New York Rangers’ Finalized 2016-17 report cards
The Blue Line Station team penned report cards for every Ranger this season. Let’s recap.
Here at Blue Line Station, we have been posting report cards for every New York Rangers player from this past season. In case you missed any of the players, we have here for you a list with every report card, the author’s grades, and Site Editor Brandon Cohen’s grades. Let us know what you think in the comments or on Twitter.
Forwards:
Pavel Buchnevich:
Brandon Cohen’s Grade: B+
Brandon’s thoughts: Buchnevich was not afforded the opportunity many other youngsters in the NHL received. Still, he managed to produce when he was in the lineup. He should not be penalized for Alain Vigneault’s distrust of him.
Jesper Fast:
Lou Venditti: B+
Brandon Cohen: B+
Brandon’s thoughts: Receiving an A is quite difficult, but Fast did nearly everything he could to get one. He’s the perfect bottom six player, though it would have been nice to see some more points out of him.
Michael Grabner:
Brandon Cohen: A
Brandon’s thoughts: I would give him an A++ if Twitter was part of the equation. Speed, penalty-killing prowess, goal scoring. He brought it all and then some.
Kevin Hayes:
Brandon Cohen: B
Brandon’s thoughts: I swear I didn’t hire these writers to all agree with me! Everyone knows I believe Kevin Hayes is a hockey God, but he was out of his element in times this season. When he gets to play in a role he’s fit for, he will truly take off.
Chris Kreider:
Garrett Gartino: A-
Brandon Cohen: B+
Brandon’s thoughts: Phenomenal regular season for Kreider, but he didn’t do enough in the postseason. A lot of it chalked up to bad luck, but that still has to be part of the equation. He gets a B+, but as close to an A- as one can get.
Oscar Lindberg:
John Williams: C+
Brandon Cohen: B+
Brandon’s thoughts: Not sure what else Lindberg could have done given the role he was in. He was a surprisingly dynamic postseason performer, and has led some people to believe he’s better than Derek Stepan. He’s not, but he is a solid bottom six center.
J.T. Miller:
John Williams: B+
Brandon Cohen: B+
Brandon’s thoughts: Miller was on his way to an A until he fell apart in the postseason. Still plenty to be excited for here.
Rick Nash:
John Williams: C+
Brandon Cohen: B
Brandon’s thoughts: Nash didn’t score nearly as much as I’d have liked him to, but his overall game was as usual impressive. It’s easy to forget how much he brings to the table because of how consistently he does it.
Derek Stepan:
Brandon Cohen: B+
Brandon’s thoughts: Stepan was fantastic in the regular season, but awful in the playoffs. Another case where the grade dropped because of that, however he still deserves a B+.
Jimmy Vesey:
Tyler Kluepfel: B-
Brandon Cohen: B
Brandon’s thoughts: Vesey went through far too many scoring droughts, though his overall season statistics were in line with what I expected. His defense needs improvement, but his career his off to a solid start.
Mika Zibanejad:
Brandon Cohen: A-
Brandon’s thoughts: I don’t believe in punishing players for injuries. When Zibanejad was healthy, he was a consistent two-way threat. Fantastic start for him on Broadway.
Mats Zuccarello:
Brandon Cohen: A
Brandon’s thoughts: Zuccarello was consistent and terrific. Considering his team-friendly contract, he’s deserving of an A. (Both for the grade and A for alternate)
Related Story: Who should the Rangers sign this offseason?
Defensemen:
Dan Girardi:
Garrett Gartino: C-
Brandon Cohen: C-
Brandon’s thoughts: I already wrote something nice about Girardi, so what I have to say here is that the best thing Girardi did all season was get bought out. Suddenly I’m hungry….
Nick Holden:
John Williams: C-
Brandon Cohen: C
Brandon’s thoughts: I’m afraid of sounding like a broken record for the defensemen. At least he scored some points? Does anyone know of any fast food places around? Have any ideas?
Ryan McDonagh:
Brandon Cohen: B+
Brandon’s thoughts: He was brought down by every defenseman he played for except for Brady Skjei. I’m so excited to see what he can do with a competent defenseman playing with him.
Brady Skjei:
Brandon Cohen: A
Brandon’s thoughts: Couldn’t have asked for a better season out of Skjei. The future is bright.
Brendan Smith:
Garrett Gartino: B+
Brandon Cohen: A-
Brandon’s thoughts: Smith brought a Michael Sauer-esque defensive game with a whole lot of nasty as well. The Rangers needed a player like him, and he delivered.
Marc Staal:
Brandon Cohen: D
Brandon’s thoughts: Marc Staal’s grade is also the position he is completely unable to play anymore. Also, I know what I’m having to eat. Arby’s.
Related Story: Predicting the Rangers' 2017-18 defensemen
Goaltending:
Henrik Lundqvist:
Alexandra Russo: A-
Brandon Cohen: B+
Brandon’s thoughts: Found it impossible to grade Lundqvist this year. The defense was worse than ever, but he also looked more off than ever himself. Correlation? Perhaps.
Antti Raanta:
Justin Starr: A-
Brandon Cohen: A
Brandon’s thoughts: Raanta played like a starting goalie when Lundqvist was hurt and/or playing poorly. Nothing else you could ask of him.
The Leftovers:
John Williams: Adam Clendening- B+, Tanner Glass- C+, Kevin Klein- C, Brandon Pirri- C-, Matt Puempel- B-
Brandon Cohen- Adam Clendening- B+, Tanner Glass- C, Kevin Klein- C, Brandon Pirri- C, Matt Puempel- B-
Next: Predicting the Rangers' 2017-18 forwards
Brandon’s thoughts: Would you accept a shrug emoji here? No? Hm. Well, Clendening was good when he actually played, but Alain Vigneault preferred playing no one over him. Tanner Glass was bad except for that time in the playoffs when he scored a game winning, playoff opening goal on Carey Price. Classic. Kevin Klein retired, making him cool. Brandon Pirri was signed to score and couldn’t score. Matt Puempel made Mike Smith mad, which made me laugh. Good times.