at how Ranger fans have embraced the younger/homegrown talent this team has produced over the past few decade. If they're willing to sit through the dark years without a glimmer of hope, they're willing to sit through a rebuild.
With that said, I don't even think this team needs a rebuild. It needs a re-group.
If nothing else, guys like Kreider, Miller, Zucc, Stepan, Brassard, McD, Hayes, Fast, Lindberg, Skjei, McIlrath look like they have a future, even if some of them are what they are at this point.
This isn't 1997 when the best we could hope for was a Ferraro brother or maybe Jeff Brown stepping. There's some legit talent here and a pretty group of support players.
Frankly, we have some guys who probably don't figure into the future - Girardi, Staal(s), Boyle, Moore, and Glass. I'd probably even include Nash in that group.
For some guys it's timing, for others it is what time has done to them, and for others it is something else.
The team lacks consistency and some sandpaper guys that can play a bigger role. The defense needs an overhaul. Goaltending is solid.
A lot depends on whether certain forwardscan all play up to their potential at the same time.
If everyone is healthy and fairly consistent, these aren't unrealistic expectations:
Brassard is capable of 25 goals and 65 points.
Stepan is capable of 20 goals and 60 points.
Hayes is capable of 20 goals and 55 points.
Zucc is capable of 25 goals and 60 points.
Miller is capable of 20 goals and 50 points.
Kreider is capable of 20 goals and 50 points.
Lindberg is capable of 10 goals and 30 points.
Fast is capable 10 goals and 30 points.
On defense, McD, Klein, McI and Skjei are capable and/or emerging.
If the Rangers can somehow keep Yandle and move a large contract, I don't think that's bad place to start a revamp. Even without Yandle, it's not dire. It certainly has holes, but it's not starting from scratch either.