2021-2022 Season Projections
For all my season previews, we’ll be utilizing my 2021-2022 team and player projections. You can find much more background on these models here, along with more on assessing value of contracts here. We’ll preview the New York Rangers in this post.
2021 Offseason
The New York Rangers had an eventful offseason. With a management change at the end of the 2020-2021 regular season, they set out to toughen up this offseason. They brought in Barclay Goodrow, Samuel Blais, and Ryan Reaves and parted ways with Pavel Buchnevich and Brendan Smith.
2021-2022 Season Preview
Roster Strength
The Rangers gave up some skill to get tougher this offseason and it shows in their depth. Their bottom six forward group is solid, but their top six is lacking. They have a good foundation on defense, but may be lacking depth. Goaltending looks like a strength.
Forwards
Artemi Panarin is an elite player and will lead the Rangers offense once again, alongside Mika Zibanejad. Things get a lot murkier after that. The Rangers need to see a couple of their prospects like Kaapo Kakko, Alex Lafreniere, or Vitali Kravtsov, to take big strides this season to make their top six competitive.
The Rangers toughened up the bottom six over the offseason, however paid a big price to do so. Barclay Goodrow signed a long term deal with a significant cap hit, leaving his projected value for this season is well below the league median. Ryan Reaves was also signed following the trade that brought him to New York, with below median projected value as well. Dryden Hunt may be the best signing the Rangers made up front this offseason, with the projected value of a second line forward and a low cap hit putting his projected value well over the 75th percentile.
Defensemen
Adam Fox, the reigning Norris Trophy winner, will anchor the Rangers’ defense corps. Along with Fox, Ryan Lindgren, Jacob Trouba, and K’Andre Miller, form a solid top four. Nils Lundkvist may get a shot at a full time roster spot on the bottom pair. The Rangers’ UFA addition on D, Patrick Nemeth, came at a high cost as his projected value is down around the 25th percentile.
Goaltenders
The Rangers will be backstopped by Igor Shesterkin and Alexander Gorgiev again for the 21/22 season. Shesterkin projects as solid starting goaltender while Gorgiev looks like a 1B. Expect goaltending to be a strength this season.
Team Performance
The Rangers look like they should be in the mix in the playoff race this season, with a shot to snag one of the lower seeds. Goaltending is a big part of their success in the model and that will need to be the case to hold off some of the other challengers in the Metropolitan Division with the Rangers’ projected offense one of the weakest in the division.
2021-2022 In Season Updates
Make sure to subscribe and check back for updates to the 2021-2022 season projections throughout the season. Watch for updates and enhancements to the models, updated player projections using 2021-2022 season data, analysis of trades and injuries, and more.
