The New York Rangers Have the Best Roster in the National Hockey League
There is no denying that the Rangers have a magical season in 2023-24. But, it appears that it was not a fluke that they won the Presidents' Trophy. Do they have the best roster in the NHL?
Plain and simple, the New York Rangers have the best roster in the NHL. Up and down the sheet, there are more pros than cons with this roster. If all goes according to plan, we could see another deep playoff run in 2024-25.
After making the Eastern Conference Finals in two of the last three seasons, the Rangers have found a way to remain sustainable in a rapidly changing landscape that is the National Hockey League. With eyes set on making it past the semi-finals, and into the Stanley Cup Final, this current roster can be the best one in the entire NHL.
Let's talk about it.
The Best Roster in the NHL?
All of the pieces fit the puzzle. There is no oddity or worry with this current Rangers roster, beside avoiding injury or suspension. This squad means serious business, not only during the regular season but into the playoffs as well. But, lets first talk about what damage this roster can do in the regular season.
In 2023-24, the Blueshirts secured the Presidents' Trophy, as the team with the best overall record and most points across the entire NHL. They finished the season with a record of 55-23-4 for 114 points, which were franchise records in both wins and points. Pretty impressive considering the Rangers have been around from the very beginning as an original six team.
Dissecting the roster itself, you have to name the superstars from Broadway first. It all starts and ends with "The Prince", goaltender Igor Shesterkin. He, like his predecessor Henrik Lundqvist, is the life-blood of the Rangers.
And then, we have the incredible forward group consisting of Artemi Panarin, Vincent Trochek, Chris Kreider, and Mika Zibanejad. Each of those guys is a leader on this team, and they set an example with their consistency on the ice.
feed
You cannot end the conversation with the forward group without mentioning the young guns as well. The "Kids", a dynamite trio from a few postseasons ago consisting of Alexis Lafreniere, Filip Chytil and Kaapo Kakko have all grown up to being main-stays on this roster. Finally, the newest sensation that has taken New York and the NHL by storm, Matt Rempe is going to be a great hockey player by the time his career is over.
Looking at the defensive group, there are some even bigger names than those mentioned above. At the top, Adam Fox is a proven winner, and he has been the best Rangers d-man since someone named Brian Leetch completely changed the game in the 1990s. Then there is the Captain of this glorious team, Jacob Trouba. Love him or hate him, he has proven his worth ten-fold for his teammates and there is still some hope that 2024-25 can turn things around for him.
It is a grueling and long NHL season, and it takes everything and more to win the Stanley Cup. The Rangers have fallen short again and again, and the pressure continues to compound with each passing season. But, there is no other team that has the kind of talent as the Rangers, and it will be very hard to argue that fact.
Do you believe that the Rangers have the best roster in the NHL?