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.
Neal Pionk
Neal Pionk has greatly impressed in his brief time with the New York Rangers. Signed out of Minnesota-Duluth last May, Pionk impressed in training camp and the pre-season but was sent to Hartford. Then, once trades and injuries occurred, he was called up to the big club.
Pionk has certainly looked like an NHL-caliber defenseman. His skating ability is impressive, as is his ability to move the puck. While his play in his own end needs to improve, he is still young. In 17 games so far, he has yet to record a goal, yet has managed to record nine assists.
While Pionk has played very well so far and should make the team out of camp next year, nothing is guaranteed. Pionk must continue his strong play for the rest of the season if he wants a real opportunity to be a full-time New York Ranger next season.
John Gilmour
John Gilmour is another young New York Rangers defenseman who has impressed in his short stint on Broadway. Signed out of Providence College back in 2016, the 24-year-old has played almost exclusively with the Hartford Wolf Pack. But, once Jeff Gorton began the fire sale, Gilmour was called up.
Gilmour impresses in a variety of areas. The first thing that immediately stands out about him is his skating ability. His skating is incredibly smooth, his stride is effortless, and he can go from end-to-end with ease. He has also proven to be able to move the puck well.
In 17 games so far, Gilmour has recorded two goals (including an overtime winner against the Vancouver Canucks) and two assists. While Gilmour does have trouble in his own end, the positives outweigh the negatives.
On a contending team, Gilmour would be a perfect seventh defenseman. But, the Rangers are most definitely not a contending team. Gilmour has a very real opportunity to make the 2018-19 opening night roster as a bottom pair defenseman.
But, Gilmour needs to keep up his strong play if he is to be a New York Ranger next season.
Alexandar Georgiev
Alexandar Georgiev has been very impressive in his time with the Rangers. Originally the starting goaltender for the Wolf Pack, he was called up when Rangers backup Ondrej Pavelec went down with a knee injury. So far, Georgiev has been nothing short of outstanding.
He has shown sound positioning, quick reflexes, and a good ability to track shots. In six games this season, Georgiev is 3-2-0 (he relieved Henrik Lundqvist in one of these games, and so didn’t receive a loss) with a 2.75 goals-against-average and a .929 save percentage.
Most recently, he impressed greatly in a 4-3 overtime victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Most people were rightly expecting the Rangers to get mauled in this game. In the first period, when the Rangers couldn’t get anything going, Georgiev held them in the game.
The most impressive part of the night was when Penguins superstar Evgeni Malkin was awarded a penalty shot on an extremely questionable call. Malkin came in and Georgiev showed Lundqvist-esque patience and composure, waiting Malkin out and stopping him with his pad.
It is imperative that Georgiev continues his strong play, to give Lundqvist some rest in a year in which he has been grossly overused. Also, if he keeps this up, with Pavelec’s contract expiring, the Rangers won’t have to look any further than Alexandar Georgiev to backup Henrik Lundqvist.
Mats Zuccarello
Aside from Henrik Lundqvist, Mats Zuccarello has been the heart and soul of the New York Rangers for the past few years. He brings everything he has every single night, and the fans love him.
But, this season has been a bit different. Zuccarello hasn’t looked quite the same. Something has been lacking. While he still leads the team in points, with 48, something has been off. Around the trade deadline, where rumors swirled that he might be dealt, his play really dipped.
He has been playing very well as of late, notching four goals in the past five games. But, he needs to keep his recent strong play up. If Jeff Gorton is serious about this rebuild, and it certainly seems as though he is, Zuccarello could hear his name come up in trade rumors around the time of the Draft.
But, if Gorton decides that Zuccarello is a guy worth keeping around, he should be considered the leading candidate to be named the captain of the team. Zuccarello needs to keep his play up if he wants to stay in New York, and potentially lead this team with the “C” stitched on the front of his jersey.
Jimmy Vesey
Jimmy Vesey is a player who has struggled this season. Despite potting 15 goals, he has only managed to put up 22 points. Now, a lot of the problems are not his fault. Alain Vigneault continuously puts Vesey in the top-six, despite the fact that he is not a top-six player.
Vesey has also struggled away from the puck. He has been a black hole defensively, and on the whole has been disappointing. Recently he has been playing with Vladislav Namestnikov and Pavel Buchnevich, and it is clear that his skill level does not match up with theirs. As previously stated, this is more on the coaching staff than the player.
But, Vesey must improve if he wants to stick around. His contract expires at the end of the season, and he will be a restricted free agent. Jeff Gorton could decide to trade him at the Draft and get something in return, or he could opt to re-sign him. But, it would have to be for cheap.
Vesey must play his best hockey down the stretch if he wants to prove that he belongs here. If he does, he should get re-signed. But, if he struggles, it wouldn’t be out of the question for Jeff Gorton to trade him in June.
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The future looks bright for the New York Rangers. With the pipeline infused with new prospects, and the team rife with draft picks and flush with cap space, it is an exciting time. However, if these five players want to stick around through it, and be there when the Rangers come out on the other side, they will need to continue to play well.