The Rangers kick off their 91st season a substantially different team than the one that closed out last season with a second round loss to the Senators. Gone are Derek Stepan, Oscar Lindberg, Tanner Glass, Dan Girardi, Kevin Klein and Antti Raanta, as well as Adam Clendening and Brandon Pirri. In their stead are Flilip Chytil, Paul Carey, David Desharnais, Kevin Shattenkirk, Anthony DeAngelo and Ondrej Pavelec. While change is a constant in life and in sports, the Rangers have largely turned over their roster their past few seasons. The team looks to be better suited to play coach Alan Vigneault’s speed game, aided by stronger puck possession.
Some videos to get you in the right mood for the season<:
"Heroes" • New York Rangers 2017-18 Season Intro
ajcastigliaa
Sweet Emotion" l 2017-18 New York Rangers Season Preview (HD)
Metrangerfan711
I broke down the roster after cuts were made to get 25 players, so not going that route again. Below is the projected Opening Night lineup, mixed in is some commentary. As I wrote late year, the analysis for this team is pretty simple. If the defense is better than it was a year ago, which is expected based on the changes made; the forwards, especially pivotmen, take care of their end of the bargain; and the team should be pretty good given the improvements up front and Lundqvist returns to form, especially in terms of consistency, then it should allow New York to surprise some people in the standings. If not, then it will be a long season.
Extras: Desjardins (still on PTO) and Fast (placed on IR, which could be LTIR) (Fogarty is on the season-opening IR)
(AV reunites the K-Z-B line, which had success early last season. Kreider took a step forward last year but we all believe he has at least one more higher level in him. Zib is a major key. With no Stepan, Zib will now be the top-line center matched up similarly in game against both forwards and d-men. Plus, he needs to play on both ends of the ice, as he looks to justify the big contract he received this offseason.
Grabner-Hayes-Miller is listed as either the second or third line, depending on which paper/source you read. Whichever they are, AV also restores a line that has success last year before getting broken up. I would have put Vesey here, but if AV is looking to rely on chemistry, I understand why this trio is together again. This is a big year for Hayes, as he hit the wall 2/3 of the way into the season and now will be counted on to also fill some of the hole left when Stepan was traded. Grabner had a major resurgence last year but to expect 27 goals again might be foolish. Miller also took a step forward last year, and like Kreider, he too left you wanting and expecting more at times.
The veterans flanking the kid. Chytil, the 21st overall pick this year, gets a nine-game trial to show he belongs. He did not look out of place on the preseason, but that’s at half- or three-quarter speed. The real tests start Thursday. To help his transition, AV has Nash, who roomed with him in Lake Placid and provides the defensive ballast as he plays out the last season of his extended deal with New York, and Zuccarello, another veteran and the team’s leading scorer a year ago, who should get they A on his jersey, to aid in Chytil’s transition to the pros.
Fast will likely miss the first 10 games or so TJ start the year. As a result, the fourth line and penalty kill miss a key member of those combinations. Desharnais, who is a more of a third line scoring rather than fourth line checking center, opens the year centering the last trio. If Chytil struggles, Desh could move up to the third line or Miller moved to center. Vesey is not a true fourth liner but Stats the season there, though I wouldn’t be shocked if he and Grabner swap spots. Carey was a scorer at the NHl level, so it will be interesting to see how he fared in this role. AV has taken what was a checking line group and morphed it into more of a scoring one due to the current personnel. In the past, he at times had groupings that could fill both roles. Now, it will be interesting to see who has out in the last minute of a game, especially with Fast out)
Defense:
McDonagh-Shattenkirk
Skjei-Smith
Staal-ADA
Extras: Holden and Kampfer
(We have spoken so often about the defense that it’s almost overkill now. McD-Shattenkirk open the season together. The hope is that ‘Kirk’s pick moving skills allows McD to play to his strengths, rather than having to clean up messes created by his former partner. I was a huge G fan but the transition from him to ‘Kirk should allow McD to take another step forward in his play and career. If for some reason that duo doesn’t mesh, AV could move Skjei up or maybe even ADA in the future, further balancing the lines.
The second duo is another one we all have pined for this offseason. Skjei and Smith were good when paired together last year and seem to complement one another well. Skjei is the puck mover of the duo, whose speed and skill enable him to transition from D to O quickly either via the pass or own zone exits. Smith isn’t a plodder by any means, but he brings the more physical presence to the duo and team.
The gold dust twins are broken up to start the year. Staal gets another chance to show that he can regain his positional expertise and use his ability to break up plays with his stick, offsetting his decline in foot speed. Holden, his former pair mate, looks likely to open the year in the press box. In his place is DeAngelo, who came over in the Stepan and earned a role with a strong camp and preseason. He, like Skjei and McD and ‘Kirk, can really skate with the puck but his playing will depend on how good he is in his own)
Goaltending:
Henrik Lundqvist
Ondrej Pavelec
(As Hank goes, so goes the Rangers. Heading into the year, that may be even more true than in year’s last, since we all have no clue what to expect from Pavelec. Once again, Lundqvist was left out to dry by his defense last year, as he faced the fifth most high danger chances against in the league. While his 5x5 save percentage dropped compared to recent years, the poor D in front of him clearly didn’t help his situation.
