Whenever an NHL season gets close to beginning, fans of every team always have questions about certain players going into the season. For the New York Rangers, they are no different as there are plenty of questions surrounding the team as the start of the 2024-25 season gets closer. In this piece, we are going to look at three different players, the questions surrounding them and how they need to be answered this season.
Can Zac Jones Thrive in a Full-Time Role?
This season will be Zac Jones’ fifth as part of the Rangers organization and so far, he has not been given a true opportunity to play consistently in the NHL. Last season was the most games he had played in a season, with 31. He would only come into the lineup when injuries occurred, so most of his time was spent in the press box. Now, he did show flashes of playing well, especially when he got to play when Jacob Trouba went down with an injury in March. He showed promise and now, this season might be the chance to get a permanent spot as one of the Rangers’ top six defensemen.
With the departure of Erik Gustafsson and the Rangers not signing another left-shot defenseman with NHL experience, Jones is in the driver’s seat and will get the first chance to earn a spot on the third defensive pair. He will likely start the season with Trouba and now, the question is, can he make the most of this opportunity? The Rangers don’t have much defensive depth after Jones so if he can’t make it work, the team is in trouble. He is a more offensive-minded defenseman, so pairing him with Trouba seems like a good move to start. If he can play well defensively, but also put up some good offensive numbers, this season will be seen as a success.
Can Mika Zibanejad Bounce Back After a Lackluster Season?
One of the most disappointing players on the Rangers last season was Mika Zibanejad. After having a 39-goal, 91-point season in the 2022-23 season, he followed it up with just 26 goals and 72 points. What was even more shocking was that he scored just 12 goals at even strength and had a 31-game drought where he didn’t score an even-strength goal. He then followed it up with just three goals in the playoffs, including not scoring a goal in the team’s final 10 games. This is unacceptable from a player making $8.5 million for the next five seasons. The Rangers need him to be better this season.
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The Rangers need Zibanejad to score more goals at even strength. They can’t afford to have him go on long goalless droughts if they want to be a dominant team and be contenders for the Stanley Cup. They need the player who scored 41 goals during the 2019-20 season in just 57 games played. He needs to assert himself more and become a dangerous offensive player once again if the Rangers want to get over the hump this season. If he can’t, questions about his future with Rangers will surely arise next offseason.
Can Alexis Lafreniere Build Off His Breakout Season?
Last season was finally the breakout year for Alexis Lafreniere that fans have been waiting for. He scored 28 goals and 57 points in 82 games played and followed it up with six goals and 14 points in 16 playoff games. He proved that he could be a star player when given consistent top-six playing time and now, he needs to prove it wasn’t a one-season wonder. Lafreniere is entering a contract season so if he wants to earn himself a long-term, lucrative deal, he needs to build off what he did last season and show that he can be even better than that. He did what he did last season all without getting any time on the Rangers’ number one power-play unit. Will we see him finally get that chance this season?
He will likely start on a line with Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck, and if they can find that same chemistry they had last season, they will once again be one of the most dangerous lines in the entire NHL. Lafreniere proved that he can be relied on to play with star players and to be a consistent offensive threat. Now, he has the chance to show why he’s the next big star for the Rangers and if he can have an even better season than last, the future of the Rangers looks bright.
While these aren’t all the questions surrounding the Rangers, these are three of the biggest because they involve three players with something to prove this season. They have chips on their shoulders and need to prove their doubters wrong. If they can have a positive impact on the Rangers this season, it will only benefit them as they look to end their 31-year Stanley Cup drought.
