The New York Rangers made a variety of moves this offseason to ensure that they not only had a replenished prospect pool, but also to contend for the playoffs the upcoming season. On paper, the Rangers roster looked much improved, but fans were unsure if they were enough to show they were better than last year's squad that finished in last place in the Eastern Conference.
Here we are nine games into the season, and the Rangers hold a 6-3-0 record for second place in the Metropolitan Division. This comes even with Igor Shesterkin suffering a season-ending knee injury. The defense is among the best in the league, limiting the amount of goals scored on them by the opposition.
Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the Rangers it the offense, particularly in the top six. The Rangers made a big move to acquire Pavel Dorofeyev from the Vegas Golden Knights to be their top scorer. The thing is, Dorofeyev isn't even their leading scorer. Alexis Lafreniere is leading the way with seven goals scored through the first nine games of the season. Not to mention the likes of Mika Zibanejad, Gabe Perreault, J.T. Miller, and Tye Kartye all have six points each through the first nine games.
This is certainly welcome numbers for the Rangers fanbase to see. With the top six forward group producing, it also lessens the need for making a splash signing. The good news is, there is no splash signing to be had this summer.
There won't be a top scoring forward available for Rangers next summer
Much like this past summer, next offseason won't provide many teams with top scoring forward options for interested teams. The names on the list weren't the most star-studded, but they could have provided help. Now, that list has dwindled down to virtually nothing, besides Nikita Kucherov.
Before the start of the season, the Ottawa Senators agreed to terms with winger Drake Batherson on an eight-year, $86 million contract extension. Batherson has only gotten better by the year, as he's a consistent 60-70 point scorer. Now, he's off the board.
This week, another scoring winger has taken his name out of the upcoming free agency class, and that's Alex DeBrincat with the Detroit Red Wings. After their 5-4 overtime loss to the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday, reports indicated that the Red Wings and DeBrincat agreed to terms on a seven-year, $91 million contract. It's not necessarily a shock that DeBrincat re-signed with the Red Wings, as he has openly said multiple times that he'd like to stay. So, that's another potential scoring option off the board.
Even with Kucherov not re-signing with the Lightning just yet, it would be odd if the multi-time Stanley Cup champion organization decided to let him walk. After all, he just won a Hart Trophy last season. It's truly difficult to see him as a viable option in free agency.
Rangers top forwards are showing out early, and it seems like there's a bright future ahead
While last season was an abject failure by the Rangers, there were bright spots on the roster. The main one was that the Rangers top line of Lafreniere, Zibanejad, and Perreault, who outscored their opponents 14-10 at the end of the season. The hope was that the trio would continue to show off their built chemistry and play at a high level to start the season.
Even though they are split up, with Lafreniere on the second line with Miller and Kartye, everyone is contributing. Lafreniere finally looks like the star he was expected to be as the 2020 first-overall pick, with seven goals and four assists to his credit through nine games. Perreault has taken a leap forward in his development, recording three goals and three assists this early into the season.
Miller has also been a surprise for the Rangers. His first full year as Rangers captain did not go as planned, as he dealt with multiple injuries and failed to be as productive as he was in recent years. But so far, he has one goal and five assists thus far as the center of the second line. Seeing him setting up his linemates has been a promising development this early into the season, as fans hope he can keep it up.
There are obviously hopes that Dorofeyev can turn things around. Through the first nine games, he only has two goals to his credit. There isn't necessarily a sense of panic, given how early it is in the season. However, considering they gave up two first-round picks (2026 and 2028) and signed him to a seven-year, $77 million contract, he needs to start breaking out sooner rather than later. Given his track record, he should be able to stack up some goals.
Yes, it might be early, but it's difficult to not be optimistic about the production of the Rangers' top six, especially with the free agency market next summer looking weaker. The Rangers may not need to make another big splash for a scoring forward after all.
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