The New York Rangers have been officially eliminated from the playoffs. With that, fans and the team are getting a glimpse of the future.
The kids are finally here for the New York Rangers and they’ve wasted little time in making their mark.
You could feel the excitement surrounding the Rangers when they recalled both Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil. Both players made an impression in the preseason but needed more seasoning. Now they’re showing that they—and others—can hang with NHL talent.
With that, here are the three stars from the week of 3/25-4/1.
3. Chris Kreider
Once again we had you guys vote for the third star of the week, this week you chose Chris Kreider.
Kreider continues to play at a high level for this rebuilding Rangers team. His point streak ended in the Rangers 4-2 loss to Washington at the Garden last Monday, but that hasn’t stopped him.
Despite not having the same success as in weeks prior, Kreider managed to crack the scoresheet adding a goal against Tampa Bay Friday night. He had several scoring opportunities in that game but could only convert once. Even though his season has been plagued by injury, Kreider is just four goals away from reaching the 20 goal mark. He will have three games to get there.
2. Filip Chytil
Filip Chytil continues to show the skill that fans fell in love with during the preseason.
The 21st overall pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft recorded his first NHL point and goal this week in the four games played by the Blueshirts. He has done work against some of the league’s best defenseman. Only 18, his future looks incredibly bright.
1. Lias Andersson
Lias Andersson is quieting those who questioned the Rangers selecting him seventh overall in last year’s draft.
The book on Andersson coming out of the draft was that he may have been the most NHL-ready prospect in the class. He struggled in the preseason but didn’t let it get him down, continuing to put in work in the SHL and AHL.
That hard work is paying off, as he recorded the first two points of his NHL career last week. Even more impressive is the fact that he’s been a plus-one despite going up against the likes of Niklas Backstrom and Steven Stamkos in those games.
Honorable Mentions
- Kevin Hayes: Two goals and an assist in four games this week.
- Jimmy Vesey: Two assists in four games this week.
