With the announcement that Igor Shesterkin will be the New York Rangers’ representative at the 2024 NHL All-Star Game, it is now up to the fans to vote on which other Rangers they would want to join him for All-Star Weekend. With Artemi Panarin unable to go due to him and his wife expecting their second child around the time of All-Star Weekend, fans will have to choose from several other Rangers who are having great seasons. These are the three most likely players who will get votes from the fans and who have the best chance of making it into the All-Star Game.
Mika Zibanejad
After having a slow start to the season, Mika Zibanejad has turned his season around coming off the Thanksgiving break. Before the Nov. 24 game against the Philadelphia Flyers, he had only scored two goals and had 11 points. After this game, he has heated up and has scored 10 goals and has 25 points in 19 games for a season total of 14 goals and 38 points in 37 games played. While his goal-scoring numbers could be higher, he is still over a point per game and is truly the team’s best overall center.
Zibanejad is also a fan favorite in New York and will likely get the majority of votes from Ranger fans. His strong play will only help his chances of getting votes, and he may get votes from fans of other teams as well because you are allowed to vote for eight other skaters and four goalies. He was also supposed to go to the All-Star Game a few times in the past but had other obligations. This may be the year that Zibanejad finally gets to an All-Star Game.
Alexis Lafreniere
One player who has a breakout year for the Rangers is Alexis Lafreniere. After years of waiting, he is finally getting consistent top-six minutes and is playing with an elite player in Panarin. Their line with Vincent Trocheck has been the Rangers’ best line for the majority of the season. Lafreniere has silenced many of his doubters this season, putting up 10 goals and 23 points in 37 games. While he has had stretches of games where he hasn’t put up points, he has still been one of the more consistent players on the team this season.
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Since he is having such a great season, Rangers fans want to see him play during All-Star Weekend. If he were to get voted in, he would be one of the youngest players there at just 22 years old. It would be a great opportunity for him and would give him more confidence because it shows that the fans appreciate what he has done for the team this season. If he can continue to play well up until voting ends, he has a very good chance of making it into the All-Star Game.
Vincent Trocheck
One player who is having an underrated season for the Rangers is Vincent Trocheck. After Filip Chytil went down with an injury, Trocheck stepped up and played extremely well, centering the second line with Panarin and Lafreniere on the wings. He has scored nine goals and 36 points in 37 games played. He is the team’s third-leading scorer in terms of points and fifth in terms of goal scoring. This is coming off a great first season with the Rangers last year, where he scored 22 goals and 64 points in 82 games. He is becoming a fan favorite in New York, and his play is a big factor as to why.
His play this season should get him plenty of votes among Ranger fans. His play away from the puck has also been great this season. He has won 62.3 percent of his faceoffs this season, which puts him fourth in the entire NHL in that category. He is also a pest to play against, and that kind of playing style always sits well with the fans of the team he plays for. Trocheck is very much deserving of getting votes from Ranger fans to attend his first All-Star Game.
While you can choose up to eight skaters to vote for, these three players should be on every Rangers fan’s ballot. They have been playing consistently all season long and have been the top producers for this team. While you should also vote for other Rangers to make the All-Star Game, these three players should be at the top of that list.
