New York Rangers: Comparing the future 17-18 team to the 13-14 team
Centers
13-14: Brad Richards, Derek Stepan, Derick Brassard, Dom Moore
The 13-14 New York Rangers had tremendous center depth. They had at least six players capable of playing center on the roster during the playoffs.
Richards, Stepan, Brassard and Moore made up a deadly center core. Richards was a number one center. Stepan and Brassard grew into becoming 1A, 1B type centers. There were very few, if any, teams that boasted that much depth down the middle.
17-18: Mika Zibanejad, Kevin Hayes, J.T. Miller (for now unless another center is signed or traded for), David Desharnais
The 2017-18 New York Rangers have one of the thinnest forward groups in the league when it comes to depth. Their center depth is likely going to be the team’s biggest weakness going forward. It is reasonable to believe that Mika Zibanejad can become a top line center, but after him, there are serious question marks.
If the Rangers were to acquire a top six center, they could easily jump up to a top tiered center core, but that won’t be an easy task. As it stands right now, the 13-14 New York Rangers had a far better center core.