As training camp opens and the 2019-20 New York Rangers season nears, here are three scenarios that could play out on the ice. Rangers fans should be prepared for each one.
The New York Rangers Rebuild. Has it been accelerated? Is it over?
Can the Rangers compete with such a young team on the ice?
How much workload can Henrik Lundqvist handle?
Can Artemi Panarin be the guy under the brightest of lights?
There are clearly more questions than answers as the New York Rangers get ready to kick off what promises to be a very interesting season.
What seems to be clear, and without question, is the fact that this Rangers team will be growing-up right before our eyes. But what can fans really expect in terms of results in the highly competitive NHL?
Three possible scenarios exists.
The good
Wow these kids can play! Vitali Kravtsov and Kappo Kakko are as advertised and immediately make the top six a force to the be dealt with and add depth to the line-up.
David Quinn makes a bold move and starts Mika Zibanejad, Panarin and Pavel Buchnevich on the top line. The crafty Panarin is creating space for Buchnevich, and Zibanejad is feeding the Russians like a pair of hungry bears. Goals come in bunches, each easily surpassing 25 goals during the season. They slowly develop into one of the premiere top lines in all of the NHL.
The success of the top line means the kids can play a little more free and easy, with less pressure to score. Chris Kreider is skating like a madman, creating lanes for Kakko who thrives playing with the veteran left winger and second year phenom Filip Chytil. Chytil excels at the center position and this second line forces opposing teams to pick their poison, they have a real tough time matching up against the Rangers top six. The sheer size of this second unit causes huge match-up problems for opposing coaches, they are big, strong, and fast.
Even if this scenario does not play out and Quinn keeps the top line from the end of last season in place (ZBJ-Kreider-Buch), Panarin still excels on the second line, finding instant chemistry with the young Fin. It’s not an embarrassment of riches, but it’s certainly more fire power in the top six than the Rangers have had in many years.
The success of the top six allows the rest of the line-up to develop at a nice pace. Kravtsov, based on his performance at the Traverse City tourney, makes the big team out of camp and gets quality time on the third line. His versatility allows Quinn the opportunity to mix and match at will. Jesper Fast and Ryan Strome anchor the bottom six as Lias Anderson and Brett Howden continue to improve. Brendan Lemieux not only provides the team with some grit, but he proves a capable depth scorer as well.
On the defensive side things improve considerably with the top pair of Jacob Trouba and Brady Skjei anchoring the back line. Adam Fox and Libor Hajek take their lumps, but Fox is an offensive force racking up impressive points during his rookie season. Marc Staal provides veteran leadership and teams with Tony DeAngelo to form a solid second pair.
Hank’s off-season preparation has him ready to go early, but Alexandar Georgiev proves to be no fluke and he splits much of the goal duties with the King, keeping the veteran fresh all year-long. Hank still looks fresh and ready to go as winter turns to spring.
It’s all coming together as planned for the Rangers. Fans are watching a fun and exciting brand of hockey that has the Garden jumping for every home game. The playoffs are real possibility as the calendar changes to 2020, and a ticket to the playoffs is eventually punched in the spring.
All told, expectations are exceeded, and Rangers hockey is back in a big way.