Another New York Rangers season is set to drop on us Wednesday night. What can you expect from the Blueshirts during the 2015-16 season?
By Robby Sabo
It’s closing purely based on one man’s age.
With their goalie, their leader, Henrik Lunqvist, now 33-years of age, the opportunities the Blueshirts have at capturing Lord Stanley’s Cup will come few and far between. Although, it hasn’t seemed that way recently.
Over the last four seasons there hasn’t been a more decorated NHL non-champion franchise than the Rangers. They’ve seen it all and have traveled everywhere. Playing 71 Stanley Cup Playoff games over that span essentially brings almost another full regular season schedule to the table.
Two Division Championships, one Conference Championship, and one Presidents’ Trophy later, Lundqvist and his gang are still without the ultimate prize.
With that, and only that in mind, tonight begins another journey. Tonight, when the puck drops on a brand-spanking new NHL season, Alain Vigneault’s squad will have only one gigantic and stressful goal in mind: to capture that elusive Stanley Cup.
Here’s our 2015-16 season preview for the New York Rangers:
Additions-Subtractions
Notable Arrivals
- F, Emerson Etem
- F, Jarret Stoll
- F, Viktor Stalberg
- D, Raphael Diaz
- G, Antti Raanta
Notable Departures
- F, Martin St. Louis
- F, Carl Hagelin
- G, Cam Talbot
- D, Matt Hunwick
The offseason for Glen Sather, Jeff Gorton and company can’t be deemed a successful one. There’s no chance the departure and arrival of key players signals the New York Rangers a better overall squad.
That being said, they succeeded based on the spot they were in.
With their salary pinching them right up against the cap, the front office did everything in its power to keep the core intact.
They re-signed Derek Stepan to a lucrative, long-term deal – which was first and foremost goal No. 1.
Trading Carl Hagelin to the Anaheim Ducks for Emerson Etem will turn out to be a bad deal. It’s just that simple. Hagelin brings something to the table very few players can. His speed is immense, his penalty killing spectacular, and intangible play very under appreciated. Etem is, at best, a project.
Another possible bad deal was the one sending Cam Talbot to Edmonton for picks. Many figured Talbot could be kept around another year at his $1 million and change salary. Perhaps he’d be fantastic trade-bait when a team got desperate enough for a goalie during the season.
Then again, every dollar counted against them this offseason. Fans will have to heavily hold their breathe every time Henrik Lundqvist gets run over this season.
Martin St. Louis, whether or not he played a key role in the Rangers run to the finals in 2013-14, was dead weight against the talent of the roster and the salary cap.
Jarret Stoll and Victor Stalberg have already played well enough to believe both could wind up being bargains this season.
Lineup
Forwards
- Nash-Brassaard-Zuccarello
2. Kreider-Stepan-Hayes
3. Miller-Lindberg-Stalberg
4. Moore-Stoll-Fast
Scratches: Glass, Etem
Defense
- McDonagh-Girardi
2. Staal-Boyle
3. Yandle-Klein
Scratches: McIlrath
Goalies
- Henrik Lundqvist
- Antti Raanta
Right off the bat the one thing you notice is how deep a squad they truly are. With Tanner Glass and Dylan McIlrath as healthy scratches, how could you think otherwise?
Like previously mentioned, the Rangers veteran shakeups did warrant some concern in drop-off of play. However, it’ll be the youth that’s once again counted on to keep trending upwards.
Alain Vigneault is clearly staying with the “roll all four-lines” philosophy. Look at that fourth-line – it’s a lockdown, shutdown line of epic proportions.
Kevin Hayes, J.T. Miller and Jesper Fast can all slide up to the right wing on the second-line if need be.
Admittedly, the lineup lost some speed with Hags. At the same time, they gained considerable size with both Hagelin and Martin St. Louis now out the door.
Jarret Stoll could wind up proving priceless by the end of the season with the way he can kill penalties and win faceoffs. The only question will be whether Vigneault breaks up Dominic Moore and Stoll so they can take faceoffs across two lines, instead of just one (at the moment).
Players To Watch
Dylan McIlrath
If there was one player fans of the New York Rangers were desperately excited to watch heading into the preseason, this is the guy. Standing at 6′ and weighing in at 220 lbs., Dylan McIlrath is a monster of a defenseman.
Originally a first-round pick back in 2010, McIlrath needs to eventually become a key cog on the blueline if this team is going to go where it wants to come the tough, physical Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Oscar Lindberg
Oscar Lindberg was the most impressive Rangers rookie in camp, and it wasn’t even close. The guy is a two-way monster who could step right onto one of the three penalty killing units.
He even showed flashes of an offensive game that could make the third line just as dangerous as the top two.
Chris Kreider
The theme running with the “players to watch” clearly revolves around youth. Chris Kreider is no exception.
The man has been with the Rangers since the 2011 playoffs. He’s now played three (almost) full regular seasons. And still, he’s only 24 years old.
He’s now coming off a season that saw him net 21 goals for 46 points and produce like the best Rangers scorer in the playoffs. His size, speed and raw anger is everything the Rangers need when it comes to the brutal second-season.
Breakout Player
J.T. Miller
What we saw from this guy down the stretch last regular season and into the postseason was only a glimpse of what’s to come.
The guy is going to be a flat-out stud.
Him and Jesper Fast were so good toward the end of the season that it created such depth and balance across many lines that it essentially saved them in certain clutch spots.
