New York Rangers’ five most important players to future success
It is no secret that several New York Rangers are on the tail ends of their careers. The Rangers have been in the playoffs 11 of the past 12 seasons but haven’t been able to capture the coveted Stanley Cup. The Rangers lineup will have a unquestionable different look to it within the next five years…
Henrik Lundqvist, Rick Nash, and Marc Staal have all been focal points of the New York Rangers roster for several years now. What do they all have in common? Their respected games have all changed since being in their prime. They all are also 31+ years old.
These three players, along with five others that are at least 30 years old, will see their production begin to decline. The Rangers are molding some of their younger players and drafting players to be the future of their team. The top five players that will lead them in the future are as follows:
Pavel Buchnevich
Pavel Buchnevich was drafted by the New York Rangers with the 75th overall pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. This draft pick was traded to the Rangers in the Rick Nash trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Buchnevich is going to be a key component of the Rangers lineup in the years going forward. He debuted in North America last season after playing in the KHL the season before that. As a rookie, Buchnevich played in 41 games and produced eight goals and 12 assists.
Now in his second year as a Ranger, the 22-year-old winger is proving that he belongs in the NHL. In 33 games played this season, he has produced 11 goals and 12 assists and is (usually) playing on the first line for the Rangers.
With Buchnevich being only 22-years-old and having a tremendous season, the Rangers will look for him to step up. The Rangers are hoping that he can be a steady top-line winger for years to come. If he begins to falter, the Rangers future could be in some trouble.
Brady Skjei
Brady Skjei was drafted with the 28th overall pick in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft for a reason. That reason was that the Rangers believed that he could become a game changer for their defense. Skjei was given his first sample of the NHL in seven regular season games and five playoff games during the 2015-2016 season.
The Minnesota born defenseman had an outstanding rookie season the following year. During his rookie season, Skjei produced five goals and 34 points and had a +11 in the +/- column. Skjei is now in his sophomore season at 23-years-old and is having a stellar season. In 33 games played this season, he has two goals and 11 assists.
The next youngest Rangers defenseman is 28-years-old. The Rangers will be looking to Skjei to become a full-time, first pair defenseman. Skjei has been a great addition to the Rangers in his short time in the NHL. He will need to continue to improve if the Rangers want to have success in the years to come.
Mika Zibanejad
There is no question that the New York Rangers are expecting Mika Zibanejad to be their first line center for years to come. After acquiring Zibanejad in a trade with the Ottawa Senators for fan favorite Derick Brassard, Zibanejad was plugged into the first line.
Last season, Zibanejad suffered a broken leg and only played in 56 regular season games for the Rangers. He was able to produce 14 goals and 23 assists in the regular season and added two goals and seven assists in the playoffs.
The Swedish center started this season off at a tremendous pace but then suffered a concussion and had been sidelined for several games. He returned to the lineup for Tuesday night’s game against the Ducks.
The 24-year-old center-man has 11 goals and 11 assists so far this season in just 25 games. The Rangers believe that he has the skills necessary to be a fit on the first line and he has proven them right so far. With Zibanejad locked up through the 2021-2022 season, he will need to continue to play his best hockey if the Rangers want to continue to make the playoffs year after year going forward.
J.T. Miller
J.T. Miller is another young forward that the Rangers have a ton of faith in. They proved that when they drafted him 15th overall at the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. Miller secured a spot in the Rangers’ lineup entering the 2014-2015 season. He notched 10 goals and 13 assists in 58 games played over that campaign.
After his rookie season, he didn’t come close to having a sophomore slump as he put up 22 goals and 21 assists that year. He continued to improve on his numbers the following year when he had 22 goals and 34 assists.
Miller is now in his fourth full year as a Ranger and is only 24-years-old. The Rangers will look to rely on him in the upcoming few seasons. Miller will be a restricted free agent this offseason and the Rangers should look to lock him up long term. As long as they get a deal done, Miller will be a key component to the Rangers lineup for several years to come.
Igor Shestyorkin
The New York Rangers have several goaltenders in the pipeline but none more hyped up and coveted than Igor Shestyorkin. He was drafted 118th overall in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft and has been playing in the KHL.
Last season, Shestyorkin produced a record of 27-4-6 with SKA Saint Petersburg. Eight of those wins came by way of a shutout. He also posted a 1.64 goals against average. The 21-year-old Russian goaltender has continued to impress this season. In 20 games played, he is currently 16-1-3 with a 1.57 GAA and .941 save percentage.
Shestyorkin is currently under contract in the KHL until the end of the 2018-2019 season when Henrik Lundqvist will be in the final years of his contract. Lundqvist is 35 years old and will be turning 38 when Shestyorkin can come to North America.
Next: Catching up on Filip Chytil & Lias Andersson
In a perfect world, Shestyorkin will sign with the Rangers at the end of his current contract. He will spend a season or two as Lundqvist’s backup while preparing to take the throne from him. There is a massive amount of hype surrounding Shestyorkin. The Rangers hope that his production continues when he comes to North America.