The New York Rangers’ 2024-25 season has been a major disappointment in nearly every way. They failed to make the playoffs after winning the Presidents’ Trophy the year before. They saw several older players on long-term contracts take steps backward, as well as several younger players stagnate in their development. And there was ample drama in between, capped by the emerging situation with Calvin de Haan.
This article will look at some critical statistics from the Rangers’ 2024-25 season that encapsulate the way it has progressed.
17.7% Power Play Percentage
There were some questions about the sustainability of last season’s five-on-five success, but the power play was one facet of the Rangers’ game that was seemingly airtight. Last season, they were third in the league at 26.4%, two seasons ago they were seventh at 24.1%, and three seasons ago they were fourth at 25.2%. Coming into the season, they returned the same first power play unit that had seen so much success last season: Adam Fox, Artemi Panarin, Chris Kreider, Mika Zibanejad and Vincent Trocheck.
What makes this situation so surprising is that there were few noteworthy injuries, outside of Kreider and Fox missing about a month each with different ailments. This group has simply regressed considerably, to the point that head coach Peter Laviolette was forced to experiment with different power play units.
197 High-Danger Shots Against & 543 Medium-Danger Shots Against
The 197 high-danger shots against rank fourth worst in the league, behind only the Montreal Canadiens, San Jose Sharks and Chicago Blackhawks. The 543 medium-danger shots against rank second-worst in the league behind only the Anaheim Ducks. For context, last season the Rangers gave up 165 high-danger shots against, which was the 18th most in the league, and 478 medium-danger shots against, which was the 16th most in the league.
These are fairly rudimentary metrics that categorize shots on goal by the location they came from on the ice. A high-danger shot is essentially one in the house area, and a medium-danger shot is around the high slot and top of the circle area.
This metric indicates that the Rangers’ defense has collapsed from league average to one of the worst in the NHL. Shesterkin has actually masked some of these issues with his 19.3 goals saved above expected. Overall, these numbers indicate that the Rangers’ defense has been one of the worst in the league, as they consistently give up high-danger chances and struggle to protect the house.
132 Points in 229 Games
This statistic represents the combined point totals of Alexis Lafrenière, Chris Kreider, and Mika Zibanejad. Last season, the trio combined for 204 points in 245 games. It is virtually impossible for a team to experience this type of regression from three top-six players and remain a serious contender.
Related: Chris Kreider’s Rangers Tenure Likely Ending on a Sour Note
All of these regressions seemingly came out of nowhere. Kreider posted the second-highest point total of his career last season, notching 39 goals and 75 points. Lafrenière had a career-high 57 points last season, and given his age, all indications pointed towards his continued growth and improvement. Zibanejad had put up over 70 points in each of the last three seasons and had emerged as one of the Rangers’ most consistent scorers.
The worrying aspect is that all three players are under contract for several more seasons. Kreider is signed until 2027, Zibanejad is signed until 2030, and Lafrenière is signed until 2032. It is a challenging situation for Rangers’ general manager Chris Drury, who has to decide if he thinks the declines of each of these three players are aberrations or an accurate reflection of their play going forward.
Will These Stats Change Next Season?
If these three statistics don’t improve in the 2025-26 season, it is highly likely that the Rangers will miss the playoffs once again. The salient aspect of these statistics is that all three are vast declines from last season, a season in which the Rangers won the Presidents’ Trophy. Ultimately, the answer to this question likely depends on a lot of factors, and we will have to wait and see exactly what this team looks like next season. But if these declines hold in subsequent seasons, it is tough to imagine the Rangers having much success moving forward.
