Almost every NHL team has issues to address before gearing up for a run at the Stanley Cup – and the New York Rangers are no different. But so far for the Original Six franchise, it’s been a solid start.
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The 8-2-1 record to start the season puts them fourth in the Metropolitan Division and nineth in the league overall. While nothing has been too concerning, as of yet, that would put them at risk of missing the playoffs; some flaws and uncertainties must be cleared up. Here are a few things the Rangers must address to maximize their chance of hoisting Lord Stanley for the first time since 1994.
The Fourth Line
This one may seem like a small issue – but the Rangers need every advantage they can get – in this case with matchups. For much of the season, the fourth line has consisted of Sam Carrick, Adam Edstrom, and Jonny Brodzinski. To start the season, the trio has done just about all you can ask from a fourth line, as all of them have posted expected goals for shares above 56 percent, according to Natural Stat Trick. Most notably, Carrick is standing out with his 60.42 percent rate.
That said, Jimmy Vesey is back on the fourth line after coming back from an injury. While the former Hobey Baker Award winner has given the Rangers supreme value in the bottom six with his sub-$1 million cap hit in the past, there’s the chance the fourth line may not be as effective in the rotation. If that’s the case, will the Rangers stick with Vesey? Would they scratch him in favor of either Edstrom or Brodzinski? Or will they call up fan-favorite Matt Rempe when things go wrong?
It might seem like a small issue now, but head coach Peter Laviolette will need to find the answer that’s in the team’s best interest.
Getting Mika Going Five-on-Five
Some might be inclined to think that Mika Zibanejad is what he is – and that’s a player who can put up points with the man advantage. The Swede, with his elite shooting ability, takes power plays to another level. After all, of his 72 points last season, 43 percent of them came on the man advantage.
#NYR warmup rushes for this afternoon's game vs. #Isles at MSG is the same we saw at yesterday's practice:
— Vince Z. Mercogliano (@vzmercogliano) November 3, 2024
Panarin – Zib – Laf
Cuylle – Trocheck – Smith
Kreider – Chytil – Kakko
Edström – Carrick – Vesey
Lindgren – Fox
Miller – Trouba
Jones – Schneider
Igor
Quick
We know what he can do on special teams – but the Rangers need more from the 31-year-old at even strength. Perhaps to try and spark things for Zibanejad, Laviolette has shaken up the lines. The Swede is now centering Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere. While the change looked like it might have worked with Zibanejad’s three assists on Sunday (Nov. 3) – none of them came at even strength. This season, Zibanejad ranks third worst among Rangers forwards in xGF. That needs to get better.
The Defensive Pairs
The biggest issue the Blueshirts are facing right now is what to do with the defensive pairings. Up until recently, Ryan Lindgren was out due to a broken jaw. In his absence, for the most part, Miller was paired with Fox (Lindgren’s past partner), Braden Schneider was with Jacob Trouba, and Zac Jones was next to Victor Mancini.
However, with the shakeup, the Rangers are running it back with Lindgren-Fox, and Miller-Trouba. Jones and Mancini have been rotating in and out of the lineup next to Schneider, as of late. But there are two issues with the changes. For one, the Miller-Fox duo has been the Rangers’ best pairing this season – at least according to Natural Stat Trick. In 143 minutes together, the two have posted an xGF rate of 66.80 percent. Lindgren, meanwhile, is continuing his struggles from 2023-24. He and Fox together in 34 minutes have posted an xGF rate of 40.47 percent so far.
But it’s not only the top pair. We’ve argued that Jones needs to be in the lineup regularly due to his puck-moving ability. But Mancini has been impressive at times this season too. So perhaps the move is finding a trade partner for Lindgren, who is slated to become an unrestricted free agent in July.
While the Rangers certainly have things they need to figure out – there’s still plenty of time. And this won’t be the last time the coaching staff toys with new line combinations. However, the clock is ticking. The Rangers must sort everything out come playoff time to maximize their opportunity at Lord Stanley.
