New York Rangers: Storylines to watch in home opener
Hockey is officially back and the New York Rangers will usher in a new era tonight when they take on the Winnipeg Jets in their 2019-20 season opener at Madison Square Garden.
It is an exciting time to be a New York Rangers fan right now and the next chapter in the long, rich history of this storied franchise will start to write its first paragraph once puck drops later.
There will almost certainly be an electric atmosphere in and around Madison Square Garden with Blueshirts fans flocking to see Artemi Panarin make his proper Rangers debut, as well as getting a longer glimpse of Kaapo Kakko, Jacob Trouba and Adam Fox of course.
It is an early opportunity for these new-look Rangers to put on a show and build on the excitement and momentum that has been gradually generating steam since the front office went out and made a string of aggressive moves in the off-season in order to radically improve this team and accelerate the rebuild.
Of course, a win on opening night would be like an early Christmas present although the Rangers will be coming up against a talented and loaded Winnipeg Jets team, who will be coming into the new season with a rather large chip on their shoulders after courting plenty of controversy throughout the summer.
It has all the makings to be a blockbuster of a game and there are a plethora of storylines to keep an eye on as they unfold, so we decided to highlight a few for you…
1. Panarin is ours
Are you really surprised we started with this one? Yes, Artemi Panarin pulled on a New York Rangers jersey a couple of times during the course of the preseason, but we all know exhibition games don’t count so his proper debut will come tonight.
And there will be goosebumps when Panarin is officially introduced to Madison Square Garden during the opening night ceremony, with the sight of the Breadman gliding towards that magnificent center ice logo a sight we will all soak in and cherish.
It will then be onto business on the ice and the first tantalizing opportunity to see the Panarin-Mika Zibanejad–Pavel Buchnevich top line in action for the very first time.
Panarin has that ability to create something special out of nothing and Blueshirts fans, both at MSG and at home, will no doubt be on the edge of their seats waiting for the Russian stud to pull something magical out of the bag and show us again why he is the most coveted prize in free agency.
Plus, given that he is one of the best players in the NHL today, it is expected that Panarin will help Zibanejad and Buchnevich to elevate their respective games and that could translate to a potent and dangerous top line for the Rangers.
2. Revamped power play?
It is only natural when you go out and add quality pieces to your team that attention automatically switches towards how this new wave of talent will affect special teams.
The Rangers ranked 21st on the man advantage in 2018-19 with a conversion percentage of 19.4 percent, and that simply won’t cut the mustard if this team are to be an improved outfit this year.
But, based on what we saw in preseason, the Blueshirts’ power play is going to be a force to be reckoned with in 2019-20 with two units capable of wreaking absolute havoc.
With Panarin’s lethal one-timer on the top unit, Chris Kreider‘s net-front presence, Mika Zibanejad’s creativity, Pavel Buchnevich’s thunderous shot and Jacob Trouba’s ability to dictate play from the point, the top power play unit has the potential to be explosive.
And, if that wasn’t enough, then the Rangers will be able to call upon a second unit featuring stud defenseman Adam Fox and No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft, Kaapo Kakko.
The Rangers haven’t had potent weapons like this on the power play for a considerable chunk of time, and it will fascinating to see how quickly the revamped man advantage units take to click and get going if they are presented with an opportunity tonight.
3. Trouba & Skjei
Although Artemi Panarin and Brady Skjei are attracting the most attention out of the newbies, Jacob Trouba was also a big name addition and was a long-time target for the Rangers, who quickly dished out a seven-year, $56 million contract when they finally got their man in the summer.
Trouba will significantly bolster the Rangers’ blueline which is still far from perfect, and he’ll also provide plenty of offensive upside having carved out a career-year for the Winnipeg Jets last season with 50 points (eight goals, 42 assists).
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He’ll also give the Rangers the high-end power play quarterback they have been craving since the Ryan McDonagh days, and Trouba should easily surpass his 18 points on the man advantage from last year given the weapons he will have around him on the top unit.
But, perhaps the most interesting aspect of Trouba’s game to keep an eye on tonight will be his chemistry with Brady Skjei, who must be licking his lips at the prospect of having a top defensive partner alongside him.
Skjei has been good for the Rangers since being drafted 28th overall in the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, but he hasn’t been spectacular and he’s still searching for the level of consistency that will elevate him into the upper echelons of elite blueliners.
Having someone like Trouba alongside him should help bring out the best in Skjei and, if the two can forge instant chemistry and a good understanding from the very get-go, then the Rangers could have a formidable top defensive pairing on their hands for the foreseeable future.
