Grading the Rangers: Report Cards at the All Star Break
The New York Rangers are on their version of what we school kids dub “Winter Vacation,” which means it’s time for report cards. With the power vested in me as a contributor here at “Blue line station,” I’ve given each player a lettered grade based on how they’ve measured against their expected performances this season. Some players did well, while others are probably thankful they have another half to right their respective ships.
I hope you enjoy and remember to voice your impending disagreements in the comments section below, where I’ll be waiting for you to talk about the state of the Blueshirts. Now click that arrow as your adventure awaits…
LW, ARTEMI PANARIN
Grade: C
Although he was named to the all-star team, the breadman isn’t performing up to the standard of an $11.6 million player.
His -4 +/- is third worst on the team, his turnover rate has skyrocketed, and his hesitance to shoot has served as the primary reason for him not meshing with his new linemate Vincent Trocheck. Coach Gerard Gallant admitted as much in a press conference earlier this season, where he said part of the constant changes to his lines are so he can “Get Panarin going.”
Regardless of how you view the team leader in points and the game-seven OT hero from last season’s playoffs, Panarin isn’t the same player that he was during his 2019-20 campaign when he was a finalist for the Hart Trophy and hasn’t lived up to his early season proclamation of “Being more involved in goals.”
C, MIKA ZIBANEJAD:
Grade: B
If the NHL hadn’t instituted the requirement of the all-star game having at least one player from each team, Mika Zibanejad would’ve been in Florida with Artemi Panarin, Adam Fox, and Igor Shesterkin. The center leads the team in goals(22), is second in points(49), has a +- of 15, and is a part of the penalty kill as a testament to his two-way-hockey prowess.
Yet, the $8.5 million man gets a “B” from me because of his 22 tallies, a mere nine have come at even strength, along with his poor 47.2 winning% on faceoffs. Even with Zibanejad’s team-leading 13 power-play goals, the man-advantage unit has been primarily powerless this season. It is currently 17th in the NHL with a 21.6% conversion rate, primarily due to Mika’s inability to hit the net consistently.
The Swede paces the team in that department with 77 shots gone wide, most of which is his predictable one-timer from the left circle on power plays.
RW, JIMMY VESEY(Team MIP)
Grade: A
After an uninspiring first stint on broadway from 2017-2019, the winger bounced from Buffalo, Toronto, Vancouver, and New Jersey before the Blueshirts reached out again with a professional tryout contract at the beginning of training camp.
Management recognized a player who had reinvented himself to become a reliable penalty killer and someone who keeps things simple, allowing him to fit in on any line Gallant places him in.
Offensively, Vesey has nine goals and 17 points in 48 games after posting a combined 18 issues over the last two seasons. He’s been handsomely rewarded with a two-year $1.6 million AAV extension for his efforts which keeps him in New York through the 2024-2025 season.
Most importantly, the Tennessee native has shown he can handle the bright lights of New York City, which isn’t for everyone.
LW, CHRIS KREIDER:
Grade: A-
No, Kreider isn’t eclipsing the 50+ goal plateau as he did in 2022, but he’s still proven a vital piece of this team in other ways as he tries to live up to his $6.5 million salary.
He’s been more defensively responsible this season and has played an instrumental role on New York’s top 10 penalty kill. The 31-year-old has 20 goals and a +/- of 12 in 46 games this season, with both stats good for second on the team behind Mika Zibanejad. Yet, while Mika has done most of his magic on the power play, Kreider’s been feasting at even- strength to the tune of a team-leading 14 goals.
RW, VINCENT TROCHECK
Grade: A-
Trocheck has performed as advertised at the dot with his 56.5% winning percentage and combined with the fact he leads the league in posts/crossbars, his eight power-play goals, and his 17 assists are enough for me to overlook his team-worst -7+- rating. The 29-year-old thrives off of the players around him. Although it was initially thought to be Artemi Panarin, it looks as if Chris Kreider and Barclay Goodrow will be his flanks when the team returns from the all-star break, as the line contributed with two goals in last Friday’s 4-1 victory over Vegas.
C, BARCLAY GOODROW
Grade: A-
Players who can prove versatile and adapt quickly to playing on different lines are paramount to teams with championship aspirations. Barclay Goodrow has filled that role for the Rangers exceptionally well.
Last season, his first on broadway after being acquired from the two-time Stanley Cup Champion Tampa Bay Lightning before sighing his six-year $3.64 million AAV deal, Goodrow set career-highs in goals (13), assists (20), and points (33).
