The time has come to try the New York Rangers in the court of public opinion with our ESNY report cards, and the Rangers forwards are first.
By Chris Wengert
Well this season it’s simply over.
There were a few stretches where the Rangers played some quality hockey, but those stretches we followed by inconsistent play and questionable coaching decisions.
There is the old “It’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey” cliché that usually holds some truth, but not this season.
The 2015-2016 New York Rangers’ season was a long and agonizing journey in large part because fans were never sure what to expect on a nightly basis.
The Feisty, Never-Say-Die New York Rangers Are Long Gone
Would the Rangers play a hard-nosed physical game, or an underwhelming one?
Strong goaltending, weak goaltending, good coaching, or bad coaching?
The paradox is that the Rangers were all of these at one point or another.
And sometimes being inconsistent is worse than being just plain bad. Edmonton Oiler or Buffalo Saber fans understood that their respective teams were, well, bad.
But sometimes having an inkling of hope is worse because you start to believe.
You start to believe that perhaps with the right acquisitions and a strong effort, your team may be capable of making a playoff run.
But now here we sit with the knowledge that this team never really had a shot at Lord Stanley’s most prized possession.
The house of cards came crashing down.
Well, it’s time for the curious case of the 2015-2016 New York Rangers to be heard in the court of public opinion.
Today we’ll present grades for the Rangers forwards.
Tanner Glass
Tanner Glass is easily the most criticized forward on this list.
Whenever a discussion regarding personnel issues is initiated, Glass is almost always criticized.
Some believe that Alain Vigneault should have substituted Glass for the quicker and much more talented Oscar Lindberg.
While I would never describe Glass as a strong hockey player, he was one of the few Rangers who gave a strong effort every single night that he played.
The same cannot be said for a good portion of the Rangers’ roster.
The fact that the Rangers didn’t have a better fourth line option exposed one of the many kinks in their armor, and while Glass gave a strong effort night in and night out he never produced consistently.
Grade: C
Dominic Moore
In years past, Moore had a knack for scoring goals when his team needed a boost. It’s also no secret that his history, strong character, and grinding style make him an easy player to root for.
But something changed this year.
For whatever reason, Moore pushed aside some of the simplicity that made his style of play effective and opted for a fancier approach.
Rather than driving to the net to pick up the occasional garbage goal, Moore would often attempt a fancy pass or spin move.
The result was a weak playoff performance and his lowest points total since joining the Rangers in 2013.
Grade: C
Viktor Stalberg
There weren’t exactly high expectations surrounding Stalberg when he stepped onto the MSG ice as a Blueshirt in October.
Having said that, Stalberg became a reliable third or fourth line player for the Rangers this season. His quickness added to the forecheck and he would score the occasional goal.
Stalberg was never featured on the highlight reel, but he often stepped up when other players had gone cold.
However like much of the Rangers’ roster, Stalberg couldn’t produce in the playoffs and that’s going to hurt him.
Grade: B
Jesper Fast
This was Fast’s first full season in the NHL and he showed some attributes that point towards a promising future.
His points total doubled this season, but he also played 20 more games than he did during the 2014-2015 season.
Fast’s best attribute was his ability to set-up his line mates in the offensive zone. His game reminds me a lot of Derek Stepan‘s style of play.
On the flip side of the coin, Alain Vigneault would often keep Fast on the first or second line long after he had worn out his welcome.
This year was a good stepping stone, but Fast rarely scored a timely goal that would help his team.
Grade: B
Kevin Hayes
Expectations were high for Mr. Hayes entering this season.
The success he enjoyed during his rookie season (17 goals/28 assists) gave Jeff Gorton and company reason to believe that Hayes would be a big-time contributor.
In fact, they were banking on it.
Instead, Hayes proved that the sophomore slump is a real thing with decline in virtually every stat column.
His play often looked lackadaisical and lazy, and his tough play from the year prior was non-existent this season.
Young players with Hayes’ talent are fragile projects and it’s apparent that while he didn’t live up to expectations this year, AV certainly didn’t help his case.
