New York Rangers: Ranking the Rangers in value (pt. 1)
How do the Rangers rank?
Each of the past two seasons, I ranked the New York Rangers in terms of value. This includes (but not only) age, contract, statistics, and future considerations. For example, a player under contract for five years has more value than a player only under contract for one year, as the Rangers will have to address that one year contract soon enough. There is value to the known compared to the unknown.
For this project, I will be ranking the following 22 players: Henrik Lundqvist, Ondrej Pavelec, Pavel Buchnevich, David Desharnais, Jesper Fast, Michael Grabner, Kevin Hayes, Chris Kreider, J.T. Miller, Rick Nash, Boo Nieves, Matt Puempel, Jimmy Vesey, Mika Zibanejad, Mats Zuccarello, Anthony DeAngelo, Nick Holden, Ryan McDonagh, Kevin Shattenkirk, Brady Skjei, Brendan Smith, and Marc Staal.
I will not be ranking Lias Andersson, Alexei Bereglazov, or Neal Pionk, due to none of the trio playing an NHL game yet.
Without further adieu, let’s get into the rankings. You can find last year’s rankings here. And remember, this is about the present and the future.
#22: Marc Staal (Previous Ranking: 22 out of 22):
Marc Staal is one of the worst players in the NHL. Staal continuously diminishes New York’s chances of winning, and I did not want to include him on this list at all, as I did not want to think about him. Unfortunately, every player that’s relevant to the team and played an NHL game is on the list. So Staal gets to be Mr. Irrelevant. Hopefully he is irrelevant this season.
#21: Nick Holden (PR: 21 of 22)
Nick Holden was not much better than Marc Staal last season, but at least he does not come with a major paycheck. Holden will play out the season, then hopefully take his “talents” elsewhere. It should be interesting to watch if he is a regular scratch, traded, or somehow is a regular member of the Rangers’ defense.
#20: Matt Puempel (PR: not in organization)
Matt Puempel checks in at #20. Puempel is your prototypical spare forward, someone that could chip in a few goals here and there, but is unlikely to do much damage. The real question is whether or not he finishes the year as a member of the Rangers’ organization.
#19: David Desharnais (PR: not in organization)
David Desharnais should provide plenty of value for the Rangers on a one-year deal, but considering he is on that one-year deal, there’s a limit to that value. Factor in that he will at best be the third line center for New York, and it’s tough for him to rank any higher.
#18: Ondrej Pavelec (PR: not in organization)
Ondrej Pavelec could leap up the rankings if he has a monster season (like Antti Raanta did) and re-signs, suddenly becoming prime trade bait. However that is a major “what if,” so for now, Pavelec is 18th.
#17: Michael Grabner (PR: 19 of 22)
It’s strange to see Michael Grabner rank 17th after finishing last season with 27 goals, but truthfully his value is limited by the year remaining on his contract.
The Rangers should be unable to retain Grabner past the season, meaning his value lies in a few different options. Either Grabner plays an outstanding season and gets traded at the deadline, or he plays an outstanding season then bolts. If the Rangers win the Stanley Cup there’s plenty of value in that, but if they don’t, the value is limited.
#16: Rick Nash (PR : 12 of 22)
Rick Nash is essentially Michael Grabner in these rankings, just a way better all-around player. It’s his contract term that ranks him here. The unknown is a major question mark as his value is quantified moving forward. For now, he is the most valuable of the one year remaining players.
#15: Boo Nieves (PR: not in NHL yet)
Boo Nieves played in the NHL, so he gets to join this list! He’s a tough player to rank, as he has not yet had a chance to make a mark in the NHL. Still, he is under team control for a long time, and looks to be a future bottom six player for the Rangers. There’s value in having cheap bottom six players moving forward.
#14: Jesper Fast (PR: 15 of 21)
Speaking of cheap bottom six forwards, that’s the name of Jesper Fast’s game. Fast is on a steal of a contract for the next few seasons, but he will likely get a Carl Hagelin-like contract after that. Fast is an immensely valuable player, but he is only as good as the role he plays. Unfortunately for him, there are more important roles on the roster.
#13: Brendan Smith (PR: not in organization)
Brendan Smith is one of the most difficult players to place, as he is on a completely fair contract for the foreseeable future. I spoke of fear of the unknown before, this is fear of the known. Smith will be on a fair deal for the next four seasons, but as a second line defenseman at best.
Simply put, this ranking is not an indictment of Smith, but instead a compliment towards the abundance of young talent the Rangers boast.
#12: Anthony DeAngelo (PR: not in organization)
I keep saying that players are difficult to place, but Anthony DeAngelo is the most difficult to place of them all. DeAngelo could be a stud for the Rangers, piling up the points. However, DeAngelo could also be a mess on and off the ice, depending on numerous factors that are unpredictable. Has DeAngelo grown up? Will Alain Vigneault deploy DeAngelo correctly? How long is the youngster’s leash?
The answers will determine whether DeAngelo is a steal, or a short term waste for the Rangers.
#11: Jimmy Vesey (PR: 11 of 21)
Last year I allowed players with zero NHL time to be in the rankings, hence Vesey’s ranking. Vesey entered the fray with an absurd amount of fanfare, and did his best to live up to the hype.
His long-term control is nice, but realistically he tops out as a lesser talented second liner, or a solid third liner. It’s tough to place him higher considering that.
Next: Five players who could become the next Rangers superstars
Stay tuned for the top 10, coming tomorrow at 9 AM!