Metro Moves: New York Rangers
As September rolls in, hockey towns are gearing up, with players gradually returning for informal practices ahead of training camp.
While the summer buzz has centered around the Penguins’ offseason activities, it’s time to shift our focus to the other teams in the division. Let’s start with the New York Rangers, who topped the Metropolitan Division in the 2023-24 season.
The Rangers’ summer was more remarkable for what didn’t happen than what did. The team approached captain Jacob Trouba about the teams on his partial no-trade clause after his full no-movement clause expired.
Although there were rumors of a potential buyout, which didn’t materialize, it was clear the team was considering moving on from Trouba and his $8 million salary. As a result, Trouba will return to Manhattan this season, albeit under the cloud of the team’s desire to part ways.
Another significant non-move for the Rangers was the lack of a contract extension for star goalie Igor Shesterkin, whose current deal expires after the 2024-25 season.
While both sides are expected to reach an agreement, Shesterkin will likely seek a substantial raise to place him among the league’s highest-paid goaltenders.
The contract negotiations of Boston’s restricted free agent Jeremy Swayman will be closely watched as they may influence Shesterkin’s next deal.
By Rangers’ standards, the offseason was relatively quiet. They added Pittsburgh’s Reilly Smith at 75% of his contract, bolstering their forward group.
New York didn’t lose much, as usual, parting ways with rental players acquired for the playoff run (Alex Wennberg and Jack Roslovic). The team gained some salary cap relief when veteran Barclay Goodrow was claimed off waivers by San Jose.
They also lost defenseman Erik Gustafsson to free agency but plan to promote young player Zac Jones to fill his spot in the NHL lineup. Veteran Blake Wheeler also left via free agency.
Other additions include bit player Sam Carrick from free agency. Restricted free agents Ryan Lindgren and Braden Schneider were signed to short-term deals (one and two years, respectively), partly due to the inability to offload Trouba’s contract.
While this approach may cost more in the long term, it shouldn’t be a significant issue in the near future. Top prospect Brennan Othmann is expected to join the NHL soon.
Projected lineup from NHL.com:
– Forwards:
– Chris Kreider — Mika Zibanejad — Reilly Smith
– Artemi Panarin — Vincent Trocheck — Alexis Lafreniere
– Will Cuylle — Filip Chytil — Kaapo Kakko
– Jimmy Vesey — Sam Carrick — Matt Rempe
– Defensemen:
– Ryan Lindgren / Adam Fox
– K’Andre Miller / Braden Schneider
– Zac Jones / Jacob Trouba
– Goaltenders:
– Igor Shesterkin
– Jonathan Quick
The Rangers possess a strong core of forwards and defensemen, along with a top-tier goalie. This tried-and-true formula works well in the regular season. In the 2023-24 season, the Rangers boasted the third-ranked power play and penalty kill, leading to 55 wins. With all key players returning, another 50+ win season seems likely.
However, questions remain. Filip Chytil was limited to just 10 regular season games due to injury last year. Kaapo Kakko, who appeared poised for a breakout after a career-high 18 goals and 40 points in 2022-23, regressed in 2023-24, posting only 19 points in 61 games.
While the top-six forward group looks solid, the bottom-six could struggle again unless the team finds a way to make impactful trade deadline moves, despite lacking second and fourth-round picks for the next three seasons, and a third-round pick in 2025.
The Rangers have averaged 110 points over the last three regular seasons, making them one of the NHL’s top teams in recent years. With Shesterkin in net (who had 11 quality starts and no bad starts in the 2024 playoffs), they remain a formidable opponent.
However, the Trouba situation highlights underlying tension and questions about this aging core’s ability to lead the team to the Stanley Cup Final.
