Five off-season highlights for New York Rangers fans
Priorities after elimination from the Eastern Final include securing Shesterkin and new positions for Lafreniere and Trouba.
2. Zibanejad and Kreider need a right wing.
Finding a right wing that complements Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider, who have been a line together for years, has to be the Rangers’ top focus this summer if they intend to keep them together.
In the three seasons since Pavel Buchnevich was traded to the St. Louis Blues, that line has seen a lot of turnover in terms of players, and this season it reached a breaking point because the Rangers never really had two complete top lines, even though Vincent Trocheck, Artemi Panarin, and Alexandre Lafrenière formed a fantastic second line that produced like a top line.
Since Kreider and Zibanejad are both shooters, Zibanejad claimed that a player who is more of a passer has previously performed well with them. Prior to his trade on February 23, 2019, Mats Zuccarello may have been the best fit in that mold.
This summer, the hunt for the ideal fit will go on. There must be a fix.
3. What lies next for Kakko
Despite being the No. 2 choice in the 2019 NHL Draft, Kaapo Kakko is a restricted free agent and might be transferred by the Rangers in an attempt to change things up. He just finished a two-year, $4.2 million ($2.1 million AAV) contract, and his second season was less successful than his first.
Kakko only managed two points (one goal, one assist) in 15 postseason games, compared to his 19 points (13 goals, six assists) in 61 games regular season. In the conference final, he was a healthy scratch for Game 4 against the Panthers. In 82 games played last season, he recorded 40 points (18 goals, 22 assists).
Laviolette remarked, “I need to find a better way to involve him.” “I believe that there is accountability for the contributions he makes to the game and the table. It’s a new year next year. He certainly has the potential to be a top-six forward, in my opinion.”
However, Kakko was given the chance to be that this season. He was placed in a line with Kreider and Zibanejad, but they were unable to produce together.
He expressed his desire to stay and work things out, but it’s not certain if he will have the opportunity.
4. Potential new positions for Trouba and Lafreniere
Lafreniere settled in as a top-six right wing, and it will only be due to unanticipated circumstances if he doesn’t open the next season on a line with Trocheck and Panarin.
Including the playoffs, that was the Rangers’ best line all season, and Lafreniere had a huge breakthrough playing on it. With 28 goals, 29 assists, and 59 points in 82 regular-season games, he set all-time NHL records. In 16 playoff games, he added eight goals, six assists, and 14 points.
Trocheck remarked, “I think he’s a superstar in the making.”
He will need to play more to get there, so figuring out how to get on the starting power-play unit might be necessary. Naturally, doing so would require disbanding a group that has been together for two years.
The top power-play group has consisted of Kreider, Zibanejad, Trocheck, Panarin, and defenseman Adam Fox. In the regular season, New York had the third-best power play (26.4%), and after dominating the first six games (40.0%) in the playoffs, it faltered in the final nine games, going only 2-for-25 overall, including 1-for-15 in six games against the Panthers.
That ought to be sufficient justification for at least considering modifications to the power play. During the regular season and playoffs, Lafreniere’s average power play ice time was 1:17 and 1:18, respectively.
Laviolette remarked, “He was an impact player for us.” Of course, when he has greater responsibilities next year, we’d like to see that increase. We anticipate him improving the following year.”
For Trouba, however, it might be the opposite. Should the Rangers determine that Braden Schneider is a better long-term fit in a second-pair role alongside K’Andre Miller, Trouba could be a $8 million third-pair defenseman next season.
Miller and Trouba spent the majority of the season together, but Schneider was moved up when Trouba vacated the starting lineup on March 9 due to a fractured ankle.
After seeing what he thought was good, Laviolette decided to start Schneider and Miller together again for the final two regular season games. That persisted until Trouba and Miller got back together in Game 6 of the second round against the Hurricanes.
However, by Game 5 of the conference final, Schneider and Miller and Trouba and Erik Gustafsson were back in the mix.
Can the Rangers afford to have a third-pair defenseman worth $8 million, even if he also serves as their captain?
Answering that question is difficult, and Drury is undoubtedly debating it.
5. Upcoming unrestricted free agents
The Rangers are holding five unrestricted free agents: defenseman Gustafsson and Chad Ruhwedel, forwards Alex Wennberg, Jack Roslovic, and Blake Wheeler. Wennberg, Roslovic, and Gustafsson have expressed their desire to rejoin, but the final say in decisions will be made based on fit and realigning the team around the main players.
Wheeler stated that he is thinking about retiring. Ruhwedel was acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 8 and became the Rangers’ ninth defenseman. His future is not a primary priority.
Ryan Lindgren, a defenseman, and Schneider are other pending restricted free agents, in addition to Kakko.
According to Lindgren, reaching a new contract arrangement with the Rangers shouldn’t present any problems. He recently signed a $9 million, three-year contract ($3 million AAV) on May 10, 2021.
Schneider does not have the right to arbitration and is nearing the end of his three-year entry-level deal. He might wind up signing a two-year bridge contract. When Kakko and Lafreniere were finishing off their three-year entry-level contracts, that’s exactly what transpired.
