New York Rangers: Five fears every fan should have this season
5. Henrik Lundqvist gets injured
The mainstay for the Rangers between the pipes has been none other than Henrik Lundqvist. Rangers fans don’t want to be bothered when thinking about life after the King, but injuries do happen.
In January 31, 2015 against the Carolina Hurricanes, Lundqvist took a puck to the neck. It was later discovered he had damaged a blood vessel, and would miss five to seven weeks because of it.
Luckily, the Rangers had a phenomenal backup goalie in Cam Talbot. That season, Talbot went 21-9-4 with a .926 save percentage and 2.21 goals against average in 36 games. The following year, Talbot’s replacement, Antti Raanta, was also one of the best backups in the league.
This year is slightly different though. The Rangers traded Raanta to the Arizona Coyotes, meaning newly signed Ondrej Pavelec will back up Lundqvist. Over the course of his career, Pavelec has proven to be inconsistent and unreliable. He boasts a lifetime .907 save percentage, and a 2.87 goals against average.
Henrik Lundqvist has won at least 30 games every year he’s played in the NHL except the lockout year, when the season was shortened to 43 games. That consistency over the course of a 12 year career is remarkable.
If Lundqvist goes down, can the rest of the team step up in his absence? At 35, Lundqvist is still the backbone of this team, and the team goes as far as he takes them. With less insurance behind him this year, things could get scary if Lundqvist were to get injured.
4. Henrik Lundqvist continues to decline
Last year was a difficult year for Henrik Lundqvist. Lundqvist being out for extended time is a fear we talked about. But last year, Lundqvist sat out at one point during the season for a different reason. A rough stretch in January forced Alain Vigneault to start then backup Antti Raanta as a struggling Lundqvist rode the pine.
As a result, Lundqvist put up the worst numbers in is career. In 55 games started, Lundqvist went 31-20-4 with a .910 save percentage, and a 2.74 goals against average. Those numbers may stack up against league averages, but Lundqvist was never known to be average.
When Henrik Lundqvist gets in a slump, most of his errors are mental. However, at 35 years old, Lundqvist will surely struggle to keep his physical condition in tip top shape. Was his dip in numbers a result of his age? Will it continue?
Time will only tell if Lundqvist can return to form. He had a strong series against the Montreal Canadiens in round one, but once again struggled when he faced the Ottawa Senators in round two. A strong start to the 2017-2018 is crucial, especially considering he will have a better defense playing in front of him.
3. Depth down the middle wears too thin
The trade of Derek Stepan allowed the Rangers to improve the defense through trade and free agency, but it left them with a gaping hole down the middle.
As a number one center, Stepan was a reliable two-way player that could be counted on in big minutes. With him gone, the Rangers will have to lean on their other centers currently on the roster to step up.
Mika Zibanejad will assume the number one center role, and at 24 years old, has all the tools and potential to do so. It’s behind him where things get interesting. With Zibanejad moving up to line one, Kevin Hayes will have to move up to line two. Hayes did have a career year last year, but had a corsi for that was worst on the team at 43.9%. However, many think that has more to do with Hayes’ linemates than Hayes himself.
With a top six role cemented, Hayes will certainly be surrounded by players that will elevate his game. Like Zibanejad, Hayes has all the tools to succeed in a better role. The question is, will he take the opportunity and run with it.
Hayes and Zibanejad aren’t the biggest concerns down the middle. Right now, David Desharnais is a lock for a starting center spot on the third or fourth line. It’s expected that the Rangers latest first round pick Lias Andersson, and prospect Cristobal Nieves, will battle it out for the last opening.
With the center position already looking weak and unproven, an injury to any one of them would be a death sentence to the Rangers. The Rangers hope their young core can get the job done, but have little to no insurance if they don’t.
2. The rookies don’t progress
A reason the Rangers window hasn’t closed yet like everyone says it will is the young players that made an impact right away. Rookies Jimmy Vesey, Pavel Buchnevich, and Brady Skjei were three major reasons the Rangers looked quicker and more rejuvenated then the season prior.
Pavel Buchnevich found immediate chemistry with linemates Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad. The “KZB” line was effective when put together, until coach Alain Vigneault would bench Buchnevich for the ineffective Tanner Glass.
Jimmy Vesey started out the season hot, but ended the season on numerous goal scoring droughts. Despite this, the rookie still scored 16 goals, including five on the power play. The positive thing about Vesey is even when he was struggling, he still had the same intensity in his game. You could always count on Vesey to provide a solid forecheck.
Not enough can be said on the impact of Brady Skjei for the Rangers and their defense. Skjei had 34 assists, and was third in the league in even strength assists behind only Brent Burns and Erik Karlsson.
Now, what happens if these players endure the “sophomore slump”? Or if coach Alain Vigneault doesn’t deploy his personnel properly? A good rookie year is always tough to follow.
The defenses’ success is very reliant on Skjei’s success. The forward group lost Derek Stepan, and likely won’t see Michael Grabner produce like he did last year. If the other forwards don’t step up, such as Vesey and Buchnevich, it could spell trouble for the Rangers this year. When the expectations are raised, sometimes it’s tough living up to them.
1. Alain Vigneault continues to deploy the wrong personnel
Yes, Dan Girardi isn’t on the roster. However, Marc Staal and Nick Holden are. General Manager Jeff Gorton did a great job in not giving Vigneault much of a choice but to play certain players that need ice time. However, with the defense getting a much needed makeover, it’s imperative that one of either Staal or Holden isn’t in the lineup.
Last season, Vigneault paired Staal and Holden together, which proved to cost the Rangers valuable games against Ottawa last post season, especially when deployed in crucial late game situations. With new options like Anthony DeAngelo, Neil Pionk, and Ryan Graves, there’s zero reason as to why Staal and Holden should both be dressed.
Next: Five stats that need improvement for 2017-18
The Rangers are a team that is reliant on strong puck movement, and their top four says just that. It’s a known fact that neither Staal or Holden are good puck movers, or good defenders at this point. The Rangers best chance to win is when they have their best lineup on the ice. Hopefully, Alain Vigneault doesn’t continue to make the same mistakes.