New York Rangers: 5 bold predictions for 2019-20 season

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NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 03: Members of the New York Rangers look on as the Steven McDonald award is announced prior to the game against the Ottawa Senators at Madison Square Garden on April 3, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Jared Silber/NHLI via Getty Images) /

1. The Rangers will be a fringe playoff team

Although the Metropolitan is a means away from being the NHL’s most difficult division, it is comprised of a set of teams that will look to play extremely competitive hockey over the course of the season ahead.

The Carolina Hurricanes, Pittsburgh Penguins and Washington Capitals have proven of late that they are capable of embarking upon — and coming out on top of — deep runs at the Stanley Cup, and the likes of the Columbus Blue Jackets and the New York Islanders have recently demonstrated a penchant for ushering forth surprise in the face of doubt. The Philadelphia Flyers shall be locked into a ‘win-now’ mentality and the New Jersey Devils have been one of the offseason’s more head-turning franchises, adding P.K. Subban, Wayne Simmonds and the aforementioned Hughes in a short span of weeks.

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Put simply, the Rangers’ rebuild has quietly served as one of the sport’s better stories in recent seasons. GM Gorton deserves high marks for his willingness to see the process of being placed in a problematized position through, as his conceptual model for retooling will be embraced if New York translates aspirations of Stanley Cup victory into a reality in the years ahead. The 2019-20 campaign can be something of a game-changer, as the organization will aim to seriously contend for an appearance in the postseason.

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