New York: bright lights, big city, the concrete jungle, a tough group of SOB’s through and through, unless you’re talking about their sports teams. The whole city is one giant panic button when it comes to sports and someone is always pushing the button. Seasons in New York are measured by championships, but according to most New Yorkers they’re won and lost before the puck even drops. Well let’s collectively step back from the edge, Rangers fans, and realize this free agency didn’t kill the teams chances.
New York Rangers Off-Season Watch
Getting the obvious out of the way, they still have Henrik Lundqvist. Yes the Sweedish goaltender will once again be suiting up for New York and as long as Chris Kreider re-signs with the team should remain as healthy as usual. There may be a few question marks surrounding this team, but Lundqvist will once again not be one of them.
Even with the loss of Anton Stralman and his corsi wizardry, the Rangers blue line is still the envy of most teams in the league. Marc Staal showed that mistake erasing ability that made him so popular before he was derailed by a concussion and a gruesome puck to the face that has kept him off the ice for the better part of two full seasons. John Moore has taken the right steps in his first full season with the Rangers and is primed to take on more responsibility on the back end. Dan Girardi will once again be dominant on the blue line but will need to be mindful of the physical toll his shot blocking physicality takes on him. Watching Girardi’s style of play all season answers the questions as to why he always seems slower and not as crisp on all his movements in the playoffs.
Then there is Ryan McDonagh, who spent all season playing shutdown defense and still finding time to put up 43 points on offense. The playoffs is when McDonagh let the rest of the world see what Rangers fans knew to be true. McDonagh earned the “C” after Ryan Callahan’s departure and Brad Richards’ buyout and he’s inheriting a team that will be relying heavily on his quiet leadership. Dan Boyle was the Rangers big free agency move (bonus: he has worn #22 all of his career, so your Brian Boyle jersey that you inexplicably bought found new life) and he provides a lot of stability on the back end. If John Moore struggles to make that leap to a full time second D-pair, Boyle is there. Need someone to round out the bottom pair? Dan Boyle can do that and still provide that cannon slap shot he has on the powerplay. His contract is only for 2 years which gives young prospects like the hulking Dylan McIlrath and Brady Skjei (who has decided to continue at University of Minnesota for another year) while bringing solid play and veteran leadership to an increasingly younger team. Kevin Kline will round out the third pairing continuing to play smart, low risk defense which is what you’d expect from the third pairing.
Brian Boyle, Benoit Pouliot, and Derek Dorsett have all left the team, and Brad Richards was bought out leaving the forward corps lacking the depth that helped bring them to the Stanley Cup Final just a few months ago. Nobody with a brain will defend the Tanner Glass signing but free agency became a difficult way for this team to fill the depth needs once the salary cap came in much lower than expected. Thankfully, the core in New York is young and improving. Kreider, Derek Stepan, and Carl Hagelin have improved every year and another year under head coach Alain Vigneault’s speed and skill based system will only help these guys reach their high ceilings. (Mats Zuccarello and Derrick Brassard will be included in here if they re-sign with New York.)
The true testament to the team depth includes JT Miller and Jesper Fast who came up when players had injuries and were able to produce in limited games and minutes. Obviously young players like Miller and Fast will have growing pains but there is high upside to both of these players going forward. Oscar Lindberg is another center the Rangers are high on but he will most likely slide into the role that Miller and Fast played last season. Last but certainly not least, Rick Nash and Marty St. Louis will be back doing that thing that every team needs, putting the puck in the back of the net. They will, and should, play on different lines again to spread the defensive pressure and keeping Brassard and Zuccarello gives the Rangers another dangerous line to exploit defenses.
As long as the Rangers continue to play to their defensive and smart hockey and trust in their core they should be a shoe-in for the postseason. After that, well anything after that is a combination of luck, skill, and a crapshoot. So breathe, Rangers fans, relax and realize this team is in good hands (realizing those hands belong to James Dolan, forget everything I said. Keep that hand hovering over that panic button, New York.)
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