This New York Rangers team is one of the great surprises of the NHL this season. Many thought the young squad would struggle and falter, instead they have impressed. This warrants a look at which players are driving this success through their accumulation of primary points.
The 2018-2019 New York Rangers are a surprise. In fact, they may be the biggest surprise of the season so far. They were expected to play poorly in the hopes of a high draft pick, especially after the start of a rebuild last season.
Instead, as of November 29, the Rangers are just three points out of first place in the Metropolitan Division, just ahead of their cross-town rivals who have two games in hand. The Rangers are being driven by strong play from young players as well as veterans.
The most obvious performer this season has been Henrik Lundqvist, but he doesn’t produce points. For this specific dive into the numbers, I will be looking at primary points, a stat that sifts out secondary assists. While it isn’t a perfect statistic, much like every other, it can help provide an idea of which players are leading the way in production by filtering out secondary assists, many of which tend to be arbitrary.
Tied for #4: Jimmy Vesey and Kevin Hayes
Both Jimmy Vesey and Kevin Hayes are tied for third on the Rangers’ roster with 11 primary points. However, they have accumulated these points in different ways, showing the different ways these players affect the ice.
Jimmy Vesey has been a great surprise so far this season. Through 25 games, Vesey has eight goals and four assists. The majority of his primary points have been goals, leading me to believe that he has been a beneficiary of his teammates.
Kevin Hayes has been considered one of the best playmakers for the Rangers so far. Also having played 25 games, Hayes has five goals and 13 total assists. This shows that while Hayes has been crucial to the Rangers’ buildup play, he only makes the final pass about 50% of the time.
#3: Neal Pionk
Another young player cracks the list, as Neal Pionk, the rookie defenseman, is tied for second on the Rangers with 12 primary points. Pionk has been exceptional in the offensive end for the Rangers, as he already has four goals and 11 assists through 22 games. The vast majority of Pionk’s primary points happen to be assists, which is not surprising seeing as he is a defenseman.
#2: Mika Zibanjad
Zibanejad continues to show that he deserves to be considered a top line center. He does it all as evidenced by his eight goals and 13 assists for a total of 21 points and 14 primary points. His production so far has been very balanced, another unsurprising takeaway.
#1: Chris Kreider
First line forward, Chris Kreider, has started the season on fire. Through just 25 games, he has 13 goals and 8 assists for 21 points, 16 of which are primary. He leads the way in goals, points, and primary points. This may be his true breakout year if he continues this torrid pace.