Heading into today’s matchup against the Flyers, the New York Rangers are sitting at third overall in the NHL with a record of 13-3-1. Many of the returning Ranger stars have been the cause of this success, but there have been a handful of new additions made this past summer pulling their weight as well.
Jonathan Quick, Erik Gustafsson, and Blake Wheeler have all been solid additions since signing with the Rangers. Now 17 games into the season, the Blueshirts have had time to see what each new player brings to the table.
Quick looks like he’s hit a second prime between the pipes
Through seven games played, Quick has been elite for the Rangers this season. He has recorded an incredible 1.68 goals against average as well as a .940 save percentage. His seven games played include two shutout performances against Edmonton and Pittsburgh, and Quick has done this at the age of 37 years old.
With Quick playing as well as he is, the Rangers might just have the best goalie tandem in the NHL. Igor Shesterkin remains a top goaltender in the league, and Quick certainly boosts the potential of the duo.
Gustafsson has filled an offensive role with Adam Fox out on the LTIR
Since star defender Adam Fox was placed on the LTIR, Gustafsson has managed to step up and fill the almost irreplaceable role that Fox provided. Through 17 games played, Gustafsson has been an offensive producer. He’s scored three goals and nine assists for twelve points and leads all Rangers defensemen in points.
Gustafsson has also been a solid defender outside of his point production. He is currently rated at a +5 and has been a solid pairing alongside Ryan Lindgren.
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Wheeler is starting to heat up for the Rangers
Wheeler had a rough start to his tenure with the Rangers. He was skating slow and wasn’t producing points for a large majority of the beginning of the season. But since being moved up to the first line, Wheeler has begun to get things going.
Wheeler has now reached four points on the year, as three of those points have come in his five most recent games. If he continues to increase his offensive production, he could get back on track to having another solid year.
Who has been the best off-season acquisition so far?
Without a doubt, Erik Gustafsson has been the best recent addition the Rangers have made. Quick is a close second, but the Blueshirts haven’t played him enough to make an impact as often as fans would like.
Gustafsson’s ability to produce both elite offense and defense for the Rangers is unmatched. Fox’s injury was expected to decimate the Blueshirts’ defensive corps, but Gustafsson has been able to take over and keep everything going smoothly.