While a trip down to Hartford may have helped spark to spark Hayes’ game, AV would opt to scratch the second year player and publicly criticize his game.
High expectations in addition to wish-washy and often non-existent performances hurt Hayes this season.
Grade: D
Eric Staal
Not much to say here.
Similar to Martin St. Louis, the Rangers gave up more draft picks from an already dry pipeline for this trade deadline acquisition.
But St. Louis produced in the playoffs. Staal?
Nothing.
Only six points in 20 games (3 goals/3 assists) and zero points in the playoffs.
Staal is another has-been that went to New York to die.
Enjoy retirement Eric and good riddance.
Grade: F
J.T. Miller
In his first full season with the Rangers, Miller tallied 22 goals and 21 assists.
While these numbers are certainly impressive for a young player it’s important to remember that a good portion of Miller’s goals came in January and February.
Similar to Fast, Miller’s future is looking up as long as he can build on the success he enjoyed this season.
While Miller tallied three assists in the five playoff games this year, he needs to start scoring some timely playoff goals if he wants to take the next step moving forward.
Grade: B
Derick Brassard
Just a few years ago the Columbus organization basically gave Brassard away in a trade package, and this season he was the leading scorer for the Blueshirts.
Brassard also had a goal and a few assists in the playoffs, which helps his case.
But the issue with Brassard is that he is completely unreliable defensively.
He doesn’t backcheck hard and often blows coverage in the defensive zone. Points are great, but if you’re a liability defensively it hurts your value.
While Brassard could be called upon to score timely goals, he was often caught out of position in his own end.
Grade: B
Rick Nash
Oh, Rick Nash.
Nash scored only 15 goals in 60 games, and while he was out with that nasty bone bruise for a quarter of the season, 15 goals just isn’t good enough.
I’ve said on many occasions that Nash does the little things very well. He backchecks hard and was an important piece of the penalty kill unit.
However, while Nash was injured the penalty kill was completely ineffective.
Having said that, Nash isn’t paid 7.8M to backcheck and be an effective penalty killer. His supposed role is that of a power forward who scores big goals in big games.
Even though Nash had a great start to the playoffs tallying two goals and two assists, he often filled the role of a third line player.
Grade: D
Chris Kreider
Kreider is a curious case.
He played terribly for 75% of the season, yet he basically matched his production from last season with 21 goals and 22 assists.
But Kredier was expected to take “the next step” this season, yet he looked completely lost for a good portion of the season.
That hard-nosed, unrelenting player did show up towards the end of the season, but you could argue that it was a day late and a dollar short.
If Kreider was even somewhat consistent, he could have easily scored 30-35 goals this season.
If Kreider is going to be a part of Jeff Gorton’s plan moving forward, Kreider will need to be much more consistent next season.
Grade: C
Derek Stepan
Stepan is perhaps the most consistent player on the Rangers roster.
You can usually predict that Stepan will give you his 50ish points and call it a day. This season he tallied 22 goals and 31 assists.
The issue with Stepan is that he is a first line center who was paid 6.5M this season and while he is certainly adds positive chemistry to the team, he doesn’t consistently perform like a first line center.
Similar to Brassard, Stepan often finds himself lost in the defensive zone. While it is certainly to a lesser extent, he is usually guilty of blown coverage and bad defensive positioning.
In the end, Stepan is a second line center who is paid and treated like a first liner.
Grade: B
Mats Zuccarello
Of all the forwards, Zuuuuuc was certainly the hardest to assign a grade.
He notched a career-high 26 goals and 35 assists after returning from a life-threatening head injury.
He is perhaps the most beloved player on the team and shows up for almost every game.
And that is where Zuccarello falters here. He showed up for almost every game this season.
Zuccarello’s production in big games slowed and the season came to a close. As effective as the Brassard/Zuccarello connection was in years prior, it was a defensive liability this year.
Vigneault had no choice but to split the two up as a result.
It’s hard to separate the adversity that Zuc overcame from his performance, and while he will be an essential part of the Rangers’ plan moving forward, he just cannot continue to be ineffective defensively.