New York Rangers: Bold predictions for the 2017-2018 season

John Williams: McDonagh finishes the season as a Norris Trophy Finalist

Perhaps the most exciting thing about the season opener is that we finally get to see Ryan McDonagh play with a partner of his caliber.

Kevin Shattenkirk will be making his Rangers regular season debut (in front of 120 friends and family in attendance). Outside of maybe Henrik Lundqvist, nobody on the team will benefit more from this than the captain.

McDonagh has never had a defensive partner of Shattenkirk’s caliber. The fact that he put up solid numbers with one of the league’s worst defenseman bodes well for what he can do with one of the league’s best.

With less pressure on McDonagh to carry the load defensively and a better overall team around him, he could do some serious damage. Keep in mind that at age 28, he is in his prime now, too. McDonagh set his career best in assists last year with 36.

We know McDonagh will bring it on defense, but if his offensive numbers improve, he will be going to the NHL Awards in Las Vegas as a Norris Trophy candidate.

Brandon Cohen- Filip Chytil plays the whole season in New York

My bold prediction for the 2017-18 season is that Filip Chytil lasts the season on the New York Rangers’ roster. Now perhaps he gets shipped out for the World Juniors, but otherwise, he will be a Ranger for the entirety of the season.

I look at this as a situation where the Rangers clearly need someone to play third line center, and while David Desharnais can do so, New York finally recognizes that that would hurt their depth.

Thus, Filip Chytil will be provided every opportunity possible to succeed with the Rangers. This won’t be Anthony Duclair 2.0, this will be a player who the Rangers want to succeed playing in a legitimate role.

From there it’s up to Chytil to step up his game and make sure he provides the Rangers enough reasons not to demote him. That’s the part I’m less certain about, but the youngster sure has a lot of talent. It’s my belief that he makes it work.

Dan Carrozzi- Pavel Buchnevich will score at least 20 goals and 50 points.

In his rookie season, Buchnevich hit an even 20 points in 41 games, eight of them being goals. Merely replicating last season’s success would mean Buchnevich scoring 16 goals and 40 points. However, I believe that he will continue to step forward in his development and produce more than that projection, to the tune of a minimum of 20 goals and 50 points.

Like last year, Buchnevich starts the season with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider; a trio which has exhibited plenty of natural chemistry. Unlike last year, the line is the team’s de facto first line. Playing together consistently will facilitate increasing their existing chemistry and being the first line will give them more ice time and therefore opportunities to score.

Additionally, the revamp on defense will help the entire forward corps be more dangerous. Having effective puck-moving defensemen, especially Kevin Shattenkirk, will ensure that the forwards will not have to cover for the defense. Similarly, they won’t be required to lug the puck the length of the ice every shift.

In addition, Buchnevich and Zibanejad are also expected to feature on the team’s first powerplay, quarterbacked by Shattenkirk. Buchnevich only had one goal and two assists on the man advantage last season. Playing regularly on a powerplay unit that looks much improved from last year should also boost his production.

Buchnevich may have flown under the radar in the NHL so far, but in just his second season, I see him breaking out as an emerging star.

Jennifer Moglia- Ryan Graves will play in the NHL this season

If the Rangers have made one thing obvious over the offseason, it’s that they’re ready to strengthen their defense. It has been the weakest area for season after season, but it got an upgrade this summer.

Although the team includes Nick Holden, Steven Kampfer, and Marc Staal, it will benefit from newcomers Kevin Shattenkirk and Anthony DeAngelo, and existing members Brady Skjei, Brendan Smith, and Ryan McDonagh.

Still, the defense will probably not remain like this for the entire season. Injuries happen, trades are made, and players don’t live up to expectations. This is why I believe that Ryan Graves will be called up at some point during the season.

The 22-year-old was drafted by the Rangers 110th overall in 2013. He hadn’t been seen as a possible NHL player until long after that. What has made the difference is the defenseman’s skills on the power play, and his skating, which he improved while in the QMJHL.

At this point, with two AHL seasons under his belt, Graves could easily step in if the Rangers are in need of a defenseman at some point during the season. In his first season with the Hartford Wolf Pack, he put up 21 points (nine goals and 12 assists) and made it to the All Star Game. At the Skills Competition, Graves impressed many at the Hardest Shot contest, recording a 103.4 MPH shot.

Last year, Graves scored eight goals and recorded 22 assists, putting up nine more points than the prior season. He has shown growth in basically every area of play, which means a lot considering where he started out. Although once seen as just another face in the system, it’s starting to look like Ryan Graves could contribute a lot to the Rangers during the 2017-2018 season.

Alexandra Russo- Ondrej Pavelec will have a good season

The New York Rangers gave up backup goaltender Antti Raanta to the Arizona Coyotes as part of a package deal that also sent away Derek Stepan. Raanta was great for the Rangers last season, posting a 16–8-2 record. Questions began to circulate as to whether or not Pavelec would be able to fill his shoes.

While it seems unlikely for a player such as Pavelec to have such a sharp turnaround, there’s a factor in this equation that might have been forgotten- Benoit Allaire. This wouldn’t be the first time an “average” backup goaltender became stellar under the coaching of Allaire.

Must read: Five thoughts ahead of the season

The Rangers parted ways with Cam Talbot back in 2014-2015, and he went on to become the starter for the Edmonton Oilers. Antti Raanta has the potential to take over as a starter for the Coyotes. The pattern here is that Allaire knows what he’s doing, and Pavelec shouldn’t be the exception to what has worked quite well the past few seasons.

My prediction is that Pavelec will end up being a lot better than people expect. He might not have the SV% of Raanta, but he will be reliable enough that the Rangers feel comfortable having him in net.

Garrett Gartino- Tony DeAngelo scores 25+ power play points

The 2017-18 New York Rangers are going to be an interesting team to follow. A few Rangers players seem to be ready to take the next step in their development, and one, in particular, comes to my mind. My bold prediction is that Tony DeAngelo will breakout and score 25+ power play points.

The next era of Rangers hockey is upon us, and DeAngelo has a chance to become a big part of it. Last season, he recorded 8 PPP in 39 games with the Arizona Coyotes. His offensive potential is sky-high and has an opportunity to grow underneath power play specialist Kevin Shattenkirk.

Further helping his development will be captain Ryan McDonagh as his partner on the team’s second power play unit. Playing on his third team since being drafted, DeAngelo will be looking to cement a roster spot and prove his value to the organization.

Next: Exclusive season preview Q&A with Kevin Weekes

For the first time in a while, Alain Vigneault may actually use his young stars correctly. Where he will prove the most valuable is with the puck on his stick and a man-advantage. If he is utilized correctly he will see the majority of his minutes coming in the offensive zone.

Look for Anthony DeAngelo to break out in a big way in his first year with the New York Rangers.