New York Rangers stock market: The first line is on fire!

Through an unprecedented series of events, The New York Rangers are playing quite well. Though their record may not show it, their play has improved vastly in the month of March.

The New York Rangers are a fascinating team. The amount that their play flip-flops between horrendous and exceptional is astounding. While they have lost two of the three games they have played this week, they haven’t looked terrible. The line combinations are clicking and the offense has begun to show signs of life. Possibly most impressive has been the performance of the young players.

Rookie defensemen John Gilmour and Neal Pionk have been making their mark on the team. Their defense has been solid and both have contributed a good deal offensively. Neal Pionk has especially been incredible and is currently riding a seven game point streak. He has nine assists and goal in this time frame, scoring his first NHL goal against the Buffalo Sabres.

While winning does not exactly benefit the tank, it is nice to see the Rangers begin functioning again as a team. It is also refreshing to see players having such individual success as this benefits team success. If this play is able to continue into next season, the New York Rangers may have a quicker rebuild than we initially thought.

Up: Jesper Fast

As much as I have been against Jesper Fast being on the first line, he has performed quite well in his new role.

Yes, I still maintain Fast is a fourth line player. However, Fast has come to play. He currently has two goals and three assists in his last three games. Additionally, he is currently sitting on an eight game point streak in which he has three goals and seven assists. He obviously has some chemistry with new line mates Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider, both of which, I believe, are nearly completely responsible for Fast’s recent success.

Now, I am not in any way saying that Fast isn’t a capable player. But, his skills aren’t that of a first line player. If they were, he would be consistently getting top line minutes and chances. This is where Kreider and Zibanejad come in. Both of these players have been on fire recently with Zibanejad having 7 goals in his last five games and Kreider having 7 points in his last five. Their scoring streak has been infectious which has caused Fast to go on a scoring tear of his own.

For the time being, I am okay with Fast being kept on the first line. However, I expect Pavel Buchnevich to be playing on the first line next season. Someone as skilled as he is should not be playing on the third line.

Down: Paul Carey

Much like I have said with David Desharnais and Peter Holland, Paul Carey should not be on the Rangers roster next season.

My complaints with Carey are virtually the same as with Desharnais and Holland; he’s basically a filler on this team. He’s not exactly terrible but he’s not exactly great either. His last goal came against the Edmonton Oilers on March 3 and his last assist came against the Pittsburgh Penguins on January 14. Aside from the small scoring streak he went on during December and the beginning of January, he hasn’t done much.

While he has not exactly been a detriment to the team, there is not really any point in keeping him around. With the Rangers looking for a rebuild, keeping Carey makes very little sense. It would be best suited to the team to call up a forward from the Hartford Wolf Pack to test their NHL abilities. The Rangers have already started this by calling up forwards Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil.

Chytil and Andersson are highly touted prospects. Both were first round picks in the 2017 NHL draft and both had quite the showing at the World Juniors tournament. While I don’t expect them to immediately have an impact at the NHL level, I think it will be good for both of their development to play with little pressure. However, the call up of these two rookies leaves Carey as the odd man out.

Up: Chris Kreider

Chris Kreider has been nothing but dominant since returning from his injury.

When Kreider’s play was not up to par at the beginning of this season, I was a bit worried. He was not putting up many points and looked quite listless at times. It then came out that he was dealing with a blood clot and wound up being out of the line up for the month. It soon became clear that the blood clot was affecting him for longer than we expected when he came back better than ever.

Kreider has been exceptional this week. He has two goals and two assists for four points in his last three games. He has been positively thriving in his power forward role since his return and looks unstoppable. Kreider honestly looks like a new man.

Before the trade deadline, there were some musings that Kreider might be included in a deal. At this point, with his play, I can honestly say I am 100 percent against this happening. He is 26 and will be 27 by the start of next season. While he may not be “prime rebuild material,” he is a veteran who can be a leader for the rookies and a strong locker room presence. Not to mention he’s about to hit his prime and is ready to hit 30 goals.

Kreider absolutely needs to stick around during the rebuild. Who knows, we may even get to see him with the “C” on his sweater soon.

Up: Alexandar Georgiev

Alexandar Georgiev has been a force recently.

While his record and goals against average may not show Georgiev’s strong play, it is impossible to miss. The Russian rookie has been standing on his head and has been an incredible part of the Rangers actually winning games. Even in losses he has given them ample amount of chances to stay in the game.

Georgiev’s save percentage is an astounding .926. He has been brutalized with shots against and has been facing upwards of 30 and 40 shots per game. In just his last two games, Georgiev made 43 saves against the Buffalo Sabres and 32 against the Philadelphia Flyers. He has been able to hold his own at the NHL level, which I honestly did not expect given his unsteady performance at the AHL level.

Georgiev has proven that he is too good to play in the AHL next season and is a capable back up goalie at the NHL level. Not only has he shown more than current back up Ondrej Pavelec, but he is much younger and may wind up being the team’s starting goalie a few years from now. I believe Georgiev can take on a substantial work load next season and he absolutely should be a part of the rebuild.

Down: Vladislav Namestnikov

Vladislav Namestnikov has been struggling offensively in his time with the Rangers.

Namestnikov is a good player. There is no doubt about that and I believe he should stick around for the years to come. However, he has been struggling offensively in his brief time here. In his 12 games with the Rangers, he has just two goals and one assist.

The transition from playing with the likes of Steve Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov to playing with the Jimmy Vesey’s of the world will be a huge adjustment for the 25-year-old.

Luckily, Namestnikov isn’t a liability in either zone. What he has lacked in point production he makes up for in his defensive skills. My hope for next season is that he is able to adjust more and find his game again.

Next: Comparing Pionk’s rookie numbers to those of other defenders

In just two weeks, another NHL season will be in the books. And for the first time in eight years, the New York Rangers will miss the playoffs.