The New York Rangers had a great start to the 2015-16 season, going 15-3-2 over their first 20 games. It turned out to be a fluke, as the Rangers went 31-24-7 over their next 62 games. Most of that was due to an incompetent defense which forced Henrik Lundqvist to keep his team competitive. The end result? A first round exit from the playoffs.
Changes were expected after a rough season, and changes were made, just not the type many people thought were coming. But are they enough to keep the Rangers’ Stanley Cup window open?
Offseason Review
Here’s a quick review of what the Rangers have done during the offseason.
Additions: C Mika Zibanejad (Senators), F/C Brandon Pirri (Ducks), F Jimmy Vesey (college free agent), D Nick Holden (Avalanche), F Michael Grabner (Maple Leafs), C Josh Jooris (Flames), F Nathan Gerbe (Hurricanes), D Adam Clendening (Maple Leafs)
Losses: C Derrick Brassard (Senators), D Keith Yandle (Panthers), D Dan Boyle (retirement/free agency), C Viktor Stalberg (Hurricanes), C Eric Staal (Wild), F Dominic Moore (Bruins)
Retained: F/C Kevin Hayes, F Chris Kreider, D Dylan McIlrath, G Antti Raanta, F/C J.T. Miller
The Rangers seem to be following the same blueprint as the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins, making some nice upgrades this offseason, but not not on their blue line. They got Kevin Hayes and J.T. Miller re-signed to bridge deals. That doesn’t solve the inevitable long-term contract issues, but it does buy New York some time.
Hayes likely helped the Rangers land Jimmy Vesey, the 2015-16 Hobey Baker Trophy winner as the best player in college hockey. Vesey should provide quality forward depth at a very cheap price. He’s a natural goal scorer who you can pencil in for 10 to 20 goals this season.
Related Story: Each NHL Team's Biggest What If Moment
Michael Grabner and Brandon Pirri should help make the Rangers third and fourth lines more deadly. That was an issue for them last season, so give props to general manager Jeff Gorton for fixing his depth issues without spending much money. Nathan Gerbe and Josh Jooris could also see playing time as Oscar Lindberg recovers from an injury.
Nick Holden is nothing special, but he gives the Rangers an option in case Dylan McIlrath or Brady Skjei aren’t ready to be in the lineup everyday. Ryan McDonagh could be in for a strong season if the Rangers finally stop trying to pair him with Dan Girardi.
The Rangers made a smart move by selling high on Derrick Brassard, trading him to the Senators for Mika Zibanejad. Zibanejad is just reaching his prime while Brassard is likely at the end of his. It saves them some money this season, though Zibanejad could command a more lucrative contract than Brassard if he has a strong year.
Player Spotlight: Henrik Lundqvist
Much like Carey Price and the Montreal Canadiens, the New York Rangers’ Stanley Cup aspirations lie on the broad shoulders of goaltender Henrik Lundqvist. Lundqvist has already cemented his legacy as one of the best goaltenders of all time. He’s won a Vezina Trophy and one could argue he should have won at least two more.
Only two goalies saw more shot attempts against per 60 minutes at even strength last season than Lundqvist. His 93.67 percent even strength save percentage led all goalies with at least 1,500 minutes at even strength. So while his 2.48 GAA looks bad on paper, it could have been a lot worse had Lundqvist not been outstanding.
The pressure on Ludqvist to be elite is even greater after the departure of Yandle. Lundqvist is paying for the Rangers’ decision to give long-term deals to Girardi and Marc Staal, who are no longer quality defensemen. While an elite goaltender can mask his team’s flaws, perhaps no goaltender masks his team’s flaws more than Lundqvist. Without him, New York wouldn’t be a playoff team.
Even with an improved offense, the pressure is still on Lundqvist. The New York Rangers’ blue line could feature two possession anchors (Girardi and Staal) and two first-year NHL starters (Skjei and McIlrath). Granted, the Rangers could still use their cap to space to make a move to upgrade their defense. But any move is likely irrelevant if it doesn’t get rid of Girardi and/or Staal.
Good luck Lundqvist. If the Rangers win the Stanley Cup, you won’t get enough credit. If they don’t, you’ll face most of the blame. Such is the life of an elite goaltender.
2016-17 Outlook
While the New York Rangers still have a mess of a blue line, they have three forward lines capable of scoring. A lot of teams would love to be able to say that. The Rangers finished in the top 10 in goals scored despite a down year from Rick Nash. If Nash comes back healthy, the Rangers could have one of the league’s most lethal offenses.
The key to the Rangers’ success in 2016-17? Zibanejad has to replace Brassard on the power play. Brassard served as the Rangers’ most dangerous weapon on the power play last season, and Zibanejad — along with Hayes, Miller and possibly Mats Zuccarello — will need to take on larger roles to compensate for his departure.
As is, the Rangers will most likely make the playoffs. Sure, the defense has a lot of holes, but Lundqvist will cover a lot of them and there should be enough offense to allow this team to coast into the postseason. Unless they make some significant changes on defense, however, the Rangers are likely to struggle again once they get there.