The (mostly) run-it-back Rangers begin play Wednesday night in Pittsburgh, and they’ll boast the same strengths that brought them to the Eastern Conference Finals last season for the second time in three years.
That’s a good thing, considering the Blueshirts set franchise records for wins (55) and points (114) in 2023-24. But what really matters, of course, is if this current core can push even deeper into the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The final four is great and all, but it doesn’t satisfy in the way a Cup run would, especially since – brace yourself for triggering math, Ranger fans – the Blueshirts have hoisted the Cup exactly once since their 1940 win. That’s one title (1994) in 84 years.
Maybe this is the season all their continuity and talent pays off. They have a transcendent goalie in Igor Shesterkin, skilled scoring punch, and sparkling special teams. There are plenty of ingredients here, but the Rangers have plenty to prove, too.
What the Rangers have going for them
Shesterkin remains a Vezina Trophy contender and last season had the third-most wins by a goalie (36) and a strong 2.58 goals-against average. After a midseason reset, he was even sharper and he carried that into the playoffs. Overall, the Rangers gave up 2.76 goals per game — seventh-best in the NHL — and they should be roughly that hard to score against as they work Zac Jones into top-6 minutes on defense.
The Blueshirts should be able to score plenty – they have five players who tallied at least 25 goals last season, topped by Artemi Panarin’s 49 in his career year. Panarin was fifth in the NHL in goals and assists (71) and fourth in points (120). He’s a huge part of the attack, along with crease monster Chris Kreider, who scored 39 times, including 18 power-play goals.
The Rangers can probably expect even more from Alexis Lafreniere, who had a breakout season with 28 goals and 29 assists during the regular season, and 14 points (eight goals) in 16 playoff games. Can the former No. 1 overall pick, who turns 23 on the eve of the home opener on Oct. 12, kick things up to 40 goals this year? Lafreniere, Vincent Trocheck, and Panarin formed one of the top lines in all of hockey last season.
Filip Chytil seems healthy and he’ll be a plus, too, after only playing 10 regular season games last season because of injury.
Adam Fox quarterbacks the power-play, which ranked third with a 26.4 percent success rate, and provides offense from the blueline. His 17 goals last year were the most by a Rangers defenseman since Brian Leetch had 21 in 2000-01.
Another plus: The Blueshirts also have a certain resilience that keyed their big 2023-24. They had 28 comeback wins, the most in the NHL and a franchise record. That’s a quality they can lean on during the valleys that can occur over 82 games.
They’ll make the playoffs if…
They’re themselves. They have too much talent to sit out the tournament. To be a Cup factor, though, they may have to ace the trade deadline.
The biggest offseason addition was winger Reilly Smith, who figures to play on the right on the top line with Kreider and Mika Zibanejad. The 33-year-old had 13 goals and 27 assists for the Penguins last year and how he blends in blue figures to be a big early storyline.
In recent years, the Rangers may have been lacking some of the sharp edges of the teams that have gone further in the playoffs than they have. Even hockey boss Chris Drury said after last season’s Game 6 ouster against Florida that he hoped to make the Rangers a “heavier, more physical team.”
If 6-foot-8 Matt Rempe, the rough cult fave, and 6-foot-7 Adam Edstrom thrive, the Rangers may have enough jam in-house, when added to the contact skills of captain Jacob Trouba. If they need more, they’ll have to seek sandpaper at the deadline to deal with the likes of the Panthers in the bruising playoffs.
They’ll miss the playoffs if…
A rash of injuries, coupled with massive underperformance by their healthy skaters are really the only threats to them not making the playoffs.
Panarin had a lower-body injury that affected his training camp – in the preseason home finale, he played just four shifts before leaving the ice for evaluation. That bears watching. Camp injuries to Ryan Lindgren and Jimmy Vesey may impact their third-ranked penalty-kill (84.48 percent) early on.
And there are some danger zones that may define their season. They’ve had troubles in 5-on-5 play in recent years and, if the power-play hits a slump, those get magnified, like in a playoff series.
Record and prediction
Another 50-win campaign with this core is right – 50-25-6 – and another spring in the thick of the playoff tussles, too. They responded to Peter Laviolette’s systems last year and there’s no reason to think he won’t put them in the right spots again this time.
How the Blueshirts evolve over the course of the season – Does Zibanejad’s production soar? Are they rough enough, tough enough? Does Kaapo Kakko bloom? Can prospect Brennan Othmann force his way into a significant job? – and at the trade deadline will dictate where it all ends up.
With the right moves, they could get the 16 playoff victories they need, instead of sputtering at 10, like last season.
