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New York Rangers: McDonagh’s Role Bigger Than Ever

By Timothy Haggerty

Apr 23, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; New York Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh (27) skates with the puck against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the third period in game five of the first round of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the CONSOL Energy Center. The Pens won 6-3. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 23, 2016; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; New York Rangers defenseman Ryan McDonagh (27) skates with the puck against the Pittsburgh Penguins during the third period in game five of the first round of the 2016 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the CONSOL Energy Center. The Pens won 6-3. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /
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The captain of the New York Rangers will have to be more than just their best defenseman; he needs to really lead this team to victory.

This year’s New York Rangers team features a lot of new faces with a lot of youngsters who will look to captain Ryan McDonagh as a role model.

Last season was another installment to Ryan McDonagh’s legacy with the Rangers. His statistics didn’t slow down at all and showed that the 26-year-old still has yet to reach his full potential.

2015-2016 Traditional Stats

Games Played: 73

Goals: 9

Assists: 25

Points: 34

Plus/Minus: 26

TOI: 22:21

Role: Top Four Defenseman

Season in Review

Ryan McDonagh is undoubtedly the team’s top defenseman. The defense last year was the worst we have seen it be in years. That’s not to say that it was particularly bad, considering the Rangers were seven goals below the league average for goals allowed. However, the Rangers are used to being towards the top of that list every year, whereas last year they ranked 15th in goals allowed. That was very visible in the playoffs, where the Rangers were simply outscored to death by the Pittsburgh Penguins, who would go on to win the Stanley Cup that June.

McDonagh registered a solid plus/minus of 26, which puts him at 9th in the league in that category. It’s worth noting that only three defensemen finished higher than him in plus/minus; Colton Parayko, Brian Campbell, and Olli Maata. All three of those defensemen played on teams that do a very good job scoring, which would certainly help any defenseman’s plus/minus. McDonagh did an excellent job aiding in the scoring himself for the Rangers, registering a modest 34 points.

McDonagh’s time on ice average finished almost two minutes ahead of the next player on the roster, Kevin Klein at 20:23 and Dan Girardi at 20:19. He is Alain Vigneault’s go to guy when the opponents have their best scorers on the ice, and no one should expect that to change this season.

Projected 2016-2017 Traditional Stats

Games Played: 82

Goals: 11

Assists: 32

Points: 43

Plus/Minus: 28

TOI: 23:03

Role: Top Four Defenseman

Reasoning: Unless McDonagh encounters something unpredictable like a major injury, I expect him to be on the ice every night. At age 26, he won’t need as much time off as some of the older defenseman. Especially as the captain, AV should be aiming to have him out there every night. A night without McDonagh is already setting yourself up for a long night, the goal should be to always have him out there.

While McDonagh hasn’t reached his scoring peaks that he did in 2013-2014, which was 14 goals and 29 assists, I think he is poised to get there again this season. The Rangers have a deep forward group this season that I think enables McDonagh to get a point regardless of who is on the ice. That should positively impact his plus/minus as well.

I’m predicting that McDonagh will take on an average of 40 seconds more of ice time per game, and here’s why. Without Keith Yandle on the team anymore, McDonagh will get a lot more time on the power play and in big situations. He could be the Rangers’ most offensive defenseman, and that will certainly put him on the ice more often in scoring situations.

Next: Will Brady Skjei Make the Team?

It entirely depends on the effect of guys like Nick Holden, Brady Skjei, and Dylan McIlrath on the scoring sheet. We will have a much better gauge of what that will look like after watching a couple of weeks of regular season games.

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