Florida series was closer than people gave them credit for especially considering the injuries they were dealing with.
They are running it back. They have to, mostly because of the cap but they are running it back. You simply do not blow up a president's trophy winning team with the best goaltender on planet earth, a 120 point winger, a norris defenseman and a 1OA pick about to explode because you lost to a juggernaut team in 6 games in the ECF. You tweak the bottom 6 and your defense, this group deserves another shot.
I expect a bounce back year from Zibanejad. He had a baby this year and if you look at recent history that almost always equates to a down year. You're just not hitting it hard in the gym with a third trimester pregnant wife or newborn, it's just not happening. Some of the most elite players in all sports wait to have kids until they retire, it's for a reason. I'm not blaming him, he's free to do whatever he wants with his life I'm just saying I think that was a major factor in his down play this year because he is such a better player than what he showed.
Kreider is going to fall off a cliff, 100%. I think he's got a baby due as well and he just has too many miles of wasted deep playoff runs on him. He's about to become a special teams only guy, some could argue he's already that. His legs are cooked 5 on 5. Luckily, Lafreniere is ready to take the reigns.
Kappo Kakko - I think the way management views this is that this kid has until the trade deadline to shit or get off the pot. He's not going anywhere before then. I think the Rangers start the season with him on the Kreider/Zibanejad line in hopes that he has a solid offseason of training and can put up 0.8 ppg or something similar. I think they still look to trade him at the deadline unless he legit takes off, which I don't see happening. His game has not translated to NHL size ice well. I despise with a passion taking euros that look like world beaters on Olympic ice in the top 3 picks of the draft. I know there have been tons of them that worked out well, but the list that didn't work out well is even bigger. I'm talking about guys that didn't play juniors in the CHL/NCAA and have only ever skated on olympic size ice. Their learning curve is so much steeper.
Chytil - the x-factor for the NYR. You know what you're going to get out of Panarin, Kreider, Trocheck, Zibanejad, Fox etc. You know what their ceilings are and you know what their floors are. Chytil, nobody has a clue because he either won't be healthy and won't play or he will be healthy and could range anywhere from servicable to elite.
Goodrow - has to be a buyout and give Will Cuylle that spot. Othmann/Berard/Edstrom are knocking on the door and can likely play some servicable minutes.
Panarin-Trocheck-Lafreniere
Kreider-Zibanejad-Kakko
Cuylle-Chytil-Othmann
Vesey-Edstrom-Rempe
Fox-Lindgren
Trouba-Miller
Schneider-Jones
100% happy with the above as the starting lineup for game 1. See what you have with those young guys over the course of 30-40 games and do what you need to at the deadline to juice it up. They'll have plenty of cap space.
Everyone crying for Trouba to be traded, it's not happening and there's no point of entertaining a d corps without him because it's just a waste of time