As of this writing, the New York Rangers are currently fifth in the NHL with a 26-11-2 record. While it may look like the team is performing well, they have been struggling more as of late. They are 8-7-1 since the start of December and the start of 2024 has not been good as they have lost three of the four games in the new calendar year and during these games, have not been playing with the same structure they were earlier in the season. Adding this on top of missing key players due to injury, the Rangers have areas of concern they need to address sooner rather than later if they want to keep up with the rest of the league’s top teams.
1: Rangers Need To Add More Scoring Depth
The Rangers are truly lacking scoring from their bottom six. Blake Wheeler, who has been mostly playing on the top-line right-wing, only has five goals this season. Players such Barclay Goodrow, Nick Bonino and Tyler Pitlick have combined for three goals, one goal per player this season. The only two bottom six-forwards who have more than five goals are Jimmy Vesey with eight and Will Cuylle with seven. This is not a recipe for success going forward into the playoffs. The Rangers simply need to get more scoring from the bottom half of their lineup.
The injuries to Kaapo Kakko and Filip Chytil have had a bigger impact as the season has gone along. Even though Kakko only scored two goals this, he brings more to the lineup than a player such as Goodrow or Pitlick. The Rangers are close to getting Kakko back in the lineup as he has recently begun to fully practice with the team. As for Chytil, time will tell if he will come back this season. If the Rangers want to become a better overall team, they need to trade for better depth scoring options because they can’t go into the playoffs with players who have combined for three goals in 39 games played.
2: Rangers Need A Legitimate Top-Line Right Winger
While Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider are having good seasons, they have been inconsistent. It doesn’t help that whichever player is put on their line isn’t playing well either. Kakko was put there at the start of the season and while the line was good, they were not generating enough scoring opportunities. Wheeler has been the mainstay on that line since the injury to Kakko and he has been even worse than Kakko was. His speed has been a major issue and most games, he is a non-factor. If the Rangers want Zibanejad and Kreider to excel more consistently, they need to find a player to play on the line with them who is a legitimate top-line talent.
Related: Rangers Need Influx Of Youth and Speed
This means they need to look at the trade market to see who is available and can fit that role. Two familiar names are the Anaheim Ducks’ Frank Vatrano and the Ottawa Senators’ Vladimir Tarasenko. Both have experience playing with Zibanejad and Kreider, and both played well during their short tenures with the Rangers. Further, both are on bottom-four teams in the league and both will likely be moved by the Mar. 8 Trade Deadline. If the Rangers want to look in another direction, the Calgary Flames’ Elias Lindholm could be an option. He usually plays center, but can also play on the right wing if needed.
3: Rangers Must Fix Their Defensive Structure
Up until December, the Rangers had been playing a great defensive game. They were able to shut teams down in the neutral zone and dealt well for the most part with opponents when they did get into the offensive zone. Now, it seems like they don’t know how to defend. They have gotten away from the 1-3-1 system that worked great for them and now are allowing the opposition into the zone too easily and having a hard time dealing with other teams’ forechecks. The Rangers need to get back to playing a more defensive game if they want to maintain their position as the top team in the Metropolitan Division.
The Rangers were able to bank many of their points early on in the season and that has allowed them to stay near the top of the league even though they have struggled over the past month and a half. If the Rangers want to be more consistent, they need to address these issues sooner than later. If they can, they can remain one of the top teams in the league for the rest of the season.
