It is hard to find words to describe the Rangers season. For the first time since 2021-22, they will not be participants in the Stanley Cup playoffs, as they fell 7-3 to the Carolina Hurricanes Saturday afternoon, putting an end to a miserable season.
Troubled Offseason
Don’t be fooled just by what happened from October-April. This all circulated back in June with the handling of the Jacob Trouba situation. It was rumored that the Blueshirts were nearing a deal to send the Michigan native to his hometown Red Wings. However, Detroit was on his 16 team No Trade Clause, thus blocking the trade. Instead, he was dealt to the Anaheim Ducks in December. Trading your captain in the middle of the regular season isn’t something that will bode well in any locker room, but particularly this group of players. There is a clear disconnect between the players and management.
Shortly after, when free agency opened, GM Chris Drury signed Sam Carrick to a three year deal worth about 1 million a year. He was very solid this season, but him being one of the first three free agents off the board certainly raised eyebrows. And to top it off, Drury traded a second and fifth round pick to the Pittsburgh Penguins for former Stanley Cup champion Reilly Smith. After coming short of the Stanley Cup last season, fans wanted more to be done, and rightfully so.
Regular Season
The Rangers actually got off to a very good start to the season, making the end result more and more puzzling. They started off 12-4-1, and sat at the near of the metropolitan division. The downfall began in mid-November, when they went on a 5 game losing streak, all in regulation. In fact, they never had a three game winning streak since November 14th-19th. The NFL season was in its middle stages…
It wouldn’t get much better from there. The Rangers won a total of three games in the month of December. And now, they were in a spot where they found themselves below the playoff line. For the rest of the season, they never found their groove again. Inconsistency was one of the main factors why. Every win would be followed up by two losses, and every two wins would be followed by a resulting loss. Not a good recipe for success at all.
In Season Trades
Shortly after Trouba was dealt, former number 2 overall draft pick Kaapo Kakko was traded to the Seattle Kraken for defenseman Will Borgen and draft picks. Borgen didn’t start off too shabby, but instead of potentially giving his playing time to a younger player or perhaps even flipping him at the trade deadline, he was given a five year, 20.5 million dollar contract extension. His play regressed as the season went on.
The deadline was an interesting one for the Rangers. Ryan Lindgren and Jimmy Vesey were traded to the Colorado Avalanche for Jusso Parssinen, Calvin de Haan, and draft picks. Lindgren had a few good years with the Rangers but it was clear that it was time. His play regressed the last two seasons and as a pending UFA, best to get something in return.
The “big splash” was acquiring former Ranger J.T Miller from the Vancouver Canucks. The Rangers sent a first round pick, along with Filip Chytil and Victor Mancini to the Canucks. A near point per game player, Miller was supposed to be the jolt the Blueshirts needed to get back into the playoffs. He is good friends with Vincent Trocheck as well.
Player Regression
Almost every player on the team has regressed from last season. There is not a chance that everyone coincidentally had career years and just fell off at the same time.
Chris Kreider, former 50 goal scorer in 2021-22, had over 70 points last season. This season, not even 30. His 5 assists in 68 games is almost unheard of. His buddy Mika Zibanejad has been way better playing on the wing with J.T Miller, but he showed signs of regression last season and followed it up with even more. A once solid two way center has turned into a 60-65 point player at best.
Alexis Lafreniere and Vincent Trocheck both set career highs in points last season, and both have taken a step back from their totals. Linemate Artemi Panarin has been good, as he is expected to surpass the 90 point mark yet again. But at 120 points last season, a near 30 point fall off is eye opening. However, Panarin is one of the best players in the league, and a lot of the points regression for everyone is mainly because of a power play that has been figured out by 31 other teams.
For the last three seasons leading up to this one, the Blueshirts power play was ranked near the top of the league. This season, 27th. We’re talking at least 10-15 points added on to some of these players if the power play was league average. Not even asking for top 5, a 21-22% power play could have added four or five wins to the season and we wouldn’t be in this position right now.
Igor Shesterkin is one of the best goalies in the league. But there’s no denying that this was a down year. He had career lows in pretty much every category. On the other hand, the defense in front of him was one of the worst in allowing high danger chances. Him being top 5 in goals saved above expected just shows that he bailed out the team more often than you think this season. The numbers may not be Vezina level, but this team would have been much worse without Igor.
Speaking of which, contract negotiations were a little worrisome at first, as he rejected an eight year, 10.5 million dollar extension. Shesterkin and Drury would later reach an agreement at 11.5 million, locking him up for 8 more years starting in 2025-26. He is now the highest paid goalie in NHL history. It’s little things like this that could have an effect on the players in the locker room, but we will never know for sure.
Coaching/Roster Decisions
Peter Laviolette is not immune to criticism. Last season, he pushed all the right buttons, leading the team to the President’s Trophy. However, it all unraveled, even getting to a point where just a few days ago, after a 5-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning, Laviolette told the media that he has no answers, and he does not go into the locker room after any games. This set fans into a frenzy, questioning his ability to coach.
In the beginning and middle parts of the season, he would keep certain pairs together that just weren’t working. For example, Lindgren-Fox, Miller-Trouba, Kreider and Zibanejad, etc. Over the last few months, we have seen some adjustments, but it just has not worked out all season. The Rangers number one prospect Gabriel Perreault has been healthy scratched after just three games in the NHL. in addition, highly regarded Brennan Othmann has also missed the last two games, and when he did play, his playing time suffered. Albeit, his numbers weren’t eye-popping, but still, it is beneficial to give young players playing time, that is how they grow.
So what do you think was the biggest reason for the Rangers disappointing 2025-25 season? It is apparent that many moves need to be made. It is almost certain that Peter Laviolette will be fired at the season’s end. Chris Drury will likely get another crack at it, but how long is his leash? We will have a lot of answers in the next few weeks and months.
The fans deserved better this season…
BS Reports 
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