At this time last offseason, the New York Rangers were coming off of a very disappointing first-round loss to the New Jersey Devils. They had made big moves at the trade deadline bringing in superstars like Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrick Kane. They even went up 2-0 in that series, but everything fell apart and changes were made. Kane and Tarasenko left as free agents, head coach Gerard Gallant was let go and with a limited amount of cap space, the Rangers had to spend their money wisely.
They brought in veteran players like Blake Wheeler, Jonathan Quick, Erik Gustafsson, and Nick Bonino and each of them signed for less than $1 million on their deals. However, only two of these signings really worked out. Quick and Gustafsson were good for the team last season, but Bonino played very poorly and had his contract terminated, while Wheeler was a shell of himself, got injured, missed the rest of the season, and played in one playoff game.
This offseason, the Rangers once again did not do much in regard to bringing in new players. They will mostly have the same roster that got them a Presidents’ Trophy and another Eastern Conference Final appearance. Going into this season, there is an argument to be made that the projected roster is better than the one last season, and in this piece, we are going to go over some of the reasons why.
Reilly Smith Will Be Better Than Blake Wheeler
The biggest move made by the Rangers this offseason happened on Free Agency Frenzy Day, but it did not involve them signing a free agent. It was the making of a trade with the Pittsburgh Penguins to acquire Reilly Smith. He spent one season with the Penguins, traded there by the Vegas Golden Knights after helping them win a Stanley Cup. He never really fit with the Penguins and had a down season, scoring just 13 goals and 40 points in 76 games. Prior to that, he was a very effective player for Vegas, scoring over 50 points in four of his six seasons with the team. He was also a very good playoff performer, scoring 18 goals and 66 points in 88 games.
Before his injury last season, Wheeler was getting the majority of his ice time on the right wing with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider. Even though it didn’t really work out, the Rangers didn’t have many other options. Now, it seems that Smith will get the first crack at playing on that line and he is an immediate improvement from Wheeler. Wheeler could barely skate and did not look like the player he once was with the Winnipeg Jets. If the Rangers can get 55-60 points out of Smith, it will be seen as a great trade made by general manager Chris Drury.
A Full Season of Experience for Will Cuylle
The only rookie to make the team out of camp last season for the Rangers was Will Cuylle. He had a very impressive training camp and was coming off a very productive season in the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Hartford Wolfpack. He scored 25 goals and 45 points in 69 games played during the 2022-23 season. He got his first full-time chance to play in the NHL and he was very impressive even though he did not score much. He played in 81 games and had 13 goals and 21 points. The most impressive parts of his game were his speed and hitting ability. He finished seventh in the entire NHL in hits with 249, one behind Evander Kane.
Related: Rangers Counting on Jonathan Quick in Backup Role This Season
After getting a full regular season and 16 games of playoff experience under his belt, this season could potentially be a breakout for Cuylle. He will continue playing his game, using his speed and strength to his advantage and, hopefully, that will lead to more goals scored. It is not out of the realm of possibility for him to be a 20-goal scorer in the NHL. Having a player like a healthy Filip Chytil on his line this season could be the spark he needs to take the next step offensively.
Rangers Know What They Are Getting with Jonathan Quick
When the Rangers signed Quick last offseason, it was a very puzzling move seeing as he had been declining in his performances over the past few seasons. When he was signed, he was coming off a season where he had a 16-15-6 record, a .882 save percentage (SV%), and a 3.41 goals-against average (GAA) with both the Los Angeles Kings and the Golden Knights.
There were lots of questions surrounding him and how he would play, but he would silence the doubters with an incredible season for a backup goalie. He posted an 18-6-2 record with a .911 SV% and a 2.62 GAA. His great play earned him a contract extension and now going into this season, he is going to be relied on to have yet another amazing season so the Rangers can keep Igor Shesterkin fresh heading towards the playoffs.
The Rangers heading into this season have fewer question marks surrounding their roster than they did last season. With the majority of the same players returning, you know what to expect from them. If a team last season that had so many question marks could wind up winning a Presidents’ Trophy, this season could turn out to be even better for the Rangers. They could end up winning a Stanley Cup for the first time in 31 years if everything goes to plan.
