Hockey season is officially back (well, almost)! Just one week from today, the New York Rangers will play their first preseason game against the Boston Bruins.
The Blueshirts, coming off a historic regular season in which they won the Presidents Trophy, had a rather disappointing end to the 2023-24 campaign. Their run came to an end in 6 games against the soon-to-be champion Florida Panthers.
Now, it is officially on to 2024-25. Let’s preview the Blueshirts upcoming season.
Offseason
This offseason was supposed to be one where many fans thought that there would be major changes. Perhaps, a trade involving a major core piece. That did not happen. Back in late June, it was rumored that GM Chris Drury had a deal in place to send Captain Jacob Trouba to the Detroit Red Wings. But Trouba, the Michigan native, wanted no part of a trade. Many have speculated that the Wings were on his No Trade List, and the trade being put to a halt confirms that.
Trouba is getting paid a lot of money. His cap hit is 8 million dollars. In the playoffs, he was criticized for many mistakes that he made on the defensive side of the puck. Moving him and his salary would have gone a long way to making improvements to the team.
Instead, Drury had to shift to minor moves, the biggest one being acquiring right wing Reilly Smith from the Pittsburgh Penguins. Smith, 33, is a decent two way forward with some upside. He can kill penalties, shoot the puck, and is an effective playmaker. But is he enough to move the needle on a first line that consists of Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider, who have struggled at even strength over the last few seasons? That is yet to be determined.
In addition, the Rangers signed fourth liner Sam Carrick to a 3 year deal worth 1 million dollars per season. Carrick was on the Ducks for the majority of last season and was then traded to the Oilers at the deadline. His spot on the roster is not guaranteed, however. Can we see a surprise out of training camp that pushes him to the bench?
In addition, the Rangers took care of business with some of their restricted free agents. They signed Kaapo Kakko to a one year deal worth 2.4 million. Like Trouba, there was speculation that he can be on the move, but that does not appear to be the case. If he has another disappointing season, he could be potentially looking elsewhere this time next year.
Braden Schneider was also signed a few months back. He signed a 2 year deal worth 2.2 million dollars per season. Schneider has shown big improvements the last few years and the Rangers hope he becomes a key piece to the blueline in the future.
Ryan Lindgren has caused many disagreements amongst the fanbase. Many of the fans marvel him for his toughness and dedication to risk injury to block shots and be in the right place at all times. However, another part of the fanbase does not agree. They think that he is too injury prone to be getting paid big dollars. The Rangers did settle with him, after an arbitration period. Lindgren signed a one year deal worth 4.5 million dollars for this season. Interestingly enough, Lindgren will be 27 by this time next year, making him a UFA. Does Drury have plans to sign him, or perhaps explore a trade?
Training Camp Keys
Will we see similar lines to the ones we saw on Opening Night in 2023? Chances are the answer is yes. However, it is important to note that a handful of players may not be guaranteed a spot on the four lines.
As stated earlier, Sam Carrick is the favorite to be the 4th line center. But Adam Edstrom has shown in the rookie showcase that he could fill that role. He has 3 goals in his first 2 games. Also, Matt Rempe, a fan favorite, has a chance to at least be the 13th forward on Opening Night.
It is also worth noting that Jimmy Vesey and Kaapo Kakko are not guaranteed to be in the lineup next season. Brennan Othmann (pictured above) and Brett Berard appear to be making strong cases to make the team. But how will they fare in training camp and preseason? Othmann has a very good shot, and being a lefty can help his case, especially if he can win a top 9 role. Same goes for Berard, although he is probably more likely to slot on the fourth line with the emergence of Will Cuylle.
Zac Jones will probably be on the third pair come October with the departure of Eric Gustafsson, but can there be surprises? We shall see…
Projected Lines
If I had to make predictions for what the lines would look line on opening night, it should look something like this:
Kreider-Zibanejad-Smith
Panarin-Trocheck-Lafreniere
Cuylle-Chytil-Kakko
Vesey-Carrick-Rempe/Edstrom
Lindgren-Fox
Miller-Schneider
Jones-Trouba
Shesterkin-Quick
A lot can change in three weeks, but this is my best guess so far. It is totally possible that Carrick can be out of the lineup and Edstrom can play center with Rempe at the wing, or vice versa. It is also important to note that Vesey can find his way out if someone like Othmann or Berard impress. I wouldn’t bet on it, but I wouldn’t rule it out.
Prediction
If all goes well for the Rangers, they are expected to once again be in the hunt for a Stanley Cup. They should be in the running to win the Metropolitan Division again too. To win the Presidents Trophy, however, they will probably need some things to go their way. It is very hard to replicate back to back amazing seasons. But crazier things have happened.
So what do you think? How far will the Blueshirts go in 2024-25? Is this team good enough to win a Stanley Cup? We will find out in the coming weeks and months…
BS Reports 
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