New York Rangers: Factors for a run at a Metropolitan Division title

A new-and-improved roster

Last year, the Rangers started off their regular season as a strong offensive force. It is near impossible to maintain production like they saw early on and eventually they began to struggle. Defensive woes became more and more apparent, as no pairings seemed as successful as they could be.

Picking up Brendan Smith at the trade deadline (whom they re-signed to a four-year deal this offseason) effectively solidified a second pairing that performed great in the 2017 postseason.

A story with much more press this offseason was the signing of free agent Kevin Shattenkirk to a four-year deal. The arrival of a player like Shattenkirk impacts both offensive and defensive players throughout the roster.

All in all, the Rangers made moves this offseason to create a much more balanced roster. While there is definitely still room to improve (I would argue they will be relying on their defense a great deal this year) they are in a good position entering the 2017-18 season —  despite losing some big name players.