Ryan McDonagh, Chris Kreider, J.T. Miller — where do they fit in as the toughest players on the 2016-17 New York Rangers.
Toughness. How does one describe it? How does one display it? How does one acquire it?Nobody really knows, to be honest.
It’s an attribute that’s unlike any other. Speed can be seen. When a skater like Carl Hagelin blazes from one blueline to the other, the trait hits us at home in full force. The same can be said for agility or mobility.
Toughness is one that can also be witnessed in person, but it dives much deeper. While we can witness a hockey fight or a scrum, we truly don’t know when somebody’s playing through an injury. Oftentimes, especially in hockey, that part of toughness is hard to fully comprehend. These guys simply don’t bitch about injuries. They don’t even reveal the actual injury until the playoffs are over. And even then, it’s the club that announces it, not the individual.
When speaking about the 2016-17 New York Rangers, toughness is, again, hard to identify.
Obviously, there are tough players on the roster. While there might not be a classic goon on the fourth line, many of these talent-dripping skaters showcase grit.
The question is, who are the toughest skaters on the roster?
Here are the five toughest Rangers:
Oct 17, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Rangers left wing Chris Kreider (20) controls the puck during the second period against the San Jose Sharks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
5. Chris Kreider
Nobody on the New York Rangers is stronger … or faster, for that matter. Chris Kreider is an athletic freak.
Come to think of it, the 25-year-old New England product is probably the Rangers top fighter (post-Tanner Glass).
While his mental toughness can be questioned — as last year’s unexplainable struggles exemplify just that — Kreider’s toughness is obvious. It’s also displayed in a greater way than through simply dropping the gloves.
He’s a tough, front-of-the-net presence the Rangers are hard-pressed to replace when he’s out of the lineup.
NEXT: Number 4
Nov 6, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Rangers right wing Mats Zuccarello (36) during the third period against the Winnipeg Jets at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports
4. Mats Zuccarello
The only thing you need to know about Mats Zuccarello’s toughness is this: the man came back from a fractured skull.
When Ryan McDonagh drove that slapshot into the side of the head of Zuc, the New York Rangers lost more than just a Norwegian winger. They lost their heart and soul during the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Like the tough little scrapper he is, however, Zuccarello flawlessly recovered.
He’s also rarely injured. Beginning with the 2013-14 season, the campaign for which Zuc started playing full time with the Rangers, Zuccarello has only missed a total of 10 regular season games.
Not only does Zuc display mental and physical toughness at every turn, he also plays the key role of agitator for the Blueshirts. He’s an annoyance for the opponent every night — an Esa Tikkanen clone to a much lesser degree.
NEXT: Number 3
Feb 23, 2016; Newark, NJ, USA; New York Rangers center J.T. Miller (10) and New Jersey Devils center Sergey Kalinin (51) fight during the second period at Prudential Center. Miller received a match penalty for having tape too low on his hand. Mandatory Credit: Ed Mulholland-USA TODAY Sports
3. J.T. Miller
Very rapidly — this is how J.T. Miller has risen to the occasion on Broadway.
We know he has the skill. The 23-year-old first round pick can skate with the best and out grit the toughest of the league. Aside from Kreider (and possibly Kevin Klein), Miller is the other rare Ranger who can drop the gloves on a semi-regular basis.
A season ago, Miller ranked third on the club with 174 hits. His strength is still underrated around the league and those who underestimate him feel the punch on a regular basis.
NEXT: Number 2
2. Dan Girardi
Sure, you just might be one of those diehard Rangers fans who can’t stand Dan Girardi. We know why. His hefty $5.5 million salary through the 2019-20 season coupled with his falloff in production is exactly why fans have soured.
Still, though, you cannot argue the man’s toughness.
A season ago the man played with a cracked kneecap. Yes, that’s right, a cracked kneecap. During the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Girardi played through a grade 1 MCL sprain.
From 2007 through 2015, Girardi only missed an incredible five games in eight seasons. Whether it’s blocking shots or cleaning up the front of Henrik Lundqvist’s net, Girardi, one of the Rangers toughest leaders, has always been there for the Blueshirts.
NEXT: Number 1
1. Ryan McDonagh
The No. 1 spot? It’s the captain, Ryan McDonagh.
Sure, the case can be made that he’s been injured far too much. Like the captain before him, Ryan Callahan, McDonagh has seen his fair share of injuries and missed time due to those bumps and bruises.
Can anybody challenge his toughness? That’s the real question.
The answer, obviously, is no.
Like two of his longtime teammates along the blueline, Dan Girardi and Marc Staal (who did, admittedly, get snubbed from this list), McDonagh also played through injury during the 2015 postseason that ended in bitter disappointment at the hands of the Tampa Bay Lightning. The captain, amazingly, played through a broken right foot he sustained in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals. That means, for five-plus games, McDonagh had his foot frozen prior to each game just to get through 60 minutes of hockey.
His mental toughness is off the charts — as it naturally should be, as the captain, but the man can also pack a punch:
He’s also taken huge hits and kept on ticking:
The Rangers captain is always getting smacked around and always seems to be bloodied and injured on the ice. Whether it’s his hard-nosed play or something else, we may never know why that’s the case.
What we do know is Ryan McDonagh is one tough hockey player.