As the holiday season is upon us, PHR will continue its look at what teams are thankful for as we get closer to the halfway point. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the New York Rangers.
What are the Rangers most thankful for?
A stable of quality young talent. Up front, Kaapo Kakko leads a strong group with players like Filip Chytil and Brett Howden holding down regular roles despite being 21 or younger. On defense, Ryan Lindgren, Adam Fox, and Libor Hajek have all basically assumed regular roles and they’re all 21. (K’Andre Miller and Nils Lundkvist give them a pair of quality youngsters in the system as well.) Alexandar Georgiev and Igor Shesterkin are a little older (23) and give them what looks like will be a viable NHL tandem in the not-too-distant future. The youth movement is in full effect and the early returns are certainly promising.
Who are the Rangers most thankful for?
Beyond their young core, they’re quite thankful for Artemi Panarin. A winger in the prime of his career, he chose to join the Rangers even though they’re not quite at the point where they’re ready to contend. There certainly hasn’t been an adjustment period as the 28-year-old is already on pace to set new career highs in goals and points and as some of their young talent matures around him, there’s certainly cause for optimism that he has a few more years like this in him. Yes, the price tag is steep (it broke the record for the highest cap hit for a winger) but with his addition, they have a legitimate star to build around up front.
What would the Rangers be even more thankful for?
A bit more bang for their buck from their defensive veterans. Jacob Trouba hasn’t quite lived up to his high price tag yet while Marc Staal, their second-highest-paid defenseman, has been a healthy scratch at times this season. Meanwhile, Brendan Smith, who carries a $4.35MM cap hit, is being deployed as a fourth line winger and only playing his natural position in penalty kill situations or if someone gets injured. That’s a fair bit of money tied up in players that aren’t quite pulling their weight. With Kevin Shattenkirk’s buyout charge jumping to over $6MM next season, that could become more of a concern unless there are some improvements on the back end. Otherwise, a buyout of Staal or Smith could be on the horizon.
What should be on the Rangers’ Holiday Wish List?
A resolution on the Chris Kreider front, one way or another. If they can agree on an extension, that’s fine but if not, keeping him healthy to draw a sizable return on the trade front will be at the top of their list. Finding a justifiable return for Lias Andersson, who left AHL Hartford and demanded a trade last weekend, is also on the list. It’s one thing for him to want a trade but considering he’s just three years removed from being the seventh-overall selection, GM Jeff Gorton is going to have a reasonably high asking price. If he can get a good return on both players, it will be a successful next couple of months for the Rangers.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
