IT’S NOT SUPPOSED TO BE EASY
IF you watched Tuesday’s 7-2 win over Montreal, you saw the Rangers display the type of depth and skill befitting of a cup contender. IF you looked closely, you also saw that it came a little too easy, leaving them vulnerable against a team like Florida that knows how to take away time and space. Last night the Panthers gave the Rangers their first wake-up call in a 3-1 win that felt like a continuation of last year’s conference finals. While it might’ve been the first wake-up call, it won’t be the last as there’s still 75 more games to be played before the playoffs begin. The hope is that the team responds to them like they did last season. Next up is the rebuilding Anaheim Ducks who surprisingly are off to a good start early in the 2024-25 season.
MANCINI AND THE YOUTH INFUSION
Victor Mancini’s rise over the last two years has been nothing short of amazing. He went undrafted at age 18 and age 19, was taken in the 5th round by the Rangers in 2022, and made the team out of camp after only playing 17 games with the Hartford Wolf Pack. The Rangers forward group may be “graying”, but on defense the Rangers have done a good job of injecting youth during this most recent run. What follows are their ages as of December 31, 2024:
- Jacob Trouba (30)
- Adam Fox (26)
- Ryan Lindgren (26)
- K’Andre Miller (24)
- Zac Jones (24)
- Braden Schneider (23)
- Victor Mancini (22)
DEFENSIVE DEPTH
Speaking of the defense, one of the issues the Rangers have had in their deep playoff runs going back to the Henrik Lundqvist era is keeping their defensive corps healthy. Whether it was the 2015 conference finals with Dan Girardi, Marc Staal and Ryan McDonagh playing with broken bones or this past season with Trouba, Fox and Lindgren all ailing, it’s important to have quality depth. That’s why we think it’s imperative that Peter Laviolette doesn’t bury Zac Jones for a second season in a row. IF everyone stays healthy, Laviolette can use him to give vets a game off to heal minor injuries, and to give Mancini a chance to catch his breath. It’ll take all 7 of these defensemen, plus some of the vets with the Hartford Wolf Pack (Chad Ruhwedel, Ben Harpur & Connor Mackey) to get through 4 rounds of the playoffs.
A SALUTE TO THE “COVID” DRAFT
Congrats to Chris Drury and Alexis Lafreniere on getting #13’s extension done at a reasonable $7.45 annual salary over 7 years. Drury still has a long to-do list headlined by ongoing negotiations with pending UFA Igor Shesterkin, but it’s a great start to know that Lafreniere is going to be a core piece for years to come.
It gives us a chance to look back at the 2020 NHL Draft. “Covid” drafts in all 4 major American sports were difficult to navigate due to suspended seasons, lockdowns, inability to travel and lack of personal workouts and interviews. Yet, the 2020 draft could go down as one of the Rangers best.
There are three staples in the Rangers line-up:
- Alexis Lafreniere (1st overall)
- Braden Schneider (19th overall)
- Will Cuylle (60th overall)
Then there are two certain call-ups, one a pesky, energetic forward who could become a fan favorite (Brett Berard #134 overall) and the other who is already an MSG folk-hero despite only playing 19 games (Matt Rempe #165 overall).
Finally, there are also two goalies, Dylan Garand (#103 overall) and Hugo Ollas (#197 overall), who could challenge for Jonathan Quick’s role next season or the year after.
2 thoughts on “4 Things About NYR”
Regarding the Florida Panthers game, I think it shows that the Rangers have not done anything to improve their size and willingness to hit that it takes to beat the Panthers. Or any Team in the Central division. That’s why I think Zac Jones belongs on another team. Same goes for Kakko and Lindgren, who plays very hard, but it’s just not big enough. Especially when. paired jhim with Fox. Look at what the Devils did over the winter picking up Brandon Dillon… they will be a much harder team to play against this year and no one‘s gonna take a run at Jack Hughes. Washington Capitals are much tougher.,.., If you look at the top six players on the rangers team, the only one who tries to hit it is vinny T who is too small and lafeniere . I can’t remember the last time Kreider or Mika hit a player, don’t get me started with Reilly Smith .
They are a great regular season team that’s still not built for the playoffs.
Thanks for taking the time to RantBack, but your point about the Devils hasn’t held up as in the last 48 hours Hughes was lit up by Detroit’s Michael Rasmussen and the Islanders’ Alexander Romanov. Romanov even admitting that he targeted the Devils’ best player after he was lined up earlier in the game. With the growth of Schneider and Cuylle, and the insertion of Mancini and Edstrom, the bottom half of the Rangers lineup has gotten a little tougher, but your point is taken on the top 6. IF Smith isn’t up to the task (and you seem to have already made up your mind) and Brennan Othmann isn’t ready, the Rangers will be back in the market for someone to fill that role at the deadline.
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