The New York Rangers are finally ready to enter the regular season. After a long summer off, the Blueshirts are looking to create another year of success. With 82 games in store, there are a few questions that need to be answered.
How will Trouba respond to a summer of hate?
Rangers captain Jacob Trouba is currently the least-liked player on the roster. The organization wanted to move his $8 million contract this summer, but he refused to waive his no-trade clause in a trade to Detroit. This left a bitter taste in the mouths of fans.
After months of hate coming Trouba’s way, he’ll lead the team into the 2024-25 season. It will be interesting to see how he responds. This hatred will either motivate him to be better, or cause him to give up on his team. Hopefully, it will be the first option.
Will any prospects make the opening night lineup?
After six preseason games, there are a few prospects who stood out — the best being Brennan Othmann, Adam Edström, and Victor Mancini.
Othmann is an elite prospect who is ready to make it to the NHL. The Rangers want to save him for a top-six role, but none are currently available. It’ll be up to the Rangers to choose if they want to include him this season or not.
Edström is a massive power forward who would make a great addition to the fourth line. He knows how to hit, but also has a solid scoring touch to his game. The debate comes down to him and Matt Rempe, but many are leaning toward Edström being the better fit.
Mancini had an incredible preseason. He scored numerous goals as a defenseman and had many great plays in the defensive zone. With Ryan Lindgren out week-to-week, Mancini could slot in to give the Rangers’ defense a well-needed boost.
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How many games will the Rangers allow Shesterkin to play?
Igor Shesterkin, the NHL’s top goaltender, will be a free agent following this season. The Rangers will have to pay him a record-setting contract if he remains elite. This could give the Blueshirts reason to limit his playing time this year.
Jonathan Quick is solid as a backup. He’s old, but his experience is enough alone to earn him more playing time. Shesterkin is clearly the better goaltender, but the Rangers could look to utilize their backup more in order to lower Shesterkin’s value after this season.
The Rangers have to fix one key weakness