New York Rangers: 5 takeaways after 4 games

#2 The kids have stepped up

When the prognosticators made their predictions for this season, the one constant was the caveat that the kids had to step up.  Well, it certainly looks like they have.

On offense, Kaapo Kakko has been a beast in the offensive zone and it looks like he is finally living up to his promise.  His highlight goal against Minnesota was the type of play he wouldn’t have attempted in his first three seasons.

Filip Chytil hasn’t lost a step from his play in the postseason. Much maligned as a “soft ” player, he has been dogged on forecheck and is a net front presence.  Of all the kids, it’s Chytil’s transformation that has been the most gratifying.

Alexis Lafreniere has made the transition to the right wing seamlessly and it is going to be hard to dislodge him from that role.  We forget that he has been one of the top Rangers at even strength scoring in his first two seasons.  Now, getting a chance to play with Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck, he is even better despite virtually no power play time.

On defense, K’Andre Miller looks like a seasoned veteran and has jumped into the offense more aggressively than ever.  One preseason prediction had Miller getting more Norris Trophy votes than Adam Fox.  In four games he hasn’t warranted that, but he is really, really good.

There was some concern going into the season about the third pairing of Braden Schneider and Zac Jones.  You could see opposing coaches matching that pair with their top lines in Minnesota and Winnipeg and so far, the two kids have held their own though only after four games.  That line matching won’t stop anytime soon and it will continue to be a challenge.

Next,a look at goaltending and some cap issues.

#3 No issues in goal

While Igor Shesterkin had to singlehandedly keep the Rangers in the playoff race early last season, the offense has picked up the slack this year and afforded the team the ability to play a little loose on defense.  The Rangers are allowing three goals per game so far, in the middle of the NHL pack, after finishing second overall last season.

The Rangers are a proud bunch and they know that they have been lax on defense.  You can be sure that they will rebound. When it comes to Shesterkin, for the most part, the goals he has allowed have not been a result of bad goaltending.  He probably should have had Frank Vatrano’s goal on Monday night, but his point blank save on Adam Henrique was as good as any save he made last season.

As far as the backup is concerned, Jaroslav Halak was excellent on Friday in Winnipeg and any doubts about him have been answered during the preseason and in his first game.

#4 The salary cap hurts team depth

This one is troubling.  With less than $200k in cap space, the Blueshirts are in a tight squeeze that will be a real issue if there are injuries.  We’ve already seen the Edmonton Oilers use only 17 skaters in a game due to cap issues and with Ryan Carpenter and Vitali Kratsov out with injuries, the Rangers are dangerously close to being in the same boat.

Injuries are not an issue only if they are serious enough to warrant using the Injured Reserve option with the player’s salary not affecting the cap. Consider this scary scenario.  If another Ranger forward suffers a minor injury before Carpenter and Kravtsov can come back, they don’t have the cap space to call up a player from Hartford.

That situation resulted in Ryan Reaves playing three games in four nights last week, a scenario that Gallant is sure to want to avoid.

Finally, the challenge that is Artemi Panarin.

#5 Artemi Panarin is on a mission and that’s an issue

Artemi Panarin has made it clear that he was embarrassed by his performance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.  Although he scored six goals and 16 points in 20 games, he was not the impact player that he has been in the regular season and it is clear that he is on a mission to change that.

Add to that the rumors that surfaced after the postseason that General Manager Chris  Drury was upset with Panarin’s work in the playoffs.  Arthur Staple of The Athletic (subscription required) cited NHL sources when reporting that, though Drury has not made public any dissatisfaction.

While Panarin is still developing chemistry with new center Vincent Trocheck and also finding his way with right winger Alexis Lafreniere, he has not hesitated to dazzle on offense.  He is leading the league in scoring with 10 points and in assists with eight.

Last season, Johnny Gaudreau set the NHL mark for assists by a left winger with 75 and you know that Panarin wants to make that record his own (he finished with 74).

Panarin’s mission could prove to be a challenge for Gerard Gallant as it has resulted in some of the defensive issues for the team this season. The Rangers have given up eight even strength goals this season and Panarin has been on ice for five of them.

It’s pretty remarkable that Panarin had a four point game against Anaheim, but finished with a plus/minus rating of -2 with his line on ice for three Anaheim even strength goals.

For Gerard Gallant it’s like walking a tightrope. Does he unleash his most talented forward to display his incredible offense skills or does he force him to play more conservatively on defense and take fewer risks?

Summing up

Four games is hardly a credible sample size.   The simple fact is that the Rangers are a potent offensive force with an unstoppable power play.  They have elite goaltending and a solid defense.

They are also incredibly thin and are in a tight salary cap squeeze.  Despite their early prowess, except for the Tampa game, their defensive game has been flawed.  The good news is the team is well aware of that and they know that it is defense that wins playoff games.  You can be sure that it will be addressed.

In the meantime, Ranger fans should sit back and enjoy the ride. This is a very fun team to watch.