New York Rangers: Five players Kevin Shattenkirk’s arrival benefits the most

Signing star defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk gives the New York Rangers a totally different look. He adds the top-pairing presence and powerplay prowess New York desperately needs.

New York Rangers fans can’t wait to see #22 skate onto the Madison Square Garden ice in a home jersey. Is it October yet?

Though some critics unfairly label him a one-dimensional offensive defenseman, that assesment couldn’t be farther from the truth. Shattenkirk makes everyone better. He plays a strong, three-zone game.

Whether he’s setting guys up for easy goals or shutting down opposing forwards, the whole team benefits from his play. Even Alain Vigneault looks smarter sending Shattenkirk over the boards instead of ex-Ranger Dan Girardi.

Still, some of Shattenkirk’s new teammates get an extra boost from his presence. He helps raise their games and changes their career outlooks. These five Rangers shouldn’t stop celebrating his signing until training camp opens.

Anthony DeAngelo

Young defenseman Anthony DeAngelo became a Ranger only eight days before Shattenkirk did. He has phenomenal offensive upside but struggles heavily in his own zone.

At first glance, Shattenkirk serves as a roadblock for DeAngelo. Shattenkirk’s addition and Brendan Smith’s re-signing remove any chance of DeAngelo making New York’s top two pairings. Most of the powerplay minutes go to Shattenkirk as well.

The signings actually help DeAngelo though. He has less than half a season of NHL experience. As the most immediate return for Derek Stepan and Antti Raanta, he faces imposing expectations.

DeAngelo now has no pressure to crack the team’s top four or to carry a powerplay that floundered in the 16-17 playoffs. His play can dictate his ice time rather than New York’s needs. The Rangers have the luxury of sheltering DeAngelo on the third pairing or in Hartford while he works on defense.

Shattenkirk could also prove a tremendous mentor for DeAngelo. The Rangers couldn’t ask for a better role model for him. DeAngelo can thrill the front office by learning to defend while still creating offense like Shattenkirk does.

Brady Skjei

Like DeAngelo, Brady Skjei faces major expectations. Unlike DeAngelo, Skjei stands to play heavy minutes as soon as the puck drops on the 17-18 season.

With an outstanding rookie season and playoffs, Brady Skjei did more to raise his profile in 16-17 than any other Ranger. His polished two-way game and impressive point totals have fans dreaming of a young superstar.

Skjei should open 17-18 to Brendan Smith’s left on New York’s second pairing. The two formed a lock-down unit in last year’s postseason. The Rangers stand to reap that partnership’s rewards for years to come.

On the other hand, Skjei’s 39 points in 16-17 build pressure for him to match or blow past that total in 17-18. The Rangers are already asking Skjei to play more even strength time and probably kill penalties. He should flourish in those roles, but won’t fly below radar anymore.

Other teams now know about Skjei’s dangerous skating and points may prove harder to come by. Shattenkirk makes it much less urgent for Skjei’s offense to take another step right away. Playing behind someone who has never posted less than 43 points in full season should provide Skjei with major relief.

Mika Zibanejad

The Rangers gave Mika Zibanejad a five-year, $26.75 million contract extension last week despite his injury-shortened 16-17 campaign. Zibanejad led the Rangers in playoff scoring with nine points in 12 games but left some people wanting more.

Vigneault criticized Zibanejad following New York’s playoff elimination.

“Mika’s case, he’s at that crossroads right now,” Vigneault said. “He needs to figure it out.”

The Rangers clearly thought Zibanejad’s big, right-handed shot would do major damage on the powerplay. That proved not to be the case in 16-17 though. New York’s powerplay woes played a major part in their six-game loss to Ottawa in round two.

Enter Kevin Shattenkirk. The right-shooting defenseman posted 6.42 points per 60 minutes on the man advantage last season. That’s the second highest rate of any defender in the league behind only Victor Hedman.

After never really finding a reliable setup man for Zibanejad’s shot in 16-17, the Rangers won’t have to worry about it in 17-18. Sam Rosen should spend the rest of the offseason practicing saying, “Shattenkirk to Zibanejad, score! It’s a powerplay goal!”

Henrik Lundqvist

After more than a decade of carrying the Rangers with his phenomenal play, Henrik Lundqvist had the worst season of his career in 16-17. The Swedish netminder managed only a .910 save percentage and a 2.74 goals against average, both career lows.

His season hit a nadir on January 17th when he surrendered seven goals to the Dallas Stars. Some fans at MSG even went so far as to jeer Lundqvist, the greatest goaltender in Rangers history.

There’s reason to hope Lundqvist can still elevate his game though. He out-dueled Cary Price in round one of the playoffs while looking like his old self.

Furthermore, the 16-17 Rangers ranked near the bottom of the league defensively. They yielded even strength shot attempts at a higher rate than all but seven other NHL teams. Lundqvist’s lack of trust in his shaky defense added to his struggles.

Both Kevin Shattenkirk and Brendan Smith excel at suppressing opposing shot attempts. Full seasons from both of them should dramatically lower the amount and quality of scoring chances Lundqvist faces. Elevating Brady Skjei to the second pairing ahead of Marc Staal should help too.

Next: New York Rangers: Four re-tooling teams to trade with

At 35, Lundqvist is older than most other NHL goalies. He’s not done yet though. Not if Shattenkirk and the rest of a revamped defense have anything to say about it.