This year, he’s on pace to smash those numbers, as he currently has nine goals, 14 assists, and 23 points in 49 games. His trademark tenacity has made the 29-year-old the glue of coach Gerard Gallant’s robust line combinations while serving as a reliable penalty killer. He does all the little things right, giving his high-skilled teammates opportunities to do the rest. Akin to Chytil, the lone knack on Goodrow is his 45.5% faceoff success rate, slightly lower than last season’s 49.4%.
LW, ALEXIS LAFRENIERE
Grade: D
While I don’t want to go as far as labeling him a “bust” yet, as he’s only in his sophomore season as a 20-year-old, I can’t deny that as good as he may become, Lafreniere may not amass to the production expected out of a first overall pick.
It’s gone beyond the point of “growing pains” for me, as the deficiencies in his skating, forechecking, and playmaking, which has accumulated to six goals and 22 points in 48 games, don’t expound confidence of him becoming the franchise star Rangerstown thought they were getting when he was selected.
Lafreniere is in the final year of his entry-level $925,000 contract. The hope is the Rangers retain him so the “Kid Line” can stick together and play a prominent role in more Rangers playoff runs akin to last year when they propelled New York to the final four, including Laffy, who registered nine points in 20 games.
C, FILIP CHYTIL
Grade: B+
Last season it was Chris Kreider who was the Ranger’s surprise producer, and this time around, it’s Filip Chytil. The 29-year-old center is having a career year at the perfect time, for his $2.3 million contract expires this Summer.
The 2017 first-round pick validated his seven goals and nine points in 20 playoff games last Spring, with 16 and 29 points in 41 games this season.
Of his tallies, 13 have come at even strength, which is second on the team, one behind Kreider.
What’s holding me back from giving him an “A” is his dreadful 38.5% faceoff win% and his constant trips to the penalty box, which is why he’s withheld from being out there in late-game situations.
RW, KAAPO KAKKO
Grade: B
Kakko has been a revelation of late, with five goals and fifteen points across his most recent 28 contests.
His augmented all-around play, which includes driving pucks toward the net, applying offensive zone pressure, and winning board battles, has allowed him to be effective without the puck and has increased his overall “game score,” a stat that tracks your contributions throughout games, to 0.97 for the season, third on the team behind his kid mate Filip Chytil’s 1.33 and Adam Fox’s 1.44. The forward has been particularly noticeable at even strength, where his +9.21 “Expected Goals” is the best among his teammates who share his position.
The Fin has shown flashes of someone that can be an offensive mainstay at the NHL level. His 23 points in 49 games have tied a career-high from what a surplus of pundits labeled a “disappointing” rookie year, and should he keep this up, he will be primed for more than just the 2-year $2.1 million AAV bridge deal he received last Summer.
LW, WILL CUYLLE:
Grade: Incomplete
I haven’t seen enough to give him a grade as he’s only appeared in two games, but getting into a scrap with Vegas Golden Knights enforcer Keegan Kolesar shows he’s not afraid to mix it up, which coaches love in 21-year-olds like these. Cuylle is expected to begin the second half with the big club after the organization prohibited from attending the AHL all-star game, which he was selected too.
C,JAKE LESCHYSHYN
Grade: D
He was brought here to provide physicality and he’s done that. However, it’s time for the 23-year-old to net his first career point, let alone a goal.
RW, JULIEN GAUTHIER
Grade: A
You may be wondering why the guy who’s notorious for having everything you would want in a hockey player sans the ability to finish his chances gets an “A “from me, but it’s because he’s done everything asked of him in his bottom six roles.
The six goals and nine points in 35 games is a career-high and is respectable for someone who gets a mere 8:21 of ice time per contest.
The 25-year-old has likely done enough to convince Rangers brass to bring him back on a bridge deal this Summer when he hits the market as a restricted free agent.
D, ADAM FOX(Team MVP)
Grade: A+
Adam Fox only wanted to play for one NHL team, and the Rangers are thankful every day it was them.
The 2021 Norris Trophy winner remains one of the game’s best defensemen and has thrived ever since the January of 2021, when ex-Blueshirt Tony DeAngelo was traded, giving Fox the keys to the power play and the top spot on the penalty kill.
His 38 assists and 48 points are amongst the top five compared to other blue-liners around the league, and his 25:08 average time on ice is more than any other defenseman in the Metropolitan division. The 24-year-old is in the first year of a seven-year $9.5 million he signed back in November of 2021 and has been worth every penny.
D, RYAN LINDGREN
Grade: A
The fearless warrior has thrived with Adam Fox as one of the top defensive pairs in the game and has a staggering +/- of 23. GM Chris Drury has a cornerstone defensive core, and it’ll be interesting to see how much he gets this Summer after his contract expires.
