As the first of several late summer camps get underway, the New York Rangers are looking to repeat their Eastern Conference Finals run from last season. But like any team, they have a few major questions that need to be addressed before mid-October rolls around. Some involve holes that need filling, others for players that need to step up a bit more.
Let's dive into four questions the Rangers need answered during training camp sooner rather than later.
1. Who Will Be the third RW in the Top Line?
Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider are the Rangers' top two RWs heading into camp, but the trio is a bit incomplete without a solid 3rd member. There are several candidates vying for that spot, with 3 being the most prominent- AHL star Brendan Othmann, the uniquely named Kappo Kakko, who's looking for career-high numbers this season, and newly acquired RW Reilly Smith from division rival Pittsburgh. Rangers coach Peter Laviolette has a tough decision to make, especially after using several different RW line combinations last season, none of which were super consistent.
2. Can Artemi Panarin Keep the Strong Numbers Up?
After coming up just short of the magic 50 goals in a season, even with 120 points for an otherwise career year, the pressure is on the Breadman even more. Panarin is 32 and enters his 10th season in the NHL, so the thing here is, can he record or even replicate his numbers from last season? Doing so for any player is no small feat, and yet, it just might be doable given Panarin's tendencies to deliver in big moments. He also played in all 82 regular season games last season on a premier line with fellow star RWs Vincent Trocheck and Alexis Lafreniere, a line that combined for a total of 254 points, 178 of which came on even-strength play. Point here is any potential injury, no matter how severe, could derail Panarin's chances of having another All-Star potential season.
3. Will Kaapo Kakko Step Up in His 6th Season?
After playing just 61 games last season, the 24-year-old Finn has a decent amount of stuff on his plate this season. Not only will he have to contend for a top-line RW spot, but the other thing is, can he stay healthy? Kakko's 2022/23 campaign was decent, playing in all 82 games and logging 18 goals plus 22 assists for a 40-point season. Last season saw him only grab a fraction of that, with 13 goals and six assists, well below his numbers in his previous 4-5 seasons. Like Panarin, Kakko is not the only Ranger that is under immense pressure to perform well this season.
4. Will New York Finally Straighten Out Igor Shesterkin Contract Terms?
In what has arguably been the Rangers' most discussed topic this offseason, star goaltender Igor Shesterkin's extension, the first of his career, has already caused some trouble. The 28 year old is set to become an unrestricted free agent following this season, and New York cannot lose one of its biggest players, namely the one who helped them advance through the Eastern Conference postseason gauntlet as much as they did. Shesterkin is in the last year of a 4-year $22.6 million extension that has been in place since the 2021/22 campaign. Shesterkin himself is looking for a particularly long extension that would keep him in Manhattan through 2031 or 2032. That's right, a 7-8 year deal that would see him rake in an additional $12 million over that span. It's a pretty big ask, but for someone that's Shesterkin's level, it's not the most albatross deal ever.
Other questions facing the Rangers during these camps will be how well Peter Laviolette does in his second season as Rangers bench boss, whether or not K'Andre Miller can return to being a top-five NHL defenseman, plus finding a suitable partner for LW Will Cullye on that particular side of the ice. It seems the Rangers' wings are both clipped in sizable ways!