The New York Rangers did not make any big changes to their team this offseason, so they will be relying on many of the same players that helped them win the Presidents’ Trophy last season. They had excellent goaltending and special teams units in 2023-24 and both will be key to having success again this season.
The Rangers’ Goaltending
Igor Shesterkin made his debut with the Rangers in 2019-20 and he has been one of the best goalies in the NHL since then. He won the Vezina Trophy in 2021-22, finishing with a 36-13-4 record, a .935 save percentage (SV%), and a 2.07 goals-against average (GAA).
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Despite his incredible track record, Shesterkin went through a couple of rough stretches in the first half of the 2023-24 season. However, he bounced back and was excellent in the second half and ended up with a 36-17-2 record, a .912 SV%, and a 2.58 GAA. Even when he struggled, he came up with key saves on the penalty kill and late in close games. In the postseason, he was fantastic, keeping the team in games when they were badly outplayed and finishing with a 10-6 record with a .926 SV%, and a 2.34 GAA.
When Shesterkin struggled, the Rangers got quality play from veteran backup goalie Jonathan Quick. He had a seven-game winning streak which started in November and ended in December. One of those wins was a 32-save shutout in a 1-0 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Nov. 22. He gave them a chance to win his starts and avoided letting in soft goals. He finished with an 18-6-2 record, a .911 SV%, and a 2.62 GAA.
The Rangers should count on Shesterkin to make the difference in close games, and he also seems to play his best in big moments including in the playoffs. Last season a couple of rough weeks skewed his stats and the hope is he can avoid any extended slumps this season. At his best, his positioning, ability to read plays, and quickness make him one of the best goalies in the NHL. In his first five seasons with the Rangers, he has consistently kept them in games when they are outplayed and he has stolen a lot of victories.
At 38 years old, there is no guarantee that Quick will play as well as he did last season but the hope is he will give them steady play. Like Shesterkin, he made timely saves in close games and it will be important for him to continue to do so this season.
The Rangers’ Special Teams
In 2023-24, the Rangers scored on 26.4 percent of their power plays, which was third-best in the NHL, and they also scored on 24 percent of their chances on the man advantage in the postseason.
The Rangers relied heavily on their first power-play unit which included Vincent Trocheck, Mika Zibanejad, Adam Fox, Artemi Panarin, and Chris Kreider. The unit will likely remain the same this season. Trocheck was great on faceoffs, Panarin and Fox are two of the NHL’s best playmakers from the point, and Zibanejad has a heavy slap shot. Kreider sets up in front of the net and his strength makes it difficult for opponents to clear the crease. He scores lots of goals on deflections and rebounds.
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Last season, the Rangers rarely used their second power play unit but the emergence of Alexis Lafreniere and the return of Filip Chytil should help the team. Additionally, they have a young skilled blueliner in 23-year-old Zac Jones, who can play the point. They also have a few big, strong forwards in Will Cuylle, Adam Edstrom, and Matt Rempe who can go to the front of the net to create screens and score on deflections or rebounds.
The Rangers were also third in the NHL on the penalty kill at 84.5 percent last regular season and they killed 84.2 percent of penalties in the playoffs. A large part of that success was their stellar goaltending and Trocheck made a big difference by winning key faceoffs. Their defensemen were rarely caught out of position and their forwards made it difficult for opponents to carry the puck into the offensive zone. Kreider and Zibanejad used their speed to create shorthanded scoring chances.
Barclay Goodrow, one of the Rangers’ reliable penalty-killers last season, is now with the San Jose Sharks but they have options to replace him including newly-signed Sam Carrick and Edstrom. With Jimmy Vesey and Ryan Lindgren hurt right now, new players will get ice time while shorthanded, but the team still has all of the tools to be successful on the penalty kill this season.
For the Rangers Moving Forward
The Rangers are looking to pick up where they left off in the regular season after finishing 55-23-4 in 2023-24. They still have the same goaltending tandem and core group of players. They were not a dominant team at even strength but excellent special teams and goaltending made them a great team. With a similar group of players, they should be able to continue to rely on Shesterkin, Quick, and special teams once again this season.
