New York Rangers mid-season report card

The second wave

This is an interesting group as it includes both overachievers and underachievers.  There are players who have played over their heads along with players who should be in the top category.  This is the group that could have the biggest impact on the Rangers over the next 41 games.

Barclay Goodrow  B+

We won’t talk about Barclay Goodrow’s contract when we grade his performance.  He is exactly what the team needed and he has been just as advertised.  He’s a physical presence, a veteran leader and a player who is at home on the first of fourth line.  It’s not his problem that he should be on the third or fourth line, but has been moved up too often.  Offensively, he has seven goals and 17 points and is on target for the best season of his eight-year career.   Again, ignore the contract and the term, the team needed a player like Goodrow.

Ryan Reaves  B+

Ryan Reaves is just what the doctor ordered.  Though many though at 35 he was too old, he has made the Rangers a tougher team and revitalized the fourth line.  He’s finally scored, but that’s not what he is paid to do.  Circle February 25 on your calendars.  That’s when the Capitals come to town.

Artemi Panarin   B

Artemi Panarin is a great player, but he is in a funk.  He’s passing when he should be shooting and he tries to do too much instead of relying on his own sublime talent.  His numbers rate an A-, but we expect more of him. In one way, the organization has failed him by not finding the right linemate to play on his wing.  With the uncertainty surrounding the future of Ryan Strome in the organization, this is a problem that needs to be resolved.  For now, they have a player with A+ ability saddled with a B line.

Ryan Strome  B

Ryan Strome has been the same player he has been the last two seasons.  In one game he is an excellent playmaker and clutch scorer.  In  the next game he misses glorious scoring opportunities and takes bad penalties.  In his walk year, he is one of the team’s better forwards, but his play is just a bit off from the last two years with nine goals and 30 points in 37games.  No doubt, his statistics are suffering from Panarin’s 5v5 issues, but Strome has to take some responsibility for that.

Alexandar Georgiev  B

It’s been a tale of two seasons for Alexandar Georgiev.  He had an abysmal start, with the worst numbers of any NHL goalie.  When Igor Shesterkin went down with a lower body injury, Georgiev was thrust into a starting role and he responded.  He wants to be a number one goalie, but he hasn’t demonstrated that he is anywhere close to fulfilling that desire.  Face it, he is a good goalie and he kept the Rangers’ season alive when filling in, but a 7-6-2 record and a 2.92 goals against average is not cutting it.  He’s had D grade segments followed by A grade segments and that means a overall grade B.

Kevin Rooney  B

Kevin Rooney is a reliable fourth line center who can kill penalties and chip in with the occasional goal.  That’s what they signed him for and that’s what he has been doing.    He had five goals after 19 games, but has scored only once in the next 19 games and that needs improvement.

Sammy Blais B

The great disappointment of this season is Sammy Blais. He was just starting to show why Chris Drury wanted him in the Buchnevich trade when that nasty Subban slewfoot ended his season. He was still looking for his first goal and had only four assists in 17 games, but he had 37 hits and was showing signs that he could fill a role on the top six.  What a shame.

K’Andre Miller  B-

Call it the sophomore jinx and considering his age and experience, a B- may be considered too harsh a grade, but in his second year on the second defense pairing, he has regressed a little. He’s still averaging over 19 minutes a game and contributing offensively when needed.  Ranger fans are waiting for him to take advantage of his size and strength, but he still oozes potential and he just turned 22.

Greg McKegg B-

Greg McKegg has gotten into 21 games this season, many more than was expected.  Having formerly played for Gerard Gallant in Florida, it’s clear that he has faith in McKegg and he has used him, letting him play instead of players like Julien Gauthier or prospects like Morgan Barron.  McKegg has recently raised his level of play and has been a solid member of the fourth line, a line that made a huge difference in the Toronto game.