New York Rangers: Five problems still in need of fixing
The New York Rangers have five things they still need to fix before the season starts. And they don’t have a lot of time left to do it.
The New York Rangers have had a big offseason. In a lot of ways, the moves they made have helped them. However, there are a few that leave some questions still hanging.
They acquired highly sought after defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk. They acquired defenseman Anthony DeAngelo in a deal that sent away center Derek Stepan and backup goaltender Antti Raanta. They also drafter center Lias Andersson, who holds a lot of potential. And they signed center David Desharnais.
However, some of these moves beg for other ones to happen. Yet, since the draft, the Rangers’ offseason has been rather quiet.
Here are five things they still have to find a way to fix before the season starts.
Finding a Center
This is arguably the most important thing in need of fixing on this list. The Rangers have themselves three solid centerman as of right now. Those names include Mika Zibanejad, Kevin Hayes, and David Desharnais.
However, Desharnais is more of a fourth liner, and that leaves the third line still open. It looks like the Rangers are banking on J.T. Miller to fill the position.
And while he may be able to pull it of, he also may not, and that’s not a chance the Rangers should be willing to take considering how much potential this new season holds for them. There’s still time to find a center at a reasonable price.
Talks of Tyler Bozak went away nearly as fast as they came about. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t other capable players out there, and they need to find one.
What to do With Marc Staal
The Rangers bought out Dan Girardi this offseason, and it was a good move on their part. However, he wasn’t the only one the team should be concerned about.
Since his eye problem, he has never been the same. Unfortunately, though he is a dedicated player, that hurts the Rangers. And they need to figure out a way to get him off the ice come the start of this next season.
It would probably be hard to move him at this point, considering that other teams aren’t thrilled with his play. However, they do still have the choice of buying him out.
In the long run, having dead cap space isn’t something any team wants to have on their hands. But this next season holds a lot of promise, so they should try to make it as perfect as they can.
What to do With Nick Holden
While it seems to be that the Staal-Holden situation is the same, there are some major differences.
Their contracts are vastly different. Staal has a contract that extends into 2022, while Holden’s contract expires next year. Staal’s contract is worth $5.7M annually, and Holden’s is worth $1.65M annually.
Overall, it is easier to move Holden because the Rangers have the option of not buying him out. There are teams that might be interested in him. However, it is much more difficult to move Staal.
Holden put up enough points last season for other teams to be willing to get him. Last season, he scored eleven goals and 23 assists for 34 points. That should be good enough to get a team to bite on a solid deal.
The Backup Goaltender Situation
The Rangers have signed goaltender Ondrej Pavelec to a one year $1.3M contract. However, is he really the answer behind Henrik Lundqvist?
Surely it hurt to lose Raanta to the Coyotes, but there have to be better options out there. Pavelec was at best “average” for the Winnipeg Jets.
Last season, he played in only eight games, winning four and losing four. In previous seasons, he played in more games, but his winning percentage was either just above .500 or below.
That’s not going to be good enough considering what the New York Rangers have been used to with their backups. They’re used to the likes of Cam Talbot and Antti Raanta.
The hope here is that the star goaltending coach the Rangers have, Benoit Allaire, will be able to help the situation. So far he’s been great with everyone, and Pavelec shouldn’t be an exception.
Changing Vigneault’s Coaching Style
Alain Vigneault has taken a lot of criticism the past two years. However, it is important to remember the amount of good he has done for this team. With a few tweaks to his style, he can have his best season ever.
Everyone remembers that Brady Skjei was benched in the final minutes of a game where he scored two goals. (That would be Game Two against the Senators.) That cannot happen again. Vigneault must learn to put his best players out in the most pivotal moments.
He also has to remember that the NHL isn’t only about finesse. He has to give his team an edge, a physicality aspect. He can’t be afraid to tell them to hit and hit hard, like they did against the Canadiens. And that series went over quite nicely.
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If he’s able to fix those few things, he will be able to give this team a great chance to win the Cup. With the team he has in his hands, it is entirely possible for him to achieve the ultimate goal this year.