New York Rangers: How different will next year’s team be?

With the 2018-19 season drawing to a close, the New York Rangers are already looking forward to next year’s team. Let’s take a look at just how different next year’s team will actually be.

It’s no secret that for much of this season, the New York Rangers management team have been focusing more on the following year than the actual season at hand. The rebuild has never felt more real than it has this season, with the Rangers in the bottom ten, and possibly bottom five by season’s end, in the league.

It is also no secret what the Rangers weaknesses are. Many of those are likely to be addressed over the summer, and in particular at the draft. Another set of first round picks, one of them being a high lottery pick, will net the Rangers another crop of talented youngsters.

The Rangers also have their eye on a number of prospects in Russia that are all looking to make the jump, as well as a deep free agent crop that may include the likes of Artemi Panarin and Erik Karlsson, with a ton of cap space already and more should the Rangers make more trades.

At each position, let’s take a look at what may change for the 2019-2020 New York Rangers season.

Forward

At present, the Rangers are most likely to do two things with their forward unit: bring Vitali Kravtsov over to the NHL, and sign Artemi Panarin. Adding those two players at the expense of zero roster players will almost instantly make the Rangers a better team. Panarin would become the Rangers best forward immediately, and Kravtsov has the makings of a young star at just 19 years of age.

Pavel Buchnevich is likely to see a permanently increased role on the team if he continues to improve his game as he has of late. Tapping into his potential and getting the best version of him will also make the Rangers a much better team. Mika Zibanejad coming back with another big season and establishing himself as the Rangers true top center is imperative as well.

There is a greater than zero chance of Chris Kreider not being a Ranger next season, as his inconsistency makes him a signing risk when his contract expires in the summer of 2020. What looked like the first true season of Kreider at his best vanished as his scoring dried up in February and March. Kreider could be moved for a defenseman should Panarin be acquired.

Three of the biggest wild cards at forward will be Brett Howden, Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil. Chytil proved in spurts that he can play at an elite level, while Andersson and Howden still appear to be finding their game. To improve the Rangers forward unit, those three have to not only have a strong summer, but be given a chance to succeed by the coaching staff on a consistent basis. Most of the rest of the forwards are expendable, save for Ryan Strome, who may have just penciled himself in as the Rangers 3rd line center next season with his strong play since the Ryan Spooner deal.

The Rangers forward unit has a chance to not only be better, but much more exciting if the right moves are made. At this stage, the Rangers need to score as much as possible to put up a fighting chance, as their defense is the weakest part of the team and will be again next season.