New York Rangers: Building the 2018-19 power play

The New York Rangers enter the 2018-19 season with the lowest expectations in a decade, but one bright spot from last season was an improved power play. Who should play on the man-advantage to carry that success forward?

The New York Rangers of 2017-18 were very clearly a flawed team. They were routinely outplayed at even strength, and shot counters were almost always leaning toward their opponents.

But the Rangers carried the 14th-ranked power play during the regular season, connecting at a 21.2% rate. This was in large part aided by Mika Zibanejad’s 14 power play goals—tied for sixth in the entire league. Along with Chris Kreider, Kevin Shattenkirk, and Pavel Buchnevich—when the four of them were healthy—the Rangers had a formidable group on the ice.

While the health of the Rangers’ key players was obviously a major factor in their eventual crash last season, they can hope those guys get a full season in this year. Kreider, at least, was the victim of a fluke; Zibanejad and Buchnevich have a concerning history already, however.

But assuming a clean bill of health, who should play on the top unit with Kreider, Zibanejad, Buchnevich, and Shattenkirk? And who fills out the second unit?

Top-end power

Unless David Quinn really shakes things up in his first season as head coach of the New York Rangers, four spots on the top power play unit are spoken for. The question is, will Mats Zuccarello reprise his role as the fifth player on that top unit?

The Rangers actually have some appealing options for Zuccarello’s spot. Vladislav Namestnikov was excellent on the Tampa Bay power play before he came to New York. Filip Chytil has the creativity and instincts to thrive. Kevin Hayes proved, with his 25-goal season, that he can be an offensive force.

But perhaps most intriguing is Ryan Spooner. He was impressive with big-time offensive minutes after the trade deadline last year, recording 16 points in only 20 games with the Rangers. Spooner is, like Zuccarello, a savvy pass-first player, and would fit well in that fulcrum spot in the high slot.

When push comes to shove, though, the Rangers should put the rebuild before all. And that means Zuccarello should get those prime, top-unit minutes. As much as it may hurt to admit it, Zuccarello is on the downside of his career, and a further contract will take him well into his 30s. The Rangers would be smart to beef up his minutes (and numbers) in order to sell high at the trade deadline.

With lethal power play personnel around him, Zuccarello has a chance to put up big assist totals. He could be a finishing piece in the top-six of a Cup-contending team.

But Zuccarello’s inclusion on the first power play unit means the Rangers will have a wide-open contest to fill out the second group.

Second up

With Chris Kreider, Mika Zibanejad, Pavel Buchnevich, Mats Zuccarello, and Kevin Shattenkirk penciled in for the first power play unit, the New York Rangers have a metric ton of options for the second group.

Last season, Alain Vigneault played the likes of J.T. Miller, Jimmy Vesey, Brady Skjei, and (after the trade deadline), Ryan Spooner and Kevin Hayes on the second unit. With Miller gone, a new coach at the helm, and an infusion of young talent, this season’s group figures to look very different.

Spooner should again draw minutes on the power play, for a couple reasons. Like Zuccarello, Spooner has trade value and probably isn’t part of the long-term picture in New York. His two-year contract carries a $4 million AAV, and will be an easy fit for a playoff team looking to add some depth scoring.

Along with Spooner, Kevin Hayes needs to be getting more power play time. Vigneault rarely used Hayes on the man advantage last season, instead deploying the big center in shutdown minutes. Despite that usage, Hayes broke out to be one of the Rangers’ top goal scorers.

Unlike last season, however, Brady Skjei shouldn’t quarterback the second unit. He’ll be getting top-pairing minutes at even strength and on the penalty kill, so one of Tony DeAngelo or Neal Pionk (or both) will get his power play time. DeAngelo appears to have the inside track at this point, as his preseason play has been mostly excellent.

Along with Spooner and Hayes, the Rangers will undoubtedly give Filip Chytil a chance to prove he’s ready to put up points in the NHL. Like Zibanejad on the first unit, Chytil has the size, speed, and puck-handling skills to be the primary zone-entry machine for a group. He can set up on the wing or in the high slot.

Rounding out the group should be either Namestnikov or Vesey in front of the net. Both have experience in that role, though Namestnikov has more impressive results—albeit playing with Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, and Victor Hedman in Tampa Bay. Last season, he scored nine power play goals, along with seven assists, against Vesey’s line of 1-2—3.

A second group of Hayes, Spooner, Chytil, Namestnikov, and DeAngelo would give the Rangers an impressive double punch on the power play. If things play out that way, they should once again appear with a solid conversion rate in the top half of the NHL in 2018-19.