Similar to Elliotte Friedman’s weekly 31 thoughts article, I wanted to share my thoughts on the New York Rangers heading into the new year. This article is purely opinion based. These are all of my thoughts and feelings about all things Rangers.
- For the individuals on the “Fire David Quinn” bandwagon, I think you guys should take a second and remember that the Rangers are rebuilding. We all want the Rangers to be competitive in the playoffs again as soon as possible, but it is quite clear the Rangers aren’t just quite there yet. He has gotten the most out of guys such as Ryan Strome, Adam Fox and Ryan Lindgren. He has given the freedom to Tony DeAngelo to be more adventurous and as a result, DeAngelo is currently in the top ten for points among defenders.
- While technically on New Year’s Eve Quinn was the sole reason of the Rangers conceding a 5th goal due to him taking an unsportsmanlike penalty, I for one was happy to see that passion. It shows he cares about what he is doing. An outburst like this can’t happen often, but once or twice a season is okay.
- Quinn has made it clear what it takes to get ice time and the younger players are understanding that. Earlier in the year fans were calling for a player such as Lias Andersson to get a chance in the top six. A standard has been set and you aren’t going to get ice time if you haven’t earned it.
- It won’t be fair to make any decision on Quinn until he shows progress isn’t be made each season. In his rookie year, the Rangers finished as the sixth worst team in the NHL. This season, the Rangers are showing to be borderline wildcard contenders which is major improvement. The Rangers offense is averaging over half a goal more then they did last season. Obviously, Panarin helps that number, but that number is also contributed from the rise of Strome and the offensive production of the defense. Until it appears the Rangers can take that next step and Quinn’s Rangers aren’t meeting expectations, Quinn should be in charge. This is exactly the type of season many expected the Rangers to have and it is a season of improvement.
- On the other hand, the Rangers defensive numbers have been hovering around the same numbers as last season. If no improvement is shown, maybe it is time to change the defensive coach at the end of the season. Would a different mind from Lindy Ruff operating the defense be beneficial to the Rangers? Probably.
- Here is a defensive stat which tells the story of the defense. The Rangers have only allowed two or fewer goals one time in the past ten games which was against the Ducks when they were without Silverberg, Rakell, and Getzlaf. That number is up to eleven games if you count an empty net goal by the Los Angeles Kings. It’s also important to remember that this just doesn’t fall entirely on the six defensive skaters playing each game, but also the forwards who have at times looked completely loss in the defensive zone. It is going to take an entire team effort to turn this around.
- Maybe Andersson should ask to return to play in Hartford until a trade can be found. It is quite clear that there isn’t enough interest in Andersson for the Rangers to want to trade him. Maybe he can make a team want to acquire him and increase his own trade value which would benefit both parties. It appears the only way to possibly move Andersson would be to package him at the upcoming trade deadline.
- Maybe it has dawned on me that Kaapo Kakko isn’t as NHL ready as many once thought he was. Remember Kakko is just 18 years old and has plenty of time to learn and develop. Here is a list of some players (Minimum 60 games played) who didn’t “light up the NHL” at the age of 18 but have gone on to have be impact players in the NHL. Not worried about Kakko.
Patrice Bergeron – 39 points
Marian Gaborik – 36 points
Patrick Marleau – 32 points
Vincent Lecavalier – 28 points
Ryan O’ Reilly – 26 points
Brendan Shanahan – 26 points
Tyler Seguin – 22 points
9. Vitali Kravtsov has three points in seven games since returning from Russia. There is a good chance that we will see the 20-year-old sometime this season if the Rangers are sellers at the deadline.
10. The Rangers don’t have too and shouldn’t trade Alex Georgiev by the trade deadline. In my opinion, Georgiev is not expendable until the Rangers get a sample size of Igor Shesterkin in the NHL and are satisfied with what they see.
11. I believe we will get to see Shesterkin in the NHL at some point this season – even if just for a few games. If the Rangers are sellers at the deadline and it is clear they are likely not a playoff team, then giving Shesterkin as many starts as possible will help paint a clearer picture of the future.
12. Entering the season – it was quite clear the Rangers had a hole at the second line center position. Many were hoping Lias Andersson or Filip Chytil would take that position and run with it. That hasn’t happened. Instead it has been Ryan Strome who is an RFA at the end of the season who has taken command of that role. His chemistry with Panarin has been very impressive and both players are on pace to have career seasons.
13. With that said should the Rangers resign Strome? My answer to that is that I do not have one. If Strome’s demands aren’t very high and the Rangers could manage a two or three-year deal around four million dollars then it would make sense to resign Strome. If Gorton gets an offer on the table, he can’t refuse then it would make sense to trade Strome. The answer to Strome depends on his wants and the interest in him around the league. Do I entirely trust Strome to be able to produce at the rate he is currently? Simply put – I do not know. There are arguments to be made both ways.
14. Speaking of Panarin – he is currently showing he is worth every penny. Panarin was named to his first all-star game and is on pace for well over 100 points.
15. How about Chris Kreider? Kreider will demand a contract similar to what Kevin Hayes received last offseason (7 x 7). Can the Rangers afford that? Not without clearing some cap space elsewhere. It also depends if management thinks he is worth that contract. Assuming many of their prospects develop like many think and hope they will – the Rangers will have to shell out a lot of money in the upcoming 2-6 seasons. While I love Kreider and wouldn’t be mad if the Rangers chose to resign him, I think it is in the best interest of the Rangers to move on from Kreider. He would be one of the top available players at the upcoming deadline and would get the Rangers a nice package in return. Likely a late first round pick and a nice prospect/young NHL caliber player.
16. In the upcoming free agent period, the Rangers should look to improve their bottom sixth – more specifically the fourth line. Suring up the fourth line won’t take much cap but can be vital in a team’s success. Look at what a player such as Sean Kuraly from the Boston Bruins is doing. He is on pace for 30 points but more importantly he is a player they can rely upon defensively. The Bruins are currently the best defensive team in the NHL and have the second-best penalty kill. While Kuraly isn’t the only reason the Bruins have those stats, he is a key-contributor for those numbers. If the Rangers can figure out their top six of the future – the Rangers have three of those players for the bottom six. Brett Howden, Jesper Fast and Brendan Lemieux. The Rangers can use another one or two of those type of players to help build the future.
17. With that said how close are the Rangers to a future “perfect lineup” up and down the board that can compete and win a Stanley Cup? The Rangers currently have some good pieces but many of whom are playing in roles they probably shouldn’t be in. Here are the holes I see in the “Perfect lineup”. (This also takes into account players whose futures on the Rangers seem in doubt or won’t be around in the upcoming seasons when the Rangers are ready to compete.)
?-Zibanejad-?
Panarin-?-Kakko
Lemieux-Chytil-Buchnevich
?-Howden-Fast
?-Trouba
?-?
Lindgren-Fox
Shesterkin
Georgiev
The Rangers do have some pieces that could potentially fill those voids. Kravtsov could become one of those top six wingers the Rangers need. Kreider or Strome could potentially resign and fill a void. Nils Lundkvist and K’Andre Miller have bright futures and could help form a defensive pairing. This also doesn’t include Tony DeAngelo or Brady Skjei who could potentially be moved. It is also important to note there are other prospects who can shine and make an impact who were not mentioned.
Leave a comment on the twitter post linking this article of which Rangers you see going forward that are in the “perfect team”.
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