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Four Predictions For The New York Rangers In The 2024-25 Season

By Gerard Turner |
May 30, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (31) makes a save against Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov (16) in front of Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren (55) during the third period of game five of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
May 30, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers goaltender Igor Shesterkin (31) makes a save against Florida Panthers center Aleksander Barkov (16) in front of Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren (55) during the third period of game five of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The NHL season is fast approaching as we are less than two weeks away from preseason play. The New York Rangers kick off their preseason schedule on September 22 against the Boston Bruins and their first regular season game takes place on October 9 against the Pittsburgh Penguins. With the season looming, it is time to predict how the team and players will perform. 

Rangers’ Record 

Last Season: 55-23-4

This Season: 50-25-7

The Rangers are coming off a historic season with 114 points in 2023-24, the most in franchise history. After going 55-23-4, they claimed the President’s Trophy as the top team in the regular season.

They won’t be as dominant in the regular season as they were last year, which may be a good thing. For people who are superstition, winning the President’s Trophy does more bad than good for a team. For 11 straight years, the top team after the regular season has failed to win the Stanley Cup, the Chicago Blackhawks being the most recent exception in 2013. As for the Blueshirts, they extended the streak this year after losing to the Florida Panthers in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals. 

Racking up 107 points will have them finishing top eight in the league and will have them as a higher seed in their conference. The ability to host a first-round playoff game will be huge knowing Madison Square Garden will be rocking. 

Ceiling: Stanley Cup Champions 

Floor: First Round Exit 

Leading Goal Scorer 

Alexis Lafreniere 

Lafreniere had a slow start to his career and many people labeled him as a bust, but last season he proved any haters wrong. He contributed throughout the regular season with 28 goals and 29 assists, but where he left his mark was in the playoffs. In 16 playoff games, Laf tallied eight goals, tied for first on the team, and six assists with an 18.6 shot percentage.

He will most likely have Vincent Trocheck and Artemi Panarin on his line again this season. The chemistry was off the charts between these three playmakers and it will be even better in the upcoming season. 

The Canadian has all the skill sets to be a team’s leading goal scorer. He has a quick accurate shot from all over the ice. Throughout the playoffs, he was scoring from the slot, the face-off circles, and even banking in pucks off the goalie from behind the goal. He also has a solid combination of stick handling and skating ability to get him to the front of the net. 

Prediction: 41 goals 

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Points And Assist Leader 

Artemi Panarin

Panarin was terrific throughout the 2023-24 regular season. He finished with the fourth most points in the league with 120 and he will carry that success into his sixth year with the Rangers.

The Panarin, Trocheck, and Lafreniere line may not be considered the starting line, but they will be the most productive. Panarin is always pass first and has a good chance to rack up points when he is feeding either of his two partners. The development of Laf may hinder Panarin’s goals, but his assists will jump. 

Panarin has a lot of accolades, but he is missing a Hart Trophy. He was snubbed of being a finalist last season, but expect him to be in the Hart running again this year. 

Prediction: 38 goals and 78 assists (116 points)

Igor Shesterkin 

Shesterkin had a 2.58 goals-against average in the regular season last year, his highest since his second year in the league. After a solid regular season, Igor really shined in the postseason. He was a brick wall for the majority of the playoffs and kept the Rangers in almost every game. In 16 games, he had seven contests with 30+ saves, one being a 54-save performance. 

Shesterkin had a few rough patches during the middle portion of last season, but this year he will be dialed in throughout the whole year. One reason is that he is coming off such a great playoff run and the other because he is in the final year of his contract. New York could have extended him this offseason, but Igor was seeking one of the largest deals in NHL history and the Rangers’ cap room made that a challenge. Shesterkin will now be able to force the Blueshirts’ hand after a big 2024-25 campaign with Vezina Trophy and Stanley Cup hopes on the horizon.

Prediction: 39-13-3 record, 2.13 GAA, .929 save percentage, and Vezina Trophy Winner

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