New York Rangers: Expectations for Henrik Lundqvist
In 2013, Henrik Lundqvist was considered by some to be the best goaltender in the NHL, maybe even the world. In the years since then, he began his decline. Here’s why New York Rangers fans should still expect more from him.
For the past 12 seasons, Henrik Lundqvist has been the most consistent face for New York Rangers fans to see in the net. He has always been considered an above average goaltender, but that began to change over the last few years. Like most, if not all, players, his skills began to diminish.
Although still remarkable, Lundqvist’s numbers took a dive over the 2016-2017 season. His save percentage (Sv%) dropped to .910, a career low. Additionally, he had only two shutouts, also a career low. His average amount of goals allowed (GAA, or goals allowed average) also slumped to the highest it has ever been at 2.74. These numbers, along with having the highest cap hit on the team, make the 35-year-old an easy target for criticism.
Almost every fan of the Rangers has an opinion on Lundqvist, and if they didn’t before, they definitely do now. Should he be playing less? One of the more prominent questions as of late has been, should we lower our expectations as his skill level does the same?
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What We’ve Seen So Far
Henrik Lundqvist has consistently been the New York Rangers player with the most “star-power” for the past few years. In his best years, from about 2009-2012, his numbers were some of the best in the league. During the 2011-2012 season, his GAA was at a solid 1.97, which is still the best it has been so far in his career.
His Sv% has been at least .900 for his entire time in the NHL, being at its highest at .930 in 2012. In the seasons that he faced the most shots, he also made the most saves. In addition to his numbers, Lundqvist has some qualities that the score sheet doesn’t show.
Throughout his years as a Ranger, the veteran has shown how much he wants this team to succeed. He has an incredible drive and work ethic, that sometimes single-handedly carries the team. He has always been extremely passionate about being a Ranger and wanting to win as a Ranger, and he doesn’t exactly hide it.
Why the Decline?
Lundqvist’s numbers began to noticeably decrease in 2015. This was also when the team began to visibly get worse. After finishing the regular season in third place in their division, the Rangers only won one playoff game. The Pittsburgh Penguins defeated them in five games, and it left a bitter taste in everyone’s mouth, especially Lundqvist.
Many people wondered why the Rangers were “suddenly” so bad. The playoffs exposed underlying problems, mainly rooted in the defense, that had existed for a while.
It’s no secret that, in 2016, Marc Staal was not the same player that he was when his career began. After taking a puck to the face on in March 2013 and getting a small rip in his eye, the defender was never the same. At the time of the injury, he said that he didn’t think he’d make a full recovery, and that has rung true.
In addition to Staal, Dan Girardi’s skills diminished greatly as well. Under former head coach John Tortorella, he blocked endless shots, and it took a huge toll on the defenseman’s body. While his “warrior” ways made Tortorella happy, they did not help him when the more speed and skill focused Alain Vigneault took over.
While it is easy to throw blame around, it’s also easy to see that these two players had an impact on Lundqvist’s play over the past few seasons. But, as fans are starting to see, that excuse won’t be valid anymore when the 2017-2018 season begins.
What Changes This Season
Staal and Girardi made a lot of mistakes over the past few years, and were promptly blamed for them. During that period of time, many fans pushed all of the blame onto these two blue-liners. While they did deserve a lot of the flack that they received, it shouldn’t be as big of a topic this year.
The defense got a huge upgrade with Kevin Shattenkirk this offseason. The price was right for the Rangers, including a “hometown discount”, and his skill set is a great improvement from last year’s defense.
The team also acquired Anthony DeAngelo, which could be good or bad. He’s young and still has potential, but will have to earn a spot on the roster. Regardless of whether he is NHL-ready or not, this will be a change from the flawed defense of previous years.
The team bought out Dan Girardi on June 14th, 2017. Knowing that he will not be a Ranger anymore changes a lot. No matter where people placed the blame, Girardi will not be a destination for it anymore, because he will be playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning.
As for Marc Staal, he probably won’t have as big of a role on the team this year. Adding Shattenkirk and DeAngelo, along with re-signing Brendan Smith showed that the Rangers are looking to transform their defense. Staal will most likely be playing bottom six minutes.
What does this all mean for Henrik Lundqvist? He won’t have anywhere to hide, anymore. With an updated defense, there will be no room to call the defense horrible anymore. When a goal is his fault, Lundqvist will have to be blamed.
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So, where should our expectations for Henrik Lundqvist be, going into the 2017-2018 season? The answer is simple; sky high. He has shown how great he can be in the past, and there will no longer be any excuses. Will “The King” return? Or, will we see a decline continue? All we can do is wait and see what the season will bring.