His offensive game is already there. It’s not where it’ll eventually end up, but it’s to the point where he’ll contribute as an offensive force in the Rangers lineup. He tallied 10 goals and 13 assists in 58 games during the regular season, and then picked up a goal and seven assists during the playoffs.
It was Vigneault’s move to put him on the top line with Rick Nash and Derick Brassard that jump-started that line and the offense in general. (Martin St. Louis had nothing left in those old legs of his, and literally acted as an anchor on whichever line he was on).
Even if Miller stays on the third line with Oscar Lindberg, look for 20+ goals from the 22-year old burgeoning star.
The best part about him is his attitude. He doesn’t take crap from anybody.
Keys For Success
1. Dan Boyle Must Be Benched
It’s never a favorite of mine to begin the No. 1 key for success as a negative. In this case, however, it’s dead on.
Dan Boyle isn’t a young man anymore. He’s now 39-years of age playing in a young man’s sport. It’s physical, demanding, and at most times, downright nasty.
It was clear that Boyle (aside from St. Louis) was the worst Ranger on the ice during the playoffs. He simply couldn’t keep up with the youth and physical play of the Washington Capitals, and then the speed of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
When Keith Yandle was paired with him, Rangers fans needed to hide the women and children.
To have Boyle in the lineup coupled with Dylan McIlrath sitting out as a healthy scratch is a sin of all sins. Granted, it’s only the first game and there will be a rotation, but Vigneault cannot allow the wool to be pulled over his eyes again (like last year).
When Boyle deserves to sit, he needs to.
Rick Nash Bringing the Nastiness In The Playoffs
We all know what a horse Rick Nash is. The guy is a scoring machine.
With 42 goals and 69 total points last season, the guy was in pursuit of the Maurice Richard Trophy for most of the season.
Where he’ll make his bones now, and only now at this stage in his career, will be the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Nash has sort of entered the same realm Andy Dalton and the Cincinnati Bengals have. Nobody cares what you do during the regular season. Only the playoffs matter.
The guy should be a power forward. The thing is his style of play suits more the skill guy. There’s nothing wrong with that, and in fact, if he plays better than way than so be it.
But, and this is a big but, he needs to show a little snarl come spring time. It’s just that simple. Penalty killing and playing a terrific overall game isn’t good enough for a guy who’s making $7.8 million a year.
He needs to produce goals in the playoffs if the Rangers want to taste a championship.
Health
Mats Zuccarello going down last spring had an even bigger effect on the team than anybody could’ve envisioned.
It wasn’t just him though.
Marc Staal, Dan Girardi and Ryan McDonagh were all playing on fumes by the time Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals came and went.
It’s an easy key to success to figure out, but needs mention regardless. This team must stay healthy.
McDonagh especially needs to stay healthy. He’s been a little injury prone thus far in his NHL career and needs to prove he can stay healthy over a full 82 games and beyond.
Prediction
2014-15
New York Rangers
- 1st in Metropolitan Division, 113 points
- Presidents’ Trophy (First since 1994)
- Lost in Game 7 to Lightning in ECF
2015-16
Metropolitan Division
- Washington Capitals*
- New York Rangers*
- Columbus Blue Jackets*
- New York Islanders*
- Pittsburgh Penguins*
- Philadelphia Flyers
- Carolina Hurricanes
- New Jersey Devils
The Washington Capitals are the team I’m most frightened of. They employ a terrific coach in Barry Trotz, a deathly physical squad, and just enough playoff experience to now take it over the top.
Not to mention the addition of Justin Williams in the playoffs will be gigantic.
The Rangers will finish somewhere as the overall No. 4 or No. 5 seed in the East. However, due to the playoff setup, they’ll take on the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round of the postseason and go from there.
The Metropolitan Division will boast five teams in the East Playoffs, while the Atlantic only three. One of the Wild Card teams (New York Islanders or Pittsburgh Penguins) will be forced to play in the other bracket.
Stanley Cup Playoffs
Divisional Semi-Final: New York Rangers vs. Columbus Blue Jackets
- Rangers will take this one in six games. It’ll be a hard-fought, knockdown, drag-out series against an up-and-coming Blue Jackets squad who disappointed a season ago.
Division Final: New York Rangers @ Washington Capitals
- Yet again, the two teams will meet in the second round of the playoffs, but for all intents and purposes, this season will see this specific series as the Eastern Conference Final. The Rangers, with the upped nastiness of Rick Nash, Zuccarello doing his annoying thing, Jarrett Stoll’s experience, and Chris Kreider and J.T. Miller blossoming before our eyes will shock Alex Ovechkin and the Caps in Game 7 in the Verizon Center.
Eastern Conference Finals: New York Rangers @ Montreal Canadiens
- It’ll be deja vu all over again, but this time Carey Price will be around for the Montreal Canadiens. New York smokes them in five.
2016 Stanley Cup Final: New York Rangers @ Anaheim Ducks
- At this stage in his career, Henrik Lundqvist has only a few shots left. He’ll get it done in six games against a lower-tiered goaltender. Carl Hagelin will haunt us as a pain in the ass (just like Ryan Callahan and company did last year), but the Rangers will stay healthy and thank their front office for the increased size in the postseason. Instead of going into the tournament as the top dogs, they’ll get in as a good squad who’ll burst at the right time. The 2015-16 New York Rangers will be Stanley Cup Champions.