D, JACOB TROUBA
Grade: C
Off the ice, Trouba is the right man to captain the Rangers, whether it’s calling players-only meetings, throwing helmets, or getting into brawls to wake up his team, his passion speaks volumes in the locker room.
However, it’s been a different story on the ice as Trouba has statistically been the worst Rangers defenseman this year with a -6+/- rating, and his 14 points in 49 games project him to finish below last season’s totals of 39 points in 81 contests. Although he paces the team with 101 blocked shots and 147 hits, you expect more from a player making $16 million annually, particularly your captain.
D, K’ANDRE MILLER
Grade: B
Miller’s play has elevated following a slow start, in the form of his 20 assists and 25 points being a career-best ahead of his impending payday this Summer. Yet defensively, his stats are down, and you don’t need to look further than his +/- at 1. It’s unclear the cause of the regression from a +23 last season, but his primary partner and team captain Jacob Trouba hasn’t helped matters.
At 6’5, the 23-year-old is unique in the sense he defends while skating forward and has learned how to use his long reach to garner a slew of takeaways while being regarded as another one of the cornerstone defensemen the Rangers would love to keep for years to come.
D, BEN HARPUR
Grade: A-
The Harp will continue to play in New York for another few seasons. As he enters the break fresh off his hard-earned 2-year $787K AAV extension, the defenseman has solidified himself as New York’s sixth defenseman, a position previously up for grabs between Zac Jones and Libor Hajek.
Harpur has done this through his steady play with his partner Braden Schneider, and while the pair doesn’t light up the stat sheet, they’re consistent in what they do, keeping the opponents’ offenses at bay.
D, BRADEN SCHNEIDER
Grade: A
The 21-year-old, selected 19th overall in the 2020 draft by the Rangers after they obtained an extra pick in the Brady Skeji trade with the Carolina Hurricanes, is currently in Year Two of his three-year $925,000 ELC deal, and is another defenseman that’ll force Chris Druy’s hand upon reaching free agency.
Where Schneider lacks in offensive production he makes up for it with his defensive prowess, which recently caught the eye of Gerard Gallant, who said Schneider is “ Always prepared and is consistent in the way he plays defense.”
VITALI KRAVTSOV
GRADE: D
a new season. Veterans understand this and are naturally accustomed to it, but if you’re a youngster such as Vitali Kravtsov, every minute counts.
It’s why when he left the season opener due to injury, which another one subsequently followed upon returning two weeks later along with a toothache and stomach flu, fans started to call for him to be traded, and while that may transpire should management lure a big piece at the trade deadline, the Russian has at least improved his value.
Since his most recent return to the line-up, Kravtsov has learned to be more patient with the puck, leading to him connecting with his linemates for scoring opportunities. The forward’s three points in his last ten games represent signs of progress, and other clubs looking for young wingers have reportedly checked on his availability.
However, should the 23-year-old continue this upward trajectory over the next few weeks, it could sway Druy to make Zac Jones or Sammy Blais expendable instead of him.
C,JONNY BRODZINSKI:
GRADE: C
After being recalled from the AHL on December 5th, Brodzinski has picked up one goal and one assist in his sixteen games played.
While having a grinder can create havoc for opponents, it can conversely lead to an abundance of penalties which has been his undoing, leading to him accompanying those in the press box more than being with his teammates on the ice.
He was eventually placed on waivers last week and went unclaimed by the other clubs, meaning he was back to being the leader of the Hartford Wolfpack.
As of now, the Minnesota native is the team’s extra forward and will only see extended playing time if an injury to someone on the big club arises.
D, ZAC JONES
Grade: D+
Jones began the year battling Libor Hajek for the sixth defenseman spot but both have been usurped by Ben Harpur, and Jones was sent back to Hartford, where he became an AHL all-star, thus raising his trade value. Jones has played 16 games and has registered two points compared to Hajek’s one.
LW, SAMMY BLAIS:
Grade: D
Blais is essentially still working his way back from the ACL injury he sustained last season, but even with the timid aspirations, things haven’t gone well. Yes, the winger brings the physicality coaches desire out of fourth-line players and ranks third on the team with 113 hits in 38 games, yet he cannot finish his chances, as he’s still searching for the first goal of his six-year career.
