The New York Rangers are a perfectly built team this year

[NYRfan39]

Blow out? It’s 6-4. That’s a 2 goal game!!! The over the hill on the decline offensively weak Islanders just beat them 7-1. That’s A blow out.

It pretty much was if you watched the game. The Rangers absolutely dominated that game. Yea 2 goal game, but Anaheim had only a few chances all game and capitalized on them. All Rangers that game

 

[SEALBound]

Lol how are the Rangers young players “elite”?

They’re basically the same team as they were last year with Strome out and Trocheck in.

And that team needed a 3rd string goalie and 7 games to win a series.

 

[TriFF51]

Not looking forward to this getting bumped all year long when they lose.

 

[Tacitus Kilgore]

But Panarin is a 100 pts player and Mika is playing like a beast in PP, PK, he’s reached the 1C level

He's never scored more than 96 pts. Granted he also had 95 pts in 69 games. But he's still not a 100 point player until he is

 

[BlueDream]

Nothing special. 2nd round exit.

 

[GreenLine]

I simply do not see any weaknesses in the Rangers roster this season, they are solid in every department. In my mind they are the best team in the East and only the Avs match them.

Vezina winning goalie in Shestyorkin

Norris winning defender in Fox

Elite 1C in Zibanejad

Elite 1W in Panarin

Great 2C in Trocheck

50 goal scorer in Kreider

Big physical presence in Blais, Reeves, Trouba

Elite young players in Lafreniere, Kakko, Kravtsov

Deadly power play and solid penalty kill

Great coaching by Gallant

Zibanejad is a good #1C but not elite.

Panarin was pretty bad in the playoffs for an "elite" player.

Trochek is not an average #2 C, not a great one.

None of those young players have shown anything remotely elite yet.

 

[mm11]

Zibanejad has never and very likely will never win a major award and Panarin’s only award was the Calder.

Zibanejad is a good 1C but you’re being insanely generous with the word “elite” if you think he is “elite”.

Zibby definitely is an elite scorer. No way to look past this.

 

[EdJovanovski]

It's what many dub "The Kravtsov Effect"

 

[boredmale]

My 2 cents is Rangers should have did everything they could to get Eichel because that would be the final piece. I would even overpay to get Buffalo to eat some salary

 

[unicornpig]

meh theyre the same as last year, PP specialists.

 

[Devils090]

They’re very good and will use the same formula as last year: a deadly Powerplay and Igor. If the young guys start hitting their potential then yeah they’ll be a very tough out. Then of course when they get Kane then this thread might make more sense.

 

[Master P]

The farm team really has come along way.

 

[007]

My 2 cents is Rangers should have did everything they could to get Eichel because that would be the final piece. I would even overpay to get Buffalo to eat some salary

The missing piece in a pre-cap world. They would be a fundamentally different team if they'd traded for Eichel.

 

[Mikeshane]

That's good we need a few top end teams to make things competitive for the cup. I don't want health to be the only challenge Colorado faces.

 

[klingsor]

They’re very good and will use the same formula as last year: a deadly Powerplay and Igor. If the young guys start hitting their potential then yeah they’ll be a very tough out. Then of course when they get Kane then this thread might make more sense.

 

[Xirik]

A run and gun style that relies on Shesterkin to be amazing for them to win. Man Ranger fans must have nightmares of Shesty going down to injury. Halak, Domingue, and a Defense that sucks at playing team defence doesn't sound like a winning combination.

 

[GirardSpinorama]

They are the scariest team in the east for sure. That defence is a bit young though. Which is a good thing long term and they gained playoff experience last year but its a current day weakness in an other wise very well built team.

 

[Devonator]

Well I am not sure I would call those young players elite...at least not yet....they may well do so eventually....however I agree with the general synopsis of this post....the Rangers are a team that in the next
2-3 seasons are going to be a threat for the Cup.....people are not paying them a whole lot of attention but
they have a nice mix of veterans and youth and a top notch elite goalie......they are certainly one of the teams that
has to be considered as a Cup possibility.

 

[the_fan]

Aren't they built the same as last year? Don't remember them making any big changes

 

[Freudian]

They need big steps forward from their young guys. Remember last year they were regularly outshot and made it in with all key players playing close to or at their peak ability (Shesterkin, Kreider, Panarin, Zibanejad, Fox).

Luckily for them they have young players that have the ability to improve their game, so it will be an interesting year.

 

[KnuckChuckinTkachuk]

“Elite talents” I’d say

I wouldn't consider any of Laf, Kak or Krav to be elite.

Hell they aren't even established good NHL players yet, still lots of development needed.

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Ok other teams fan view.

Shesh had a career year, even if he doesn't play as well hes still a top goalie, but let's be honest he's the only reason you guys made the playoffs last year.


Krieder also had a career year and will almost certainly not hit that number again.

Trocheck (I'm a Canes fan) was a spark plug for this team for a few years and most fans including myself loved him here, but he has some defensive lapses that lead to goals and he gets out of position quite a bit.

The rest of what you said is true but the Rangers lack deapth and an injury or two could derailed them pretty quickly.

All that being said even with a few injuries I still see them as a playoff team but let's not act like they are all of the sudden the Avs only competition.

This take needs to die a painful death. It's not true.

1) Georgiev, a terrible goalie had a higher save % than the 9 seed. Mind you, it was a special year where the 9 seed had a really poor record. But technically last year this was the case. The Rangers with an average goalie last year would likely have been in the Wild Card discussion.

2) I don't know about last year but I looked at Lightning in their two cup seasons and Georgiev had a better record than Curtis McElhinney had either season. Now Georgiev is probably a better goalie but he's horrible in his own right.

So this idea that the Rangers were uniquely bad without Shesterkin is laughable.

They need big steps forward from their young guys. Remember last year they were regularly outshot and made it in with all key players playing close to or at their peak ability (Shesterkin, Kreider, Panarin, Zibanejad, Fox).

Luckily for them they have young players that have the ability to improve their game, so it will be an interesting year.

They won't have eye catching stats at the end of the year but Lafreniere, Kakko, and even Chytil most definitely are worlds better than they were last year. They don't get PP1 time because the Rangers have one of the best PP1 units in the league so they'll have stats that will make people think they're not that great. But while not exactly Crosby and McDavid these guys are solid top 6 contributors.

 

[Zalos]

They lacking Patrick Kane.

 

[Leafshater67]

Lol how are the Rangers young players “elite”?

They’re basically the same team as they were last year with Strome out and Trocheck in.

Add playoff grit to that list.

.. and don’t dare call Kaako a bust. He’s going to be a total superstar despite not showing a flash of anything since his debut. Trust me bro!

 

[Sempiternal]

Brilliant move getting Trochek.