3. Henrik Lundqvist
Where do we begin with New York Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist?
Yes, the man is great. He’s a future hockey hall of fame goaltender who deserves all of the accolades in the world. His arrival on Broadway has been the closest thing to the Patrick Ewing era for the Blueshirts basketball brethren.
Having said that, don’t you dare ever bring up the fact he has yet to capture a Stanley Cup. And don’t you dare ever say Hank has slipped a bit in his older age.
Rangers fans wouldn’t like that very much.
Through 20 games played this season, Lundqvist hasn’t played up to his regular standards. His save percentage of .914 is far off his .920 mark that went towards seeing his No. 30 jersey eventually raised to the MSG rafters. Additionally, the Rangers have yet to win a regulation game in which they’ve scored three or fewer goals. Granted, the below average defense has a lot to do with this, but Lundqvist shouldn’t be completely off the hook.
Yet when a diehard Hank fan joins the conversation, any criticism of Lundqvist is off limits. Hell, to them, he’s even the greatest puck-handler Gary Bettman has ever seen.
Henrik Lundqvist surely has several months to make up a poor start, but as of now, the 34-year-old has slipped a bit. And when that’s mixed with a hefty $8M salary (the highest-paid goalie in the league), a foundation of explosive material is suddenly present.