New Additions: F Carey Terrance (from ANA), D Vladislav Gavrikov (7yr x $7M AAV), F Justin Dowling (2yr x $775k AAV), F Scott Morrow (from CAR), D Derrick Pouliot (2yr x $775k AAV), F Taylor Raddysh (2yr x $1.5M AAV), F Trey Fix-Wolansky (1yr x $775k), D Andrej Sustr (PTO), F Conor Sheary (PTO), HC Mike Sullivan

Subtractions: F Chris Kreider (to ANA), D K’Andre Miller (to CAR), D Zac Jones (to BUF), F Arthur Kaliyev (to OTT), HC Peter Laviolette

Retentions/Extensions: F Matt Rempe (2yr x $975k AAV), D Matthew Robertson (2yr x $775k AAV), F Adam Edstrom (2yr x $975k AAV), F WIll Cullye (2yr x $3.9M AAV), F Brendan Brisson (1yr x $775k)

The Presidents’ Trophy curse hit the Rangers in a big way last season. I understand the curse is in relation to the team’s playoff success, as the recipient of the regular season award has not won the Stanley Cup since the Chicago Blackhawks in the shortened 2012-13 season. The Rangers did better than most Presidents’ Trophy winning teams in the 2024 playoffs, making it to the Eastern Conference Finals, losing in six games to the Florida Panthers, putting up a good fight to the eventual champions. The curse carried over into the 2024-25 season, where a New York team seen as one of the league’s elite, missed the playoffs entirely.

On January 1st, 2025, the Rangers were 16-19-1, and 15th in the Eastern Conference. Goals were hard to come by for the Blueshirts, and they were not scoring like they were the year before, as the team scored 3.59 goals per game in 2023-24, and through 36 games, that number dropped to 2.8 goals. In the second half of the season, they were able to slightly recover, as by season’s end, they were 39-36-7, and averaged 3.11 goals over the full year. But it was too little too late, as the team finished six points behind the final wild card spot. Head Coach Peter Laviolette was fired, and the team is hoping that Mike Sullivan, a two-time Stanley Cup Champion with the Penguins, can take over and lead this team back to the playoffs.

The top six forward group of this team is among the best in the league. Artemi Panarin, the breadman, has led the team in scoring each of the six seasons he has been in New York. He scored 27 more points than the second leading scorer on the team last year, carrying the offense. With Mika Zibanejad taking a massive step back last season (with 62 points, 72 the previous season, 91 the year before), the front office recognized that he may no longer have it in him to be the second best forward on a contending team. Another team that was dysfunctional last season, the Vancouver Canucks, were shopping star forward J.T. Miller, and the team went out and acquired the former Ranger. He had 35 points in 32 games with the team, immediately fitting in with the group, I expect him to continue his production into this season. Vincent Trocheck is one of the more underappreciated two-way forwards in the league, who produced closer to his career average last season (59 points), after a career high in 2023-24 (77 points). He remains a key piece of this group, playing in the top six and on the top PP and PK units. 

Many were expecting Alexis Lafreniere to have a proper breakout season last year, after a career best 57 points in 2023-24 and elevating his game in the playoffs, where he had 8 goals and 14 points in 16 games. Unfortunately, the former number one pick had a season that reflected the disappointment of a season that was. He had 17 goals and 45 points in a full 82 game season. A player that was thought to be a future superstar when he was drafted back in 2020, has yet to crack the 60 point mark in five seasons. A breakout that once felt inevitable, now feels like it may never happen, but as people have said for the last 4 years, this could be the year. He enters the first year of a seven year contract that carries a cap hit of $7.45M. They need him to take that step as the team really lacks depth scoring, and while long time Ranger Chris Kreider (who was traded to Anaheim this offseason) was not the player he once was, he was still a source of secondary scoring. 

One thing that you cannot take away from this team is their goaltending. Igor Shesterkin is one of the best goalies in the league, but had the worst season of his career last year. A 27-29-5 record (44% winning percentage), a .905 SV%, and a 2.86 GAA, were all lows for the Russian, and although those numbers are not necessarily bad, they are by his standards. Especially now that he is the highest paid goalie in the league at $11.5M a year. The team needs the best version of Igor this season. Jonathan Quick is a solid backup goalie, but he is 39 years old, and cannot pick up the slack if Igor struggles. In a perfect world Shesterkin is back to being an elite goalie, and Quick can play about 20-25 games to keep him fresh.

Adam Fox is another player who is viewed as an elite player at his position, a former Norris Trophy winner. But had a poor season by his standards, with 61 points in 74 games. His 0.82 points per game was the lowest total since his rookie season, and like Igor, the Rangers need the best version of Fox for them to be successful. Behind him on defense, is new addition Vladislav Gavrikov, who signed as a free agent, coming from the Los Angeles Kings. While Gavrikov is a big addition, the team moved younger defenceman K’Andre Miller to make way for his arrival. Perhaps he offers a more complete game, but I still do not think that made the blue line much better. The rest of the unit includes three really solid depth defencemen in Carson Soucy, Will Borgen and Braden Schneider. Urho Vaakanainen, a solid player that came back in the Trouba trade, rounds out the group. The Blueshirts blueline is a formidable group, but if Fox struggles to produce points, the team will struggle to get offensive contributions from the rest of the D corps.

Is Mike Sullivan the right guy for this team? That has yet to be seen. He was regarded as an excellent coach during the mid to late 2010s winning the Stanley Cup in back to back seasons to begin his stint in Pittsburgh. But as the team got older, Sullivan was not able to get much out of his group, that reminds me a bit of this Rangers team. Sure the Penguins didn’t have an Igor Shesterkin, but the Rangers do not have Sidney Crosby. We shall see what happens, but I do not look at last year as just a down year for a solid contending team. I look at it as a season that may have exposed some of this team’s weaknesses and it may be a while before they are in contention again.