Ranking the NY Rangers defensemen from worst to first for the 2024-25 season

The NY Rangers have one of the best top-four defensive units in hockey, but given their relative youth, they could easily evolve into the absolute best. As with the forwards, knowing how good that top-four is, plus some intriguing talent projected on the Rangers third-pairing, made them a fun group to rank. 

So when stacked up against one another, where does each member of the Rangers blue line stand after most of the offseason moves have been made. I say ‘most,’ because there’s a good chance one of those listed below may be traded by the time the 2024-25 season begins, which may result in a slight reshuffling of these rankings.  

7 - Chad Ruhwedel

Chad Ruhwedel clocks in at No. 7, and he’s the likely extra heading into the 2024-25 season, barring an injury to those listed above him. Heading into his age-34 season, Ruhwedel has immense experience that will factor into him sliding in as a decent depth piece for the year. 

6 - Zachary Jones

Zachary Jones has been a part-time player on this Rangers team and saw a career-high 31 games played last year, with nine points and two goals to show for it. He’s good at disrupting plays by getting his stick on the puck, and he’ll be racking up the takeaways in 2024-25 should he move into a full-time role. 

5 - Braden Schneider

Braden Schneider just re-signed with the Rangers and it was a good move on general manager Chris Drury’s part. Schneider will once again give the Rangers third-pairing minutes, but he’s good for about 0.25 points per game and landing in the mid-to-high triple-digits in blocking shots and landing body checks. It’s not a fancy game, but one Rangers fans will appreciate, especially against more physical opponents. 

4 - Ryan Lindgren

Ryan Lindgren will get his new contract with the Rangers, and when he does, expect his game to evolve even more as he heads into the prime years of his prime, or at least that’s what I’m calling it. Lindgren can get away with top-four minutes, and like Scheider, he’ll land body checks and blocks all season long, allowing the playmakers both at the blue line and at forward opportunities to shine. 

3 - Jacob Trouba

The biggest question surrounding Jacob Trouba is whether he’ll be in a Rangers uniform much longer, but I’ll always err on the side of a player sticking around until they’re traded. If he’s still in town, Trouba will continue to be one of the most physical blueliners in hockey, and he’s someone opponents will despise playing against. No, he didn’t have the best outing last season, but still, Trouba can be an effective player for the Rangers if he stays. 

2 - K’Andre Miller

One of the NHL’s fastest-rising defensemen, K’Andre Miller didn’t match his points total from last season with just 30, but it doesn’t mean he regressed. Miller still nearly hit the 0.75 takeaway per game mark, played a hard-hitting game, and set a career-best in blocked shots. 

1 - Adam Fox

A former Norris Trophy recipient and a perennial top-five contender for the award, nobody deserves the No. 1 spot more than Adam Fox. He’s produced 70-plus points in each of the last three seasons, and Fox also set a career-best in goals scored last season with 17. Still heading into what is just his age-26 season, Fox could end up enjoying his best season yet as a member of the New York Rangers. 

(Statistics powered by Hockey-Reference)