1. Franchise centerman: This has been the knock on the Rangers the past several seasons. Derek Stepan is a good center, but he isn’t a franchise center.
2. Big-minute franchise defenseman: Ryan McDonagh qualifies here. He’s still one of the best, finishing No. 15 in Norris Trophy voting last season.
3. Entry-level contributors: This is the biggest payoff of GM Jeff Gorton landing Jimmy Vesey. He may not live up to the hype, but he’s going to out-produce his contract. For a team that hasn’t had first-round picks recently, the Rangers have done a nice job bringing in talent on the cheap, either in the form of college free agents or bargain-bin veterans like Brandon Pirri and Michael Grabner.
4. Three skilled scoring lines: The emergence of J.T. Miller helps the cause here, but the Rangers' depth up front has taken a hit the last couple seasons as the price tags on their young talent have gone up.
5. Mobile defense: The loss of Keith Yandle hurts, as does the decline of Dan Girardi. The Rangers' defense still needs a retooling for New York to be considered among the East’s elite.
Total: Two out of five. As long as Henrik Lundqvist is in goal, you can’t discount the Rangers' chances, but this group looks more like a team in transition than a true Stanley Cup contender.