New York Rangers Stock Market: The losses pile on
The New York Rangers just don’t have the talent to win. They have miserably lost three games against two strong eastern conference playoff teams.
The team is more fun to watch but is struggling on a nightly basis. The New York Rangers lost both games against the Washington Capitals this week and had a miserable loss against the Tampa Bay Lightning. They managed to squeak out a win against the Carolina Hurricanes, who were just eliminated from playoff contention. It is safe to say the Rangers being eliminated from the playoffs was for the best.
It’s almost sad to see the season over. The rookies seem to be just getting started and it has been extremely exciting to see the future of the Rangers. Unfortunately, we would not have seen the youth playing if it were not for the atrocious play of the Rangers throughout the season.
Luckily, the rookie Rangers are getting valuable experience. Defensemen John Gilmour and Neal Pionk have been particularly impressive with not only their defensive skill set but their offensive upside. First round draft picks Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil have looked dominant considering they are both teenagers playing against grown men.
In only a week, the sun will set on the 2017-2018 season. Soon, the offseason will begin and we will start to see a very new roster forming.
Up: Filip Chytil
Filip Chytil has been incredibly dominant in his short time in the NHL.
Chytil, an enigma when drafted and a question mark going into the preseason, blossomed into the Rangers’ top prospect. Nothing was really expected of the 18 year old when it was announced that he would be playing in the AHL with the Hartford Wolf Pack. I figured that he would be able to contribute, but that his season would be mostly filled with growing pains. Chytil wound up proving nearly everyone wrong.
In his first North American professional season, Chytil had 11 goals and 20 assists for 31 points in 45 games. During the World Junior Championships, he had two goals and two assists with four points in 7 games. Now, he has been called up to the NHL and, as a teenager, has been dominant. He has clear confidence and is skilled with the puck in all senses of his game. He was finally rewarded with his first NHL goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning and provided a bright spot in an ugly loss.
It feels like such a tease that we only get to see Filip Chytil for three more games. It feels like he is just getting started at the NHL level and we have to wait until October to see him play again. However, seeing Chytil got his bearings straight now means we may get to see an explosive player come October.
Down: Rob O’Gara
Rob O’ Gara is simply not living up to expectations as a Ranger.
The 24-year-old defenseman has struggled in his short time with New York. He has no goals and only three assists since being acquired in the Nick Holden trade. His lack of offensive abilities would not be as much of a problem if his defensive abilities weren’t so lacking.
Initially, I blamed his defensive shortcomings on being paired with Tony DeAngelo. DeAngelo, while being quite skilled offensively, is an utter train wreck defensively. Therefore, I wrote this off as being a terrible pairing.
However, O’ Gara is currently paired with Brady Skjei. While Skjei has not yet lived up to the hype of his rookie year, it has become apparent that the issue is O’Gara and is not deployment related.
Luckily, the issue is an easy fix. O’Gara’s contract is up at the end of this season in which he will be a restricted free agent. With the heavy amount of RFA’s the Rangers have to sign at the end of the season, O’ Gara is near the bottom of the list. While I would not be against signing him to an AHL deal, I do not believe O’ Gara should be on the NHL roster next season.
Up: Brady Skjei
Brady Skjei has been able to find success this season despite having inconsistent and lacking partners.
Throughout the ups and downs of this season, Brady Skjei has remained quite steady. Though his offense has struggled, his defensive game has stayed intact. His offensive side has shown this week with a goal and two assists in four games. He has managed to succeed despite being paired with Rob O’Gara, who looks like he’s not going to work out with the Rangers.
The 24-year-old has had a lot asked of him in his sophomore season. Former captain Ryan McDonagh was injured a majority of the season before being traded to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Additionally, offseason acquisition Kevin Shattenkirk tore his meniscus and has missed over a month. This meant that Skjei was thrown into being the number one defenseman. Oh, and he also has played on the top pair with Neal Pionk. A player who has less than 30 games of NHL experience.
Through it all, Skjei has remained steady. He has covered for the faults of O’ Gara and Staal and is helping develop Pionk and Gilmour while still developing himself. Skjei is going to become a remarkable defenseman in this league and the future is bright for the Rangers blue line.
Down: Ondrej Pavelec
It is obvious that Ondrej Pavelec should not be the backup goalie next season.
I immediately questioned the Rangers’ decision to make Pavelec the backup. What made sense about having two goalies over the age of 30 in your lineup?
At the beginning of the season, Pavelec wasn’t too atrocious. Yes, he was losing but the Rangers as a whole were bad. But now, it’s a whole different story.
Pavelec only started one game this week, and it was terrible. He was very clearly off his game in his return from injury. When the Rangers were clinging to a 1-0 lead in the second period, Pavelec let up two quick goals for Tampa to take the 2-1 lead. After that, the momentum shifted completely in the opposite direction. Once the momentum shifted, The Lightning took control and won the game 7-3.
Is it too terrible that the Rangers are losing when they have no playoff hopes? No.
Watching Pavelec play was tough after seeing Alexandar Georgiev look so comfortable in net. It is clear that next season, Georgiev should replace Pavelec. Who knows, we may see Georgiev take over as the full time starter in Hartford next season. That of course, would mean the team needs to bring in a backup from outside the organization.
Up: Kevin Hayes
Kevin Hayes has quietly started another point streak this week.
Kevin Hayes is having a career year. He currently has 23 goals in 73 games, six more than his previous career high of 17. While he is not having a career year in assists, his development as a center has been quite impressive. The more his game improves, the better he and Mika Zibanejad as a one-two punch gets.
Lost in the litany of losses, Hayes has two goals and an assist for three points in four games this week. As his point total continues to climb, his summer status of RFA is looming in the background. Hayes needs a long-term extension as soon as possible. Alain Vigneault’s poor coaching decisions, have forced Hayes into a more defensive role. Though initially detrimental to his scoring touch, he has finally begun to find his groove while also developing defensively.
Kevin Hayes is and will continue to be a very valuable part of this team. Though he is still young and developing, I would consider him a veteran at this point. Keeping him around would be valuable to the team on and off the ice.
Up: Mika Zibanejad
Mika Zibanejad has cooled off from his recent hot streak.
There’s no doubt in my mind that Zibanejad will be the number one center for years to come. He is a dynamic center whose offensive ability is positively thrilling. When healthy, I believe he has the potential to be a 30 goal scorer and a 60 point player. However, this week he has been a bit down.
The Washington Capitals snapped his five-game point streak on March 26th. He has one assist and no goals in four games this week.
Am I concerned? Not in the slightest. Zibanejad is coming off a hot streak that was unsustainable, but a glimpse at what a healthy Zibanejad can do. In both of his seasons in New York he’s missed extended time because of serious injuries. If he is able to remain healthy for the majority of next season, we can see just what an animal Zibanejad can be.
Next: New York Rangers: Keeping Hayes over Miller was the right choice
The Rangers have just three games left in the season. Though it will be strange to not see the Rangers in the playoffs, we all know that better days lie ahead.