New York Rangers: Five thoughts ahead of the new season
Five thoughts as the 2017-18 New York Rangers season nears.
We are mere days away from the 2017-18 New York Rangers taking the ice for the first time. I’ve written countless “thoughts” articles ahead of the new season, but this is the final one. Next up comes thoughts on real, NHL regular season action. Exciting!
This season represents a new chapter in Rangers hockey. Dan Girardi and Derek Stepan, two long-time Rangers are gone, while Kevin Shattenkirk is now a New York Ranger. As I’ve said before, that never gets old to write.
There are plenty of question marks as we look ahead to the upcoming season, but fans should also be excited. The Rangers boast one of the best rosters in the NHL, and Henrik Lundqvist could be reborn with an improved defense in front of him.
However, the season is still not quite here yet. So let’s take a look at some final thoughts as it nears.
1. Henrik Lundqvist’s Big Year
The majority of fans and analysts would agree that last year was the worst season of Henrik Lundqvist’s career. While I’m more inclined to blame the players in front of him (*cough Dan Girardi cough*) the reality remains that last year was a rough season for New York’s netminder.
Considering Lundqvist is the present and future between the pipes for the Rangers, it’s essential that he does not enter a steep decline. Last season may have been a sign of Lundqvist’s entering the decline, or it could have been a signal that no human could perform above expectations with the defense the Rangers iced last season.
This year must be a different story. Regardless of what happened last year, the Rangers now have one of the better defenses in the league. The forward depth still looks strong enough to help out Lundqvist, especially with Tanner Glass out of the lineup. New York has armed Lundqvist with the weapons to succeed, so it’s his time to take advantage of those and have an excellent season.
If not, the Rangers and Lundqvist may be in trouble.
2. Re-Visiting the Derek Stepan Trade
I’ve made my thoughts abundantly clear about the Derek Stepan trade time and time again. For those who haven’t read them, here:
The New York Rangers determined they needed to trade Derek Stepan before his no-movement clause kicked in. All signs point to a lack of interest across the NHL, except for from the Arizona Coyotes. John Chayka, the Coyotes GM, bugged Jeff Gorton about Stepan for over a year. He wanted Stepan badly, and Arizona was the only fit. [Arizona being the only team interested] left Jeff Gorton with Anthony DeAngelo as the best young defenseman available. Gorton wanted to move Derek Stepan, wanted the seventh pick, and liked DeAngelo enough to pull the trigger. He essentially forced himself into a deal for the sake of making the deal.
I still believe that’s how things went down. I’m glad to see the Rangers will play Anthony DeAngelo this season, though I still do not trust Alain Vigneault to use him properly. Lias Andersson was drafted under the expectation he was as close to NHL ready as they come, yet he will not start the season on the NHL roster.
The only way this trade ends up looking like a win to me is if Stepan struggles in Arizona, Andersson reaches his full potential, or DeAngelo breaks out big time. I’m not holding my breath, but DeAngelo receiving a lineup spot is a solid start.
3. Girardi to Shattenkirk
Understandably, people are concerned about the loss of Derek Stepan when figuring out where to place the New York Rangers in their NHL predictions. However, one of the sillier notions is that the Rangers will be worse than last season.
Yes, the Rangers lost some offense in Stepan. Sure, New York may have lost their top defensive center as well. However, saying the Rangers got worse is ignoring that the Rangers already had one of the top offenses in the league, and the defense was so, so, so, so, so, so, so bad.
Now, New York lost one offensive piece, and shored up the remainder of their defense except for the final defenseman spot. Going from Dan Girardi to Kevin Shattenkirk on the top pair is not a minor switch. It’s like going from a McDonald’s hamburger to a Peter Luger’s steak.
Additionally, the power-play will be much improved. Derek Stepan was no power-play pro, while Kevin Shattenkirk and Anthony DeAngelo are excellent power-play quarterbacks.
There’s little reason to believe the Rangers will be anything but better this season. Anyone saying otherwise is ignoring how major a shift the Rangers’ defense underwent this offseason.
4. Alain VigneauOhNo
Alain Vigneault appears to be at it once again. As the New York Rangers solidify their opening night lineup, it certainly appears like Kevin Hayes will be a shutdown defenseman for the Rangers.
That decision went as poorly as one could last season, zapping Hayes of his ability to contribute, worsening the defense against top opponents, and limiting Hayes’ offensive output as well. That Alain Vigneault cannot see that even in hindsight is concerning.
Hayes and Brady Skjei are not expected to play on the power-play because they will be killing penalties. While in a perfect world the team would not have to “double-dip,” both Hayes and Skjei could be massive helpers on the power-play. The goal of coaching should be maximizing talent across the board.
Alain Vigneault showed zero ability to do that last year, and thus far it appears he will be making the exact same mistakes this upcoming season. We will have to wait and see as it’s early in the year, but it’s worth keeping an eye on.
5. Assorted Other Thoughts
As Ryan McDonagh nears his contract expiring, he will get to play alongside Kevin Shattenkirk instead of Dan Girardi. Optimal timing for the Rangers’ captain, who will have every chance to prove he’s an elite NHL defenseman. I believe he has that talent in him.
Filip Chytil will be the most fascinating player to watch in the opening month of the season. How much trust does Alain Vigneault place in him? Does he get healthy scratched? Is he a filler until Jesper Fast returns, or is he a legit option for the entire season? Can he hang in regular season action? So many questions, so much fun.
The Rangers traded Derek Stepan, a move that a team looking to re-build would do. However, they also brought in Kevin Shattenkirk, a clear sign they are going for it. At the Trade Deadline, the Rangers will be fascinating to watch. Do they buy and sell? Do they only buy? Only sell?
Where they sit in the standings will determine this, but the Rangers have some major pending free agents in Michael Grabner and Rick Nash. How Jeff Gorton handles the Trade Deadline is worth thinking about.
If the Rangers get off to a poor start, who receives the blame? One would have to think Alain Vigneault does not have the longest leash, but I wonder if Scott Arniel would be the first to go if the power-play struggles. Could Henrik Lundqvist struggle early and become the scapegoat yet again?
Next: Making sense of the Rangers roster moves
On the other end, if the Rangers get off to a hot start this year, will it be realer than ever? The roster is deep outside of missing perhaps one forward. Improved possession numbers make sense thanks to the new acquisitions. A strong start may not be based on luck for the first time in a long time.