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Presenting The Three Stars Of The Midseason For The New York Rangers

Kappo Kakko signed

With the All-Star Break upon us, it is time to announce the three stars of the midseason for the New York Rangers. On what only can be described as a roller coaster, there have been some bright lights in Peter Laviolette‘s inaugural campaign. We have seen good. We have seen bad. Heck, we have even seen some ugly. Through all of this, three players have earned honours for their impressive play since the start of the season.

The selections include one rookie and two linemates who have been nothing but stellar. One earned himself an All-Star selection due to the surplus of injuries. One has his second kid on the way. The other is the current embodiment of what fans want to be New York’s identity moving forward. In terms of their roles, all three players have exceeded expectations. Without further ado, here are the three stars at the midway point based solely off of personal performance and fulfilling their desired roles.

New York Rangers Three Stars

Third Star: Will Cuylle

This one is the pick that might surprise a lot of readers. The two stars were locks in my opinion, this one was up in the air until today. Other options included Adam Fox, Chris Kreider, and Jonathan Quick. When looking at the team as a whole, Will Cuylle has proved to be a bright spot in this Rangers lineup.

When Laviolette was announced as head coach, many questioned who would live up to his style. Many felt that players like Kreider and Blake Wheeler were the benchmark. Since the start of the season, Cuylle has been a fan favourite by just the way he plays the game. Starting the season on the third line, point production has been somewhat limited. With time and patience and a nagging injury bug, Cuylle earned some shifts on New York’s top line. With 14 points and a plus-3 in 49 games played, Cuylle continues to have a solid, under-the-radar kind of season.

Cuylle emphasizes his physicality whenever he plays. From his battles along the boards to his net-front presence, he is a force on the ice. His 128 hits on the year leads all rookies. For the fans who complain about the lack of grit, Cuylle single-handedly silences the haters.

Second Star: Vincent Trocheck

In a turn of events, Vincent Trocheck has found himself in the 2024 All-Star Game. The previously mentioned injury bug hit people hard, none harder than Filip Chytil. Since his initial injury earlier in the season, the hole at 2C needed to be filled immediately. Without hesitation, Laviolette called on Trocheck to center the second line with Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafrenière. One might say that it was a match made in heaven.

Let’s go back to December 16 in Boston. The Rangers looked depleted against a powerful Bruins squad. A late powerplay goal from #16 tied the contest with nine minutes to go. Forcing overtime, Trocheck kept the game on his stick and deflected a Panarin shot past Jeremy Swayman. This was, in fact, the coming out party for the man known in the locker room as “Trochocinco.”

The three clicked and are still the most productive line for Laviolette. Panarin provides the goals, there is no question there. Trocheck’s role is an integral one and it starts at the faceoff dot. He continues to be one of the leagues’ best faceoff takers, winning 62% of his draws thus far. Points wise, Trocheck’s numbers are impressive, posting 46 points in 49 games played. From initiating chances in the offensive zone to winning possession back in the defensive zone, the Rangers would be lost without the play of Vincent Trocheck.

First Star: Artemi Panarin

This one was a no-brainer as the top honours are awarded to Artemi Panarin. This season is living proof that “The Breadman” is worth well over the $11+M that he makes per season. Playoff disappearance and turnovers aside, Panarin is one of the best players to watch. “Bread” possesses vision like a hawk, hands like silk, and charisma like a Top Gun fighter pilot.

Panarin was the obvious choice for New York’s representative for the All-Star Game. Instead, he asked to not be selected as he and his wife are expecting a child. The season has been nothing short of spectacular for the former Calder Trophy winner. A whopping 66 points in 49 games played has Panarin in talks with some silverware for the end of the year.

2024 has the potential to be a record year for Panarin. Expecting a child, an increase of points, and continuing chemistry could inspire Panarin to help his team out of last month’s slump.

Main Photo: Marc DesRosiers-USA TODAY Sports

Jeremy Striano

Jeremy Striano

Jeremy is a lifelong sports fanatic and loves the game of hockey, specifically the New York Rangers. He is a graduate of both The Catholic University of America (Washington, DC) and Syracuse University. Along with hockey, Jeremy enjoys Broadway musicals and trying different beers!

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