Barclay Goodrow and trade deadline acquisitions Alex Wennberg and Jack Roslovic are out. In are Sam Carrick and Reilly Smith. The 2024-25 New York Rangers will look a lot like the 2023-24 team that won the Presidents’ Trophy. Carrick replaces Goodrow on the fourth line, while General Manager Chris Drury hopes Reilly Smith will be the two-way spark the top-six needs.
Despite the talent still on the roster, there are more question marks than ever after the Rangers’ second Eastern Conference Final exit in three seasons. Can this team and core get over the proverbial hump and win the organization’s first Stanley Cup since 1994?
The core, consisting of Mika Zibanejad, Artemi Panarin, Chris Kreider, Adam Fox, and Igor Shesterkin, has yet to achieve the ultimate goal. Consistency has eluded Panarin, Zibanejad, and Kreider over a full postseason run, while Fox played on one leg last postseason. We know how dominant Shesterkin has been, and now the Rangers need other role players to step up and help elevate that core past where they can seemingly carry them.
Head Coach Peter Laviolette will look to get something more from several candidates heading into next season. Veterans and young players alike are responsible for pushing forward, and significant improvements across the board will be needed should the Rangers hope to win an elusive Stanley Cup.
These 3 Rangers Need to Step Up
We can point to many individuals that the Rangers need more from after last season’s postseason run, but these three players, in particular, could turn the tides of the season should they play a more prominent role.
3. Zac Jones
Zac Jones showed drastic improvements from seasons prior when he played last season. So, ‘Why is he on this list?’ The answer is simply the unknown. During the 2023-24 season, Jones played in 31 games. It was the most he has played throughout his NHL career.
Since he was selected in the third round of the 2019 NHL Draft, Jones has been up and down between the Hartford Wolf Pack and the Rangers. He hasn’t had the opportunity to stick with the big club yet, but with veteran defenseman Erik Gustafsson signing with the Detroit Red Wings in free agency, the Blueshirts will turn to Jones to fill that spot.
His ability to move the puck and skate will be a welcome addition to the lineup, but playing every day over 82 games is a big ask for a 23-year-old who has yet to be an NHL regular. For the Rangers to succeed in 2024-25, they will need Jones to take that sixth spot and run with it. Consistency is paramount to solidifying the blue line.
Jones had nine points in 31 games last season, showing drastic improvements in his end while playing a more critical role when Ryan Lindgren and Jacob Trouba went down with injuries. That’s the version of Jones the Rangers need this season, with a lot of uncertainty surrounding their defensive corps should he not pan out.
2. Kaapo Kakko
There is no player on the Rangers in need of a breakout season more than Kaapo Kakko. The second overall selection in 2019, Kakko has failed to produce at the rate expected of his draft stature. He has matured into a solid defensive forward, but the Rangers need more offensive firepower from the Finnish forward.
Related Story: Rangers’ Trouba Mess Could Have Big Impact on Season
Drury signed Kakko to a one-year contract worth $2.4 million this offseason. Many thought he would be dealt, but as we creep through July, it looks like he will play meaningful minutes on Broadway again. He played in 61 games last season, missing time with an injury.
In those 61 games, Kakko managed just 19 points. In 300 NHL games, he has just 117 points and a career-high of 40 points during the 2022-23 season. That season was the only year Kakko played in all 82 games, as the pandemic and injuries have shortened most of his campaigns.
The Rangers are looking for more offense from the 23-year-old, who, despite his age, is entering his sixth NHL season. If he stays healthy and improves his production, the Rangers will be a much more dangerous threat in 2024-25. If you look at his teammate, Alexis Lafreniere, and his breakout campaign last season, you can see the impact a young forward finding their stride has on a team.
For Kakko, this could be his last season to prove to the Rangers that he can take that step. That is a lot of pressure to put on a player, but he must improve his game for the Rangers to go further.
1. Jacob Trouba
With a ‘C’ on his sweater and an $8 million cap hit come certain expectations. Those expectations have not been met since Jacob Trouba joined the Rangers in 2019. This offseason was sloppy, with news breaking that Drury was looking to trade their captain. That transaction never occurred, as a trade could not be worked out around Trouba’s 15-team no-trade list.
Due to events that unfolded at the end of June, there is a bitter feeling towards Trouba from fans, one that will inevitably carry into the season. Trouba’s job is to change those potential boos to cheers and bounce back this season.
Whether we like it or not, all signs point to Trouba being on the Rangers’ blue line again in 2024-25. It’s no secret that the defensive metrics improved drastically when he went down with an ankle injury at the trade deadline. It’s also no secret that with his cap hit, the Rangers can ill afford to have another unproductive year from their captain.
If he can turn his game around, the blue line will be deeper and more formidable. If he continues to regress, that becomes an expensive liability on the back end. If there ever was a candidate for a bounce-back season, it would be Trouba. It remains to be seen whether he is relegated to third-pair minutes next season, but regardless of the situation, the Rangers need more from Trouba, and Trouba needs to show more to the Rangers.
As our focus shifts to the 2024-25 NHL campaign, it appears that the Rangers’ philosophy of going as far as their core group will take them is the motto again. Getting improved performances from complementary pieces will undoubtedly go a long way in improving their odds. Still, Jones, Kakko, and Trouba are the players who will have many eyes focused on their play come October.
