Wake Up Call

By: Mike Rifkin

It was a tough weekend for the New York Rangers as they lost their games to the Pittsburgh Penguins and Vancouver Canucks by a combined score of  6-2. The Rangers were shutout for the first five periods of the back to back. 

The Rangers currently sit in third place in the Metropolitan Division mainly because of the stellar play of their goalie Igor Shesterkin. Shesterkin is 25-6-3 with a 1.95 Goals Against Average, .941 save percentage and three shutouts. Shesterkin right now is probably the frontrunner for the Vezina trophy as the NHL’S top goalie and he might even receive some Hart votes as the league’s most valuable player. 

The Rangers average 2.89 goals per game and their power play connects at 25.3 percent and those are good numbers although you would like for goals per game to go up. But the Rangers heavily rely on their top players to carry them offensively. Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, and Adam Fox all have 50 points or more. Chris Kreider who has 34 goals has 48 points and Ryan Strome has 37 points. Then there is a gap Jacob Trouba has 24 points, Barclay Goodrow has 22, and former first overall pick Alexis Lafreniere has 16 points. Lafreniere has already matched his goal total from last season and has played very well since playing with Zibanejad and Kreider. But the Rangers can use a right winger to play with Panarin and Strome. Kappo Kakko is out with an upper body injury and Sammy Blais is out for the season with a torn ACL. In Kakko’s place the Rangers have tried a few different players to play with Panarin and Strome, most recently it’s been Dryden Hunt who has three goals on the season.

First year General Manager Chris Drury, who had a really good offseason, needs to add a top nine right wing who can create some scoring punch. Now there are two things in the Rangers favor heading into the trade deadline. The first is the Rangers have around 32 million dollars in cap space entering the trade deadline so any player they acquire they can take on the rest of their remaining salary. The second is the Rangers have a plethora of young defensemen in their prospect pool. 

Names to watch

Phil Kessel Arizona Coyotes: Kessel has six goals and 33 points in 53 games this season. The Coyotes are going to sell everyone not named Clayton Keller. Kessel is also three goals away from 400 in his career. Kessel would bring playoff experience to a team that doesn’t have much, he has tallied 34 goals and 81 points in 96 career playoff games including winning two Stanley Cups. 

Joe Pavelski Dallas Stars: Let me get started with this would be my preference but it’s not happening. Dallas is currently tied for the second wild card in the West, but if they struggle at any point and can’t come to terms on an extension for Pavelski the Rangers should be all over him. Pavelski has 61 goals and 119 points in 161 career playoff games.

J.T. Miller Vancouver Canucks: There are two different things that separate Miller from the other two guys I just mentioned. First is Miller has another year on his contract at over five million dollars and second Miller was a Ranger. Miller leads the Canucks with 20 goals and 59 points but with new management led by Jim Rutherford Vancouver could move Miller even though they sit three points out of the second wild card spot. Miller in 78 playoff games has nine goals and 44 points. 

Reilly Smith Vegas Golden Knights: Smith played for current Rangers coach Gerard Gallant in Vegas. Smith has 14 goals and 34 points in 51 games this season. Vegas has a cap issue after acquiring Jack Eichel from the Sabres. Smith also can help the Penalty Kill and is very responsible defensively. Smith in 84 career playoff games has 22 goals and 65 points.  

Chris Drury owes it to his team to go out and get the scorer they need. For one thing, when Kakko comes back it will make them deeper. Shesterkin is having one of those seasons that if they get in who knows what can happen. But one thing is for sure if the last two games proved anything the Rangers definitely need another goal scoring winger.