This is nonsense. The Rangers were able to land a star in free agency due to being the Rangers. They were able to get Trouba to force his way to NY (even though he hasnt been good). Same with Adam Fox. They were able to get 3 or 4 extra first round picks for expiring assets that they had which the Devils were not. To completely just dismiss that is hogwash.
THATS why they were able to catch up to the Devils. They didn't "make better decisions". The end.
They didn't just catch up to the Devils, they caught up to the Devils and passed right by. To make thaat statement I'm looking at the NHL standings, the player ages, the AHL standings, farm system rankings done by analysts and prospect rankings done by analysts. Having a little history on here with you, I'm assuming that your view is that you know better than the paid analysts but thats all I have to go on at this time.
As I said the Rangers have advantages over the Devils that they have always had. If anything, the Devils have gained ground in that category by (probably) having close to equal cash muscles. The idea of players and free agents being attracted to NYC over NJ is the case and has always been the case. The Devils beat that (and beat it soundly) by drafting better and being smarter, which they no longer are.
Even if you want to say the Devils drafts have been on par with the Rangers, which I strongly disagree with, the fact is thats not good enough. It has to be alot better. Not fair, but that is the hand they have been dealt. If the Devils are not going to draft better and be smarter, then they have zero shot because the advantages you speak of are permanent and not changing.
As to the players you mentioned, the Rangers used a 1st Rd pick obtained via the sale of an expiring asset to make the Trouba trade. No matter where Trouba wanted to play, if the Rangers did not have that extra pick to use, that trade was likely not happening. They weren't going to trade the lottery pick for Trouba and I suppose you can argue they may have been able to trade their 2nd Rd pick with add-ons but its dicey.
Fox was traded to the Rangers for the 2nd Rd pick that they didn't have to make part of a Trouba trade. Very convenient for the Rangers that he wanted to play there, but at the same time Will Butcher chose the Devils. Both teams have a young D-Man who chose them, it actually cost the rangers more.
The point in this thread is that the Devils need to trade Vatanen. It seems as if the price on Vatanen is not too far from Kevin Hayes last year, and we see what the Rangers did with that asset - they got Trouba. If the Devils are going to sign a 29 year old undersized DMan with concussion history who will at best be in his 30's if/when the devils have a punchers chance than they deserve what they get.