4. It’s Kaapo Kakko Time
Maybe we should have this higher but every single New York Rangers fan will be full of anticipation ahead of witnessing Kaapo Kakko’s debut for the franchise tonight.
Generational talents don’t come around in the NHL very often and it is even rarer that they find themselves in The Big Apple.
However, the Rangers hit the jackpot when they were awarded the No. 2 overall pick in the 2019 NHL Lottery Draft and they won big by selecting Kakko.
Built like a man already and able to compete like one, blessed with a treasure chest of skills, a willingness to battle and the ability to score and create goals, Kakko is ready to flourish in the NHL and tonight will give him the stage in which to go and showcase his considerable talents.
Winnipeg are a big, physical team and they may well look to target Kakko, although he showed throughout the preseason that he’s more than willing to dish out the physical punishment, let alone take it.
Rangers fans have been craving a bona fide elite talent that can shift the momentum of a game with just one single play, and they now have two on their hands in Artemi Panarin and Kakko.
Tonight is officially the start of the Kaapo Kakko era in New York and all eyes will be on the Finnish sensation to see what he can produce with the bright lights of Broadway fixed firmly on him.
5. Young Guns
There will be four players making their debuts in total for the New York Rangers tonight, including stud defenseman Adam Fox who is projected to be the next best blueliner in the NHL.
Some of the pressure has been shifted off his young shoulders due to the high-profile pieces that have been added in and around him, and that could work in Fox’s favor as he prepares to make his Rangers bow on the third defensive pairing alongside Libor Hajek tonight.
And not only will all eyes be on Fox but they will also be on the likes of Hajek, Brett Howden and Lias Andersson who will all be tasked with continuing their rapid development and ironing out any kinks in their game.
As mentioned above, Hajek and Fox will be paired together tonight and Hajek will be charged with being the more responsible of the two in their own zone, while Fox has the ability to improve the Rangers’ transition game and jump up in the rush.
Andersson, who has a big year ahead of him, is projected to center the fourth line tonight between Brendan Lemieux and Brendan Smith, while Howden will continue to get plenty of looks on the third line and the mission for the former Tampa Bay Lightning forward will be to build on his impressive rookie year.
That is the main objective this year, after all. Yes, we are expecting to see a better brand of hockey and more wins but, at the end of the day, Head Coach David Quinn’s mandate will be to continue to demand high standards from his collection of young prospects and continue to polish them up ready for a playoff run next year.
Improvement and continued growth is the name of the game for all the youngsters on the opening night roster, and that has to start tonight against the Winnipeg Jets.
6. The King and return of the Pionk
As well as the plethora of new faces on show tonight, there will also be some familiar ones as well as the return of a popular Ranger, but more on him in a minute.
First, it is going to be intriguing to see how the Rangers manage Henrik Lundqvist‘s workload this year as they try to work out a way to maximize his greatness for the duration of a grueling 82-game regular season schedule, but we do know he will get the start between the pipes tonight.
Lundqvist cut a sorry figure at times during the second-half of last year and he has been quoted this summer as saying that it was the toughest period of his career.
Yes, he understood the direction the franchise were going in but losing isn’t easy to take for a born-winner, and Lundqvist is certainly that.
It clearly affected his mindset and his play but, after witnessing the string of bold and aggressive moves made by the franchise this summer, Lundqvist reported to Training Camp with a notable spring in his step and he looks ready for action.
He proved in the first half of last year that he can still play at an elite level and, if he can maintain that for a 50-60 game stretch this year, then that might just give the Rangers an outside chance of making the playoffs after all.
And, let’s face it, who doesn’t like seeing a happy, smiling Henrik Lundqvist?!
Final point, and it would be rude not to address the return of Neal Pionk who was traded to the Winnipeg Jets in the off-season as part of the deal that brought Jacob Trouba to New York.
Pionk was an undrafted free agent signing by the Rangers on May, 1, 2017 and, although he never reached spectacular status, he did a solid job and was a fans’ favorite at MSG.
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He registered 40 points (seven goals, 33 assists) in 101 games for the Blueshirts over the span of two seasons and he’s sure to get a good welcome back tonight.
It should be an interesting year ahead for Pionk who finds himself on a contender, and he should log some big minutes given the fact that the Jets has seen their blueline absolutely ravaged this off-season, losing Trouba, Tyler Myers and Ben Chiarot while Dustin Byfuglien is currently away from the team for personal matters and isn’t a lock to return.
Gametime for tonight’s 2019-20 season opener is at 7:00 p.m. EST.