Ranking the NY Rangers forwards from worst to first for the 2024-25 season
The NY Rangers forwards weren’t the easiest bunch to rank because of the 14 players listed; there is hardly a weak player. Plus, three players in their “Big Four” were so good, they were also tough to place, while our No. 1 player was ironically the easiest to insert into their respective slot.
So how do the Rangers current crop of forwards line up with a couple of months before training camp begins, and who ultimately took that No. 1 ranking? Keep reading for some surprises, but you will likely see some obvious answers here as well.
14 - Adam Edstrom
It’s hard to rank Adam Edstrom any higher at the moment, considering he has just 11 career regular season games of experience. That said, two goals in just 8:25 of average total ice time and a physical presence isn’t a bad way to kick off one’s NHL career.
13 - Matt Rempe
Some fans may not like this ranking, but Matt Rempe is nothing more than an enforcer who will likely never log over 10 minutes of average total ice time. He will give the Rangers a physical presence who will stand up for star players, but that’s about all he has to offer. It’s not a bad thing, but it’s tough to put too much thought into an enforcer’s ranking.
12 - Sam Carrick
Sam Carrick may rank ultra-low on this list but don’t mistake it for me not being too fond of him. He’s bringing a reliable presence in the faceoff circle and even more of a physical edge to the Rangers, and he was one of the better under-the-radar signings of the offseason.
11 - Jonny Brodzinski
Jonny Brodzinski has been around since the 2020-21 season, playing here and there in the Rangers lineup, but he saw 57 games this past season with six goals and 19 points. These were all career-highs, and Brodzinski also collected a career-best 162 faceoff wins, showing he can be reliable in the circle when called to take draws.
10 - William Cuylle
William Cuylle is one of the biggest hitters in the league, and his 249 body checks this past season drive that point home. But Cuylle, despite playing fourth-line minutes overall, still scored 13 times and put up 21 points, giving him value as a potential depth scorer as he heads into his second full-time season in New York.
9 - Jimmy Vesey
In both seasons since his return to New York, Jimmy Vesey has steadily helped the Rangers become one of the NHL’s premier teams as a member of the bottom-six, producing a modest number of points, and taking away pucks. If he keeps that, plus his physical game up, Vesey will be a strong asset for yet another season.
8 - Kaapo Kakko
There’s a chance Kaapo Kakko won’t be a New York Ranger this season, depending on what happens between now and mid-October, but while he’s still on the team, I’m ranking him. That said, Kakko is likely reaching his ceiling as a depth scorer who can play middle-to-bottom-six minutes, and that should be his role with the Rangers if he’s there when the season begins.
7 - Filip Chytil
A concussion and a subsequent setback limited Filip Chytil to just 10 regular season games last season, but he proved to be a strong asset to the Rangers in 2022-23 when he finished with 45 points and 22 goals in 74 games. He also had six assists in 10 games this past season, even if he was shut out in the playoffs. Overall, if he’s healthy, Chytil should enjoy a strong bounce-back season.
6 - Reilly Smith
I was a fan of the Rangers acquiring Reilly Smith, and he gives the Blueshirts yet another sound player to place onto the middle-six. While he looked good in Pittsburgh last season, if Smith scores 25-plus goals again, as he’s done a few times in his career, this is a trade Rangers fans will look back on fondly.
5 - Alexis Lafreniere
Alexis Lafreniere showed us his true potential this past season when he broke out for 57 points and 28 goals in 82 contests in 17:16 of average total ice time. Another 14 points and eight goals in 16 playoff games also proved he could perform well with higher stakes, and there is a 100 percent chance he builds off of what was his most successful season to date.
4 - Chris Kreider
He’s been a notable name on the Rangers since 2012-13, and Chris Kreider is coming off one of his most productive outings. Starting in the 2021-22 season, he’s been nothing short of outstanding, and there’s no doubt we’re looking at yet another 35-plus goal season if he stays healthy for all 82 games.
3 - Mika Zibanejad
Mika Zibanejad can score, steal pucks, make plays in all three zones, and put up some of the most consistently sound hockey. No, he didn’t match his overall points productivity, as was the case in recent seasons, but he’s still among the most viable assets on this Rangers team, and that will continue into 2024-25.
2 - Vincent Trocheck
Vincent Trocheck was another integral part of the Rangers “Big Four,” finishing with a career-best 77 points. He also had 25 goals in that span, and Trocheck was also one of the league’s best forwards in the faceoff circle, and when the Rangers weren’t controlling the puck.
1 - Artemi Panarin
Few were better than Artemi Panarin this past season, and he put up a legendary 120 points and 49 goals in the regular season, setting the stage for a fifth-place finish for the Hart Trophy. With an increased sense of urgency to make a deep playoff run brewing in New York, we can honestly ask the question of what will Panarin’s 2024-25 campaign look like?
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(Statistics powered by Hockey-Reference)