Why this season resembles the 1988-90 New York Rangers

The 1988-89 season, the year of the rookie

The 1988-89 Rangers had future Hall of Famers Guy Lafleur and Marcel Dionne both entering training camp as 37-year olds.  Dionne was acquired the year before at the deadline, Lafleur was coaxed out retirement and trying to make a comeback after a four year hiatus.   But despite the focus on the twilight of Dionne and Lafleur the buzz in camp was about the young players that were coming up through the Rangers system.

First round draft pick Ulf Dahlen had made his Rangers debut the season before with a solid rookie season of 29 goals.  Hall of Fame defenseman Brian Leetch and winger Tony Granato led a group of Rangers prospects from the 1988 USA Olympic Hockey team into the Rangers organization which included forwards Corey Millen, Kevin Miller and goaltender Mike Richter.

Leetch was a first round pick taken ninth overall in 1986 and immediately became a dominant NHL defenseman.  The rugged puck carrier by way of Boston College finished his rookie campaign with 23 goals and 48 assists for 71 points.  The 23 goals were not only the most by a Ranger rookie defenseman, they were the most by any rookie defenseman in NHL history.  The 71 points were the second most by a rookie defenseman all-time.  Leetch won the Calder trophy as NHL rookie of the year becoming the eighth Ranger to win the honor.

As prolific as Leetch’s star took off, Granato had a rather inauspicious start to his NHL career.  The 165 pound winger was a long shot to make the NHL because of his lack of size but made the team with a feisty showing in training camp.  He struggled with just one point in his first seven games.  Bergeron moved him around with Dionne and Lafleur it wasn’t until tough guy Chris Nilan was put on Granato’s line to give him space that his game come to life.

By December Dionne was released and Esposito acquired Carey Wilson from the Hartford Whalers for veteran Don Maloney.  Bergeron quickly put Wilson between Granato and Tomas Sandstrom and the combination took off.  Granato finished with 36 goals which led the Rangers that season and along with three hat-tricks, both the most ever by a Rangers rookie.  He would take third in the Calder balloting giving the Rangers their best one-season finish for rookie of the year honors.

Late in the 1988-89 season the Rangers called up forward Darren Turcotte from the Denver Rangers and the fast skating forward burst onto the scene with a hat trick and seven goals in his late season audition.  The Rangers struggled down the stretch with Esposito firing Bergeron and taking over behind the bench.  While the Rangers qualified for the playoffs, they were swept away by the Pittsburgh Penguins.  Another silver lining from the season was the NHL debut of rookie goaltender Mike Richter in game four of those playoffs.  Esposito’s future was not as bright however as the Rangers brass ended Trader Phil’s run on Broadway replacing him with Neil Smith after the quick playoff exit.