The Rangers had a great offseason. It’s hard to ignore the holes addressed, but it also didn’t address everything that ailed the roster. There are still some pretty significant questions out there, mostly regarding the defense depth and center depth. Though the roster and coaching staff have been overhauled, there’s still the matter of winning. Can the Rangers contend for a Cup next season? What needs to go right for them to be in the conversation.
The Rangers contend for a Cup if…
The big question is what needs to happen if the Rangers contend for a Cup. For starters, everything needs to go right for them, and a few things need to go wrong for both Carolina and Florida. The Canes and Panthers are far and away the two best teams in a pretty mediocre Eastern Conference, though perhaps what “needs to go wrong” is simply the Rangers surprising a few teams. Health and injuries come to mind as the low hanging fruit, of course.
The Rangers can’t control what happens with Carolina or Florida. They can control what happens with them and their performance on the ice. That means playing steady defense, rebounding offensively and on the powerplay, and buying into new coach Mike Sullivan’s systems. That’s a loaded answer of course. There’s more to this if the Rangers contend for a Cup.
Mika Zibanejad thrives as the 2C
First things first, if the Rangers contend for a Cup this year it’s because Mika Zibanejad has a revival at center. Given roster construction, him starting at center–preferably in a sheltered offensive role–is needed. It’s either him or Juuso Parssinen at 3C, and the answer is clear. Parssinen isn’t a prospect anymore, and if there’s hope for improvement it comes from both the coach and the hope that he’s a late bloomer. Not unheard of, but banking on him isn’t great.
There’s also a need for the Rangers to create wing spots for the “big three” of Gabe Perreault, Brennan Othmann, and Brett Berard. Assuming Zibanejad is a center, that opens an additional spot for this trio, the only top-six spot up for grabs. As great as Zibanejad looked next to JT Miller, his value to the Rangers this season is as a center. If the Rangers contend for a Cup, one of the reasons will be Zibanejad’s rebound as a 2C.
The rookies make an impact
Speaking of this trio, if the Rangers contend for a Cup, it’s because at least two of them not only make the team, but have an impact on the ice. Operating under the assumption Othmann (2RW) and Berard (3LW) are the guys that break camp with the Rangers, they will need to hit the ground running with their on-ice play.
For Othmann, the expectation is he uses his strength and engine to get into the dirty areas and the front of the net, helping ease the transition in the post-Chris Kreider era. Kreider did a lot of things that didn’t show up on the scoresheet, and both Othmann and Will Cuylle have similar skill sets. They aren’t as fast or as strong, but they play similar styles. Othmann in particular will need to find his game at the NHL level and contribute on the scoreboard. He turns 23 this season, so now is the time to see what he has.
This would be a massive leap for Othmann, who has 25 NHL games under his belt and just two assists to show for it. If the Rangers contend for a Cup, his ability to play at the NHL level will be a key contributor. If Othmann doesn’t have it, then the hope is Perreault breaks camp with the Rangers. Perreault is a true wild card because he has the highest ceiling, but the Rangers can’t/won’t rush him.
Berard is a different case as the expectations are a little more tempered. He looked great in his 35 games with the Rangers with 6 goals and 10 points–six goals more than Othmann, mind you. There were some concerns with his play away from the puck, specifically in the defensive zone, but it does look like Berard is already penciled into that 3LW role as a feisty, two-way, three-zone winger that can chip in offensively.
If the Rangers contend for a Cup, it’s because two of these rookies took the proverbial bull by the horns and made lasting impacts on the ice.
Progress from Cuylle, Schneider, and Lafreniere
The Rangers will only go as far as their stars take them, so rebounds from Zibanejad and Vincent Trocheck are a given. Artemi Panarin and JT Miller don’t fall in the “rebound” category but they need to find that extra level they had the year prior. This quartet producing star like numbers is what will drive the Rangers.
But if the Rangers contend for a Cup, and I mean truly in the mix as a top team in the Eastern Conference, then all three of Will Cuylle, Alexis Lafreniere, and Braden Schneider need to take the next step in their respective games. For Lafreniere in particular, that means becoming a driving force at 5v5 while putting up a minimum of 60 points at 5v5 and with extended powerplay time.
Cuylle is in a similar boat, though with less lofty expectations. Cuylle isn’t going to be a gaudy offensive stats guy like Lafreniere. But he still put up a solid 20 goals and 45 points last season as one of the lone bright spots for the Blueshirts. He cannot take a back seat. At the very least, keeping that offensive pace at 5v5 while chipping in on special teams will be his logical next step. A point total isn’t fair. Being an offensive pest that can put up 20 goals and 50 points is doable though, and fair expectations.
As for Braden Schneider, the expectations are a bit more ambiguous. Dealing with a torn labrum the past two seasons, we simply don’t know what his true potential is. We also don’t know what role he’s expected to play. Is he going to be the 3RD in a defensive role? Is he penciled in as the 2LD with an expectation he will be given more of a two-way role? I lean the latter, but no matter what he needs to take the next step within the role he’s given.
Adam Fox and the defense
If the Rangers contend for a Cup, yet another reason will be Adam Fox’s knee. He took a rough knee-on-knee from Sebastian Aho early in the 2023-2024 season and it clearly limited him throughout the 2024 playoffs and all of last season. He did not have offseason surgery to correct anything, so the hope is his knee is healthy and his mobility is back to what’s expected. Fox isn’t fast, but he’s mobile with excellent agility and edge work. That part of his game was absent last season and he still put up 60 points.
Outside of a healthy Fox and the next step from Schneider, the Rangers defense needs to actually be good. The bar is legitimately on the floor at this point. Just play solid team defense, which includes backchecking from the forwards, and most of us will be happy.
Team defense is the biggest input to the Rangers contending. If the Rangers contend for a Cup, it means everyone bought into their new roles in a new system and they finally got their heads out of their rear ends.
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