The last few seasons, Cam Talbot and Antti Raanta were available to fill in when needed. Both showed enough to help each get starting jobs elsewhere. That crutch is gone. Now the hope is that the goalie whisperer, Benoit Allaire, can work his magic with Pavelec. If he can unlock the key to allow Pavelec to be more consistent and mentally/technically focused, the Lundqvist can receive the rest he needs to be fresh for the postseason. If not...)
Special Teams:
I covered this the other day, and below is what I wrote then. Nothing has changed since then. This is another area where even a mild improvement, especially shorthanded, could have a major impact on the standings.
The first power-play unit will consist of Shattenkirk and Mats Zuccarello at the points with Chris Kreider, Pavel Buchnevich and Mika Zibanejad down low. The second will feature DeAngelo and Ryan McDonagh at the points with Rick Nash, J.T. Miller and Desharnais down low. Zucc’s ability from the point moved McD to the second unit, helping to limit his minutes a bit, while also costing Skjei a spot.
The penalty kill is under the helm of a third coach in three years. After scuffling under Ulf Samuelsson and then especially last year guided by Jeff Beukeboom, new assistant coach Lindy Ruff is calling the shots. The penalty kill ranked an aggregate 24th (79.0) overall, so changes clearly were needed. The keys for Ruff will be to develop a consistent strategy to be used by all the units and try and find four-man pairings to build chemistry.
As Brooks pointed out, Arniel cited head coach Alain Vigneault’s preference to avoid double-dipping on the specialty teams in order to keep a lid on his players’ ice time. That means that one forward duo - and the lead pairing - is expected to be Hayes and Michael Grabner. Watching Grabner play on the penalty kill last year and create shorthanded pressure, makes him a no-brained to land there again. His efficiency on the kill, as noted by Brooks, was best on last year’s team by a mile, on for net-five goals against (eight power-play goals minus three shorthanded goals) in 128 minutes. That equated to net-one power-play goal against per 25:36. Hayes came in at one per 9:48 in 108 minutes. But he will get a chance alongside Grabner.
Derek Stepan and Oscar Lindberg are gone, removing two possible options. Despite AV’s preference to avoid doubling up, Nash would seem to be the next best candidate for the PK. After Grabner, Nash had the next best rating at one per 10:00 among forwards with 80 minutes or more. We have long spoken about how Nash contributes all over the Ice and how Mike Babcock’s decision to play Nash on the PK in the Olynpics better rounded his game. So why not use him here? Maybe Vesey, who appears ticketed for fourth-line duty with Desharnais and Paul Carey, will pair with Nash, but to me that seems unlikely. However, if he isn’t on the PP or PK, Vesey might be limited to 8-10 minutes a night on the fourth trio, since Grabner-Hayes-Miller appears to be the third trip again. If it’s not Vesey, Zib or maybe even Miller could get a chance, since CK20, Buchnevich and Filip Chytil aren’t options for the PK.
I would expect Skjei, who had a penalty-kill sum of 23:31 during his rookie season, will line up across from Brendan Smith as one defensive duo. The second one becomes the challenge. Do you use Marc Staal there, hoping his reach and positioning outweighs his lack of foot speed? If so, is he paired with McDonagh, who lined up across from Dan Girardi on the penalty kill? If not, AV would then likely end up using the McD-‘Kirk combination, as he isn’t about to entrust ADA on the PK. But this would mean both top defensemen logging extra minutes in a situation that requires a heavy expedenditure of effort.
The Rangers are a team whose sum is hopefully greater than the sum of the individual parts.:
When you look at this team, does any one player stand out? Yes, you have Lundqvist, but he is viewed by many as being in the backside of his career. McDonagh and Shattenkirk are the likely other faces of this team, especially ‘Kirk, who took less to play with his home town team. But beyond that, who stands out? Does any forward strike fear in the hearts of opponents or garner focus of a game plan?
But what we expect to see is the depth showing up on the scoresheet. An improved second season from Buch. Zib stepping up (no pun intended) to the role of top center. CK20 possibly getting 30 goals. Grabner creating chances with his speed even if his goals drop by 25-30%. Hayes carrying forward his play from the first 55 games to the final third of a season. Miller building off the success he had last year, either at wing or center. Nash playing solid two-wag hockey and Zucc being Zucc, with Chytil either showing he ahould stick or replaced down the middle. Fast coming back to be the glue on the fourth line while Desh mildly returns to form.
Those are a lot of ifs and maybe and possibilities. But if den only half come true, the scoring depth should make up for the lack of a superstar. Plus there is the trade deadline acquisition route that can be utilized to add a big time center or scoring winger for the stretch run.
A mixture of youth and veterans is the story of the 2017-18 Rangers. Not just aged veterans but young veterans who are no longer kids but still in the career ascension mode. Plus it’s a combinations of new and old, in terms of Rangers service, with defense options in the minors. The key will be how the forwards produce and if the D can make life easier in Lundqvist. If that happens, I honestly think New York can get the second seed in the Metro Division.
The 91th New York Rangers' season starts Thursday. Lots of uncertaintains and questions but lots of hope. A strong start, as the team had the past two seasons, would go a long way to alleviating some of those initial concerns. GM Jeff Gorton has put his stamp on this club and addition of Rupp adds another coaching voice from the bench. Looking forward to the dropping of the puck.
As a reminder, I am out of the box beginning tonight until Saturday night. I will get a new blog up that evening or Sunday AM. The same is the case next week. Please carry the blog in my stead.
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