New York Rangers’ Best Players Since the 2004 Lockout Part One
#10: Martin Straka, 2005/2006 – 2007/2008
Martin Straka played just three seasons with the New York Rangers, starting right after the lockout. Straka had an incredibly impactful three seasons despite only playing in New York for such a short time.
Before the Rangers, Straka played 12 seasons elsewhere around the NHL. He played ten seasons in Pittsburgh, and retired with his final three seasons with the New York Rangers.
His numbers certainly don’t lie. Straka scored 65 goals and 122 assists in the regular season, adding 20 points in 24 playoff games as well. Between his first two seasons in New York, he only missed a total of five games. He played in nearly 1,000 games and had 771 career points.
Straka was part of a lethal line centered by Michael Nylander with Jaromir Jagr on the right side. For Straka’s first two seasons, his line carried the Rangers to the playoffs. Without his help, it may have been a much darker time for the Rangers. That gives him the #10 spot on our countdown.
#9: Mats Zuccarello, 2010/2011-Present
Mats Zuccarello is an interesting player on this list. He has quietly played an incredibly large role with the New York Rangers over the past four seasons.
Zuccarello joined the team full-time at the start of the 2013-2014 season. He had played a role with the team for the prior three seasons, but never without spending some time in the AHL.
His first year in the NHL came in 2011-2012. He saw 42 games, with 6 goals and 17 assists. Seemingly, ready to perform at a the NHL level every day. The following season, Zuccarello was not an everyday starter, but more like the next man up from the AHL. Zuccarello played just ten games with the New York Rangers, and 37 games down in the minors.
The next season, Zuccarello left for Russia to play in the KHL; only to return to the NHL for the final 15 regular season games and 12 postseason games of the 2012-2013 season.
The 2013-2014 season was Zuccarello’s first full season with the Rangers; burying 19 goals and 40 assists while averaging a little over 17 minutes per game. Since then, Zuccarello has been a mainstay on the New York Rangers’ offense.
Zuccarello has played just under 300 regular season games and 35 playoff games since fully joining the team. He has tallied nearly 250 total points. His consistency makes him one of the most unforgettable Rangers of this era, and good enough to fall into #9 on this countdown.
#8 Rick Nash, 2012/2013 – Present
The Rangers acquired Rick Nash before the 2012-2013 season. He hasn’t been the player the Rangers thought he was going to be, but he has been outstanding nevertheless.
Nash peaked during the 2014-2015 season. He played in 79 games, netting 42 goals and 27 assists for 69 points. He finished seventh in MVP voting and was a +29 overall.
When Alain Vigneault took over as head coach, he expanded Nash’s use to the penalty kill. The result has been seven shorthanded goals for Nash since Vigneault took over. His size and skill set have allowed him to fit in beautifully in multiple situations.
Plagued with injury troubles as a Ranger, Nash only really met expectations in one of his four completed seasons. While with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Nash broke 60 points twice, and had two seasons where he finished with 59 and 57, respectively. He has only done that once as a Ranger.
However, in 285 regular season games, Nash has accrued 210 points. While he wasn’t what the Rangers thought he would be, he is certainly putting on a show on the stats sheet.
With this year looking to be among some of his better seasons with the New York Rangers, Nash has really shown his value to the team. His performance has been good enough to put him at #8 on the countdown.
#7: Ryan Callahan, 2006/2007 – 2013/2014
Ryan Callahan had a remarkable eight season run with the New York Rangers. He has a deep resumé with the team dating back to his NHL debut in 2006.
Callahan spent most of the 2006-2007 season in Hartford with the Rangers’ AHL affiliate. He played just 14 games at the NHL level. There was a lot to like out of the 21-year-old in those 14 games. Callahan had four goals and two assists, while going +5.
The next season he came to the NHL full-time. He played just 11 games in Hartford and had 15 points. However, his NHL numbers were slower to catch up due to a knee injury. He played in 52 games and had just 13 points. Still, Callahan was a +7 and averaging around 12 minutes per game.
Statistically, Callahan held his own throughout his time with the New York Rangers. He could be counted on to contribute roughly 40 points a season.
Callahan was one of the best defensive forwards for the New York Rangers when he was with the team. He finished 4th for the Selke Award in 2011-2012. That same season, Callahan was named the captain of the New York Rangers.
His grit and relentless hustle are the main points people will remember about Ryan Callahan’s time as a Ranger. Players like Callahan are hard to come by, landing him at #7 on the list of best Rangers since 2004.
#6: Dan Girardi, 2006/2007 – Present
Dan Girardi has been a Ranger for almost all of the time included on this countdown.
Girardi was called up by the New York Rangers during the 2006-2007 season. He played 34 games with six assists and a +7 rating. The following season, Girardi would play in all 82 games and never look back.
One of Girardi’s many talents over the years has been his ability to stay healthy. In the eight seasons spanning between the Fall of 2007 and the Spring of 2015, Girardi missed a total of five games. Yes, you read that right.
Being a defensive-defenseman, Girardi was never know for offense. His scoring peak came in 2010-2011, when he had four goals and 27 assists.
In 2011-2012, Girardi made his first All-Star team. He also finished sixth in voting for the Norris Trophy, awarded to the league’s top defenseman.
Next: Rangers Mid-Season Fantasy Hockey Roundup
Shot-blocking and hard work in his own end have given the Rangers an edge every night Girardi has been on the ice. Even this season where his play has been skeptical at times, he has managed to hold a +5 rating. That kind of consistency is what makes him #6 on this list.