We're in September, and the New York Rangers will play hockey this month. We're edging ever closer to the start of the 2024-25 campaign, and people are talking about the new season. Coming off a President's Trophy-winning season and a year that the New York Rangers set a new franchise record in points in a single season, we now get to turn our attention to the new year. Whether the Blueshirts can do it again is a question, but is it fair to expect them to be a force in the league again?
I've been very candid with my thoughts on the Rangers. There is going to be regression. Artemi Panarin will not have another year knocking on the door of 50 goals, Vincent Trocheck will likely step back, and other teams will be more competitive. So, what are the realistic expectations for the Rangers in the season ahead? Is another President's Trophy the expectation now?
The Rangers must do certain things this season, or people will lose their jobs. Making the playoffs is non-negotiable. Missing the playoffs would mean a new head coach, general manager, and sweeping roster changes again. The Rangers must be competitive and able to compete for the holy grail of the hockey world. Even if they're not playing at home in the early rounds, making the playoffs is more important.
The Rangers should be in the division spots too. This is not as vital as making the playoffs, but an expectation. If the Rangers have a 100-point season and end up in the first wild card, that's much more stomachable than scraping into a wild card spot to be demolished by the winner of the East. The Rangers should be finishing in the top 3 in a typical year, probably top two, fighting for the division title.
Is it fair to expect the Rangers to win the Stanley Cup this year? That is the million-dollar question.
It is unfair to expect your team to win. We'd all like to see the Rangers win the Stanley Cup, but that is not a fair expectation due to how grueling the road is. Some of the best teams fail to make it out of round one. To win four rounds is the most challenging task in all professional sports. Can the Rangers do it? Definitely, but that doesn't mean anything short of that is unacceptable. Later rounds also highly depend on things outside the organization's and players' control. Get to the third round and be competitive; no one can complain.
Is a Rangers' second-place finish in the Metropolitan and third-round appearance an on-par season? I'd say so, but there will always be those who believe that any year the Rangers do not bring the cup home to Broadway is a failure. Bringing the fifth banner home shuts everyone up. Regardless of whether you think the Rangers should be winning the cup or not, they should certainly be one of the teams in the conversation come June.