The New York Rangers wrapped up the 2021 season as a team that looks to have all the talent in the world but is certainly missing a bit of an edge to their game. Chris Drury will need to address that issue in the off season.
This year the toughest Ranger was defenseman Brendan Smith, and it is very unlikely that he will be back next season. A shame really, he is a heck of a team player, and will be sorely missed unless the Rangers can find someone to take his place.
Most teams looks to their fourth line to provide the kind of grit and toughness the Rangers seem to be lacking but that certainly does not have to be the case. Let’s take a look at who filled that role for the Blueshirts this year.
The Fourth Line
The Rangers, like many teams across the league, mixed and matched players on their fourth line for most of the season. The one constant on the fourth line was Kevin Rooney. He spent time at both center and wing, and provided the most consistent grit from a forward on the team.
Many expected Brendan Lemieux to be the guy to fill the role of agitator/protector but his season never quite got going, so off he was sent to California. Give Kevin Rooney credit for stepping in to fill that role as best he could. He also added a few goals here and there. The Rangers have Rooney signed at $750,000 for one more year, so he looks to return as a pretty good bargain next season.
The most maligned player on the Rangers also spent most of his season on the fourth line. I am of course talking about Brett Howden. No Ranger players get trashed in the comments sections or during the live game chats more than Howden, and I for one just don’t get it. It must be because he came to the Rangers in the trade with Tampa Bay for Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller and thus some fans set their expectations really high.
Howden is the type of player every team needs. You can’t build a team roster where every player is making five million dollars across the board. You need to spend big on the high end players and a whole lot less on bottom six. Right now Howden is bottom six and a pending RFA. Drury should look to lock Howden up for another two years with a modest raise to about $950,000 per.
The guy kills penalties, block shots, and can play with a bit of an edge. He’s a hockey coaches’ player. Departed coach David Quinn really loved the way Howden played. He does the little things. He’s a team player. He kind of reminds one of a young Jesper Fast. Two more years at a reasonable price seems like the right move and a safe one just to see how much more Howden can develop.
Of course, there is a very good chance that Howden gets selected by Seattle in the expansion draft. If he does, then that should be enough proof to all those that have unjustly piled on the guy for the past two years for not scoring goals that he has value….because he most certainly does.
Of the remaining fourth line players only Colin Blackwell is signed for next season. Yes, we must include Colin Blackwell on this list because his days in the top six are officially over. Blackwell is good guy to have around but it’s hard to imagine he stays in the line-up next year as consistently as he did this year.
Phillip Di Guiseppe is UFA, can’t imagine he comes back.
That leaves Julien Gauthier. This guy seems like he could be on the verge of becoming a really good NHL player. As fans we clearly don’t see everything a player offers the team day in and day out, and obviously there is something about his play that just didn’t work for David Quinn. But he’s a big kid, a former first round pick and has shown some elite skill when give the opportunity to play. Sometimes NHL players just need to be in the right place at the right time to succeed.
Gauthier is a RFA so it will be interesting to see what the Rangers do with him. He could be signed and then be an extra trade piece in a big deal this off season, then again, he could be the one the Rangers lose in the expansion draft.
Revisiting Predictions
We offered some preseason predictions back in January, so let’s take a look at how we did.
Eastern Division Projections:
Flyers
Bruins
Capitals
Rangers
Islanders
Penguins
Sabres
Devils
I’ll just start off with the really bad. Here is what I wrote.
The Flyers just seem like they improved a ton last year and that progress should continue under Alian Vigneault. They are a solid veteran team that should really excel in this compressed season. If Carter Hart can shoulder the load in goal, the Flyers will be tough.
Carter Hart couldn’t carry the load for a number of reasons, but the basically the Flyers just did not show up in 2021. My Penguins prediction is equally bad.
Only two of four teams correct. Terrible
Bruins advance from the East.
The Central Division
Lighting
Stars
Hurricanes
Panthers
Blue Jackets
Predators
Blackhawks
Red Wings
Although my thoughts were that Tampa Bay may be the easiest divisional winner, they were not. The Hurricanes are clearly going to give the Bolts a hard time should they meet in the second round. Dallas was an enigma.
Three of four teams correct.
Hurricanes advance from the Central.
The Western Division
Avalanche
Golden Knights
Blues
Sharks
Coyotes
Wild
Kings
Ducks
I wrote that the West is just a mosh pit of mediocre teams once you get past Colorado and Vegas. I stand by that as those two teams look destined to meet in the second round. Minnesota was certainly the surprise here as Kirill Kaprizov burst onto the scene and will surely be rookie of the year.
Three of four teams correct.
Vegas Knights advance from the West
The North Division
Oilers
Maple Leafs
Canucks
Canadiens
Jets
Flames
Senators
This is another two horse race as the Canadiens got off to a fast start and rode it to the finish line while the Jets limped home. Vancouver had too many COVID issues to overcome and could not make a run.
Three of four teams correct.
Oilers advance from the North in an upset.
Final predictions
Vegas over Edmonton
Boston over Carolina
The Vegas Golden Knight win the Stanley Cup!