New York Rangers: Five players with the most to play for this season

The New York Rangers are currently in an unfamiliar situation. They are out of the playoffs, and most likely won’t be making it for the first time since 2010. Because of this, the last bunch of games should be serving as an audition for the younger players, and for some veterans to show that they want to be here for the rebuild.

The New York Rangers currently sit at 11th place in the Eastern Conference, and 22nd in the entire league. Because of this, they most likely will not be making the playoffs. This is not necessarily a bad thing, though.

General manager Jeff Gorton recognized that this team, as currently constructed, was not good enough to win a playoff round, let alone a Stanley Cup. So, he shipped out Rick Nash, Michael Grabner, Nick Holden, J.T. Miller, and Ryan McDonagh in exchange for prospects and draft picks. Because of all this, the Rangers now have ten picks in the NHL Entry Draft, including three in the first round and seven in the first three rounds. Considering that this team didn’t have a first round draft pick from 2013-2016, this is remarkable.

Because of this sell-off, a lot of younger players have been called up from Hartford and given playing time, which is good. For the most part, these youngsters have impressed. Even so, this is the National Hockey League, and roster spots are not guaranteed. These players will have to continue to impress if they want to stick around.

Let’s take a look at the five Rangers with the most to play for the rest of this season. Keep in mind, this list is in no particular order.