2014-2015 Review
The Rangers were again one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup. Unlike a lot of other Stanley Cup contenders last year, the Rangers were contenders until the very end. Rick Nash’s 42 goals were third in the NHL last year, leading a Rangers offense that scored three goals a game. His center Derick Brassard was also an important part of the offense, notching 41 assists to go along with 60 points.
Captain Ryan McDonagh again led the team in minutes per game, and was one of the elite defenders in the NHL. Henrik Lundqvist’s freak neck injury kept him out for two months, but he still managed to pick up 30 wins. These stars led the Rangers to the Presidents Trophy, and eventually to the Eastern Conference finals. There, they took Tampa Bay to seven games, but could not make that return to the Stanley Cup Finals they were hoping for.
New Additions
Jarret Stoll
The Rangers were hampered this off-season by their salary cap situation. They just did not have the room to go and grab a top-notch player. The closest they got to that was Stoll, and good two way forward with a lot of baggage. He was one of the locker room distractions the Kings wished to get rid of this off-season. Stoll has still managed a positive +/- over the past three seasons despite not getting over 30 points. Look for him to be a key contributor on the penalty kill.
Emerson Etem
He was a part of the Carl Hagelin trade during the 2015 NHL Draft. The 23-year-old prospect once scored over 100 points in the WHL, and last year scored 21 points in 22 games in the AHL. Could make the Rangers and make an impact due to his offensive skillset.
Key Losses
Martin St. Louis
The future Hall of Famer has done all there is to do in the NHL. His last season was a superb outing, scoring 21 goals and putting up 52 points. The likely Hall of Famer was not his usual self in the post season, however, only scoring seven points. While on paper this seems like a big loss, it also allows someone like Mats Zuccarello a chance to play top line minutes.
Carl Hagelin
The Swede was an important two way forward on the Rangers. In the four years he played with the Rangers, he had a 57 +/- despite not playing more than 15 minutes a game. He did this without getting to 40 points in a season, which shows how hard it was to score with him on the ice.
Biggest Strength
Star Power on Defense
Sometimes, things really are as good as they look on paper. The Rangers last year were the third best defense in the league, and if you look at the talent they have, it is not hard to see why. Captain Ryan McDonagh could be one of the five best defenders in the league. He has an 88 +/- in only a five-year career, which is an indicator of just how consistent he is on the blue line.
Dan Girardi should join him again on the top line, where he has been a staple on the Rangers defense for the last five years. Marc Staal and Dan Boyle should again be the second pair after they both posted an 18 +/- in over 20 minutes of action a game. Keith Yandle and Kevin Klein offer some offensive ability on the third pair.
Biggest Weakness
Lack of Clutch Scoring
While it may seem strange that the third best scoring team last year would need help scoring, their performance in the post season last year showed they need more scoring when it matters most. Derick Brassard led the team with nine goals and 16 points in 19 games. Rick Nash, who scored 42 goals in the regular season, only could score five in the post season.
After those two, the only guys to get five or more goals were Chris Kreider and Derek Stepan. They will need more guys to step up in the playoffs this year, but the problem is that they could not get a top six forward in the off-season due to their cap situation. They will have to hope that the players they do have will perform better when the playoffs come around.
Bottom Line
The Rangers are a Stanley Cup Contender, but they play in an Eastern Conference where they are not alone. Tampa Bay, Montreal, Detroit and maybe even Boston could represent the Eastern Conference in the Stanley Cup Finals. The good news for the Rangers is that they play in the Metropolitan Division, which they posted a 23-6-1 record against last year. They will have to hope that a strong regular season will finally translate into a Stanley Cup this time around.
Fantasy Slant
Most Overrated: Rick Nash
As good as he is, he was last season, it was his first 30-goal season in New York. His 69 points were also the most he has had in six years. His 29 +/- was a career high as well as his 42 goals. This all means that last year was an uncharacteristically good year for Nash. That is not saying that he isn’t a really good player – cause he is – it’s just that it would be unreasonable to expect the same out of him this season.
Most Underrated: Derek Stepan
The young forward was on pace for his best season before injuries caught up to him. Stepan scored 55 points in 68 games, which if he stayed on that pace would have led to 66 points. Stepan has continued to get better every year, and this year should be no different.
Biggest Surprise: Kevin Hayes
Hayes has not gotten a lot of hype around him so far, but last year was a real success for him. Last year, the 23 year old put up 45 points despite only playing 13 minutes a game. With St Louis and Hagelin gone, Hayes should improve off of that in his sophomore year.