Which New York Rangers Are Core Players Moving Forward?

When the New York Rangers released their letter back in January to let fans know the team was heading into a retooling direction, they noted how they wanted to build around their core players. I wrote a piece a few days after the letter went out, going over who exactly could be considered part of the Rangers’ core. With the season now over, it is a good time to see what has changed in the past few months. Has anyone played themselves into being a part of the core, and who are the players that should be moved on from?

Rangers Need to Build Around Igor Shesterkin and Adam Fox

In my original piece, the two players who were locks to be part of this core were Igor Shesterkin and Adam Fox. At the time the letter went out, both of these players were out with long-term injuries, and their absence from the lineup was a major reason why the Rangers fell down the standings as quickly as they did. It became very clear how important those two players are to this organization, and if they want to get back to being contenders quickly, they need to keep them around. Having an elite goalie and a number one defenseman are crucial elements in building a Stanley Cup contender, and right now, the Rangers are lucky to have both.

With Fox, there was some uncertainty on how committed he was to the Rangers going forward, as some of his comments left fans thinking he may want out if the team’s direction wasn’t to his liking. However, with how the team played down the stretch, it’s safe to say the future may not be as dark as some thought it could be months ago. Unless Fox asks for a trade out of New York, the Rangers need to keep him around, and having him along with Shesterkin as two of your core players is a great start for any team.

Has Anyone Played Their Way Into Being Core Players?

With Fox and Shesterkin being the only players who should be definite core players to build around, the next question is, did anyone play their way into becoming core players as the season came to an end? There are three names that stand out as players who had good seasons despite all the negatives to come out of this year. Two of them will likely be part of the core going forward, while one might still have to prove if he can be a core player despite a good season. These three players are Mika Zibanejad, Gabe Perreault, and Alexis Lafreniere.

The two who are the most likely locks to be core players are Zibanejad and Perreault. Zibanejad had a major bounce-back season and was the most consistent player on the team all season long. He finished the season scoring 34 goals and recording 78 points in 81 games played. That’s 21 more points and 10 more goals than his next closest teammate. He is a veteran leader who’s spent 10 seasons in New York and has been through many ups and downs. With Perreault, he is one of the only young pieces the Rangers have that they can build their future around, and he showed some promise this season. He scored 12 goals and recorded 27 points in 49 games played.

When it comes to Lafreniere, the question is, where was this kind of play earlier in the season? Once Artemi Panarin was traded, it seemed like a switch flipped, and he became more dominant and was a true play driver on his line with Zibanejad and Perreault. He finished with 24 goals and 57 points, which matches his career high in points from the 2023-24 season. While it was good to see him have a good end to the season, he needs to prove that he can play this way when the games matter more. This is why he isn’t a lock to be a core player on this team going forward.

Who Should The Rangers Move on From?

While there were some players who had good seasons, others didn’t step up as they should have, and these players should not be considered part of the core moving forward. One name who is going to be here even though he shouldn’t is captain J.T. Miller. His season was plagued by injuries, and despite fans wanting him gone, he has a full no-move clause in his contract, so it would be up to him if he wanted to go, and all signs point to him wanting to stick around and help be part of the solution. There are two names who should be traded this offseason that could’ve been at the trade deadline, but were not. These two players are Vincent Trocheck and Braden Schneider.

Trocheck was the most talked-about name around the deadline, and the Rangers even held him out of the lineup the night before in case a trade was made. However, no deal was made, and he stuck around for the rest of the season. With the offseason coming up and more teams looking to make moves, Trocheck is once again going to be a talked-about name, with the center market being thin in free agency. With Schneider, he has never been more than a third-pairing defenseman on this team. With him being only 24, a right-handed defenseman, and needing a new contract, this offseason feels like the best time to move on from a player who has seemed to hit a plateau in New York.

Do the Rangers have the best core players to build around? While the answer is no, they do have some players who could be a solid foundation to build upon as they look to get back to being contenders sooner rather than later. The future for this team isn’t as dark as it once was thought, and with a guaranteed top-five pick in the upcoming draft on the way, they are going to add a young player who will be part of the core going forward. The Rangers are going to be a team to watch this offseason, as it will be interesting to see who they add and who they subtract from the team.