The 26-year-old’s days in New York may be numbered as GM Chris Druy and CO will almost certainly look to move him and his one-year $1,525,000 contract at the trade deadline or let him walk in free agency. Blais was acquired in the 2021 offseason in a salary-dump deal that saw fan-favorite Pavel Buchnevich shipped to the St Louis Blues. New York gave him another shot last Summer following his injury-riddled 2021-22 campaign, but nothing’s changed, and he’ll likely find himself sporting another sweater sooner rather than later.
D, LIBOR HAJEK
Grade: D
Since the arrival of Ben Harpur, Libor Hajek has been relegated to being a healthy scratch, while his former counterpart Zac Jones has become an all-star down in Hartford. The 24-year-old rejoined the club last offseason on a one-year $800,000 deal after playing 22 games and bouncing around between Hartford and New York but has only appeared in 16 games this year.
C, RYAN CARPENTER
Grade: F
Carpenter has one goal, two assists, and three points in the 21 games. Moreover, he was brought here over the Summer on a one-year $750K deal primarily to win faceoffs, and although he’s done that at a 54% clip for the season, that’s not good enough when it’s your specialty.
As a result of his underwhelming play, the 32-year-old was demoted to Hartford on January 18th, where he’s been ever since. Down in the AHL, Carpenter has recorded 11 goals and 20 points in 21 games, but barring an injury, isn’t expected to be recalled as the Rangers like what they have in Jake Leschyshyn, Will Cuylle/Sammy Blais, and Julien Gauthier as their fourth line.
G, IGOR SHESTERKIN
Grade: A
The reigning Vezina- winner hasn’t replicated last year’s historic campaign, and no, that doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with him; it means he’s human.
After all, Igor will be measured by playoff success the rest of his time here in New York, as he tries doing the one thing his predecessor couldn’t and propel New York to a title.
On the season, the all-star netminder is 21-8-7 with a 2.45 GAA (2.38 last season), a .918 save %(.935 last season), and +17.3 goals saved above expected(+34.1 previous season).
He’s done his part in masking the Rangers’ defensive discrepancies at times by single-handedly keeping them in games.
G,JAROSLAV HALAK
Grade: B
Steady goaltending from the 33 year- old and faith entrusted in him by team goaltending Benoit Allaire has allowed the Rangers to remain calm and controlled on days Shesterkin gets a breather. After his woeful 0-5-1 start, which included a .881 save percentage and a GAA of 3.20, Halak has rattled off five straight wins while boasting a 1.80 GAA and a .938 save %.
The run continued last Friday when Halak improved to a personal 6-0 against the Vegas Golden Knights by making 34 stops in his maiden Garden victory. If he keeps this up, it’s hard to see how the Rangers will let him get away in free agency this Summer.
COACH, GERARD GALLANT
Grade: B
When the Rangers began the season 11-10-5, fans were calling for Gerard Gallant’s job, which remains the case despite the team’s 16-4-3 spurt since December 5th, which is second-best in the NHL during that timespan. The disdain churns from the man’s robust line changes the minute something goes wrong, which conspicuously doesn’t apply to the middling power play.
Gallant has been scrutinized for how he treats the kids by not giving them enough man-advantage time. Still, he’s right by saying this isn’t a development league nor a rebuilding team, though there’s a case to be made for the burgeoning Filip Chytil deserving a look on the first unit.
The Rangers hired the former player in the 2021 offseason to bring a Stanley Cup to New York, and if the organization were still in rebuild mode, David Quinn would still be here instead of coaching the San Jose Sharks.
GM, CHRIS DRURY:
Grade: B
This grade will increase or decrease depending on the results of the trade deadline, so I’ll leave you with the grade given for his moves this past offseason when he acquired Vincent Trocheck and Jaroslav Halak and said goodbye to Ryan Strome, Frank Vatrano, Andrew Copp, Kevin Rooney, Tyler Motte, Nils Lundkvist, Alexander Georgiev, and Greg Mckegg.
The lone trade Druy has made so far this drains was on November 23rd, when in a salary dump move, he sent Ryan Reaves to the Minnesota Wild for a fifth-round pick.
THE TEAM:
Grade: A
The Rangers are 27-14-8(62 points), suitable for third in the Metropolitan Divison and 10th in the NHL, and is a small step below their 31-13-5(67 points) mark at this juncture last season.
Yes, this team is flawed and in need of a center at the March 3rd trade deadline, but it is good enough to qualify for the postseason and remain in the Stanley Cup conversation.
THANK YOU:
I’ve had a blast in my first season covering the Rangers, and you readers have been a big reason why. You’re positive feedback, creative ideas, and constructive criticism have all made me a better writer. I look forward to a strong finish to this 2022-23 campaign which will hopefully result in the Stanley Cup returning to Rangerstwon. LGR!