The club in the concrete jungle has operated as if it were the typical Tuesday afternoon in the city it represents. With 78 days remaining until the Blueshirts begin the 2023-2024 campaign upstate, five players draw intrigue for their own respective reasons. In a rather humdrum summer, here are the five most intriguing players involved with the Rangers.
Vladimir Tarasenko: Tarasenko won the Stanley Cup in 2019, suffered from injuries that set his career back to the brink of retirement, and returned with an 82-point campaign ultimately landing the star in New York.
With the New York Ranger's wage capacity nearing its ceiling, the notion among the fanbase was that he would be a monetary casualty.
When all seemed to point to Tarasenko’s signing with the Carolina Hurricanes, it was revealed that he had fired his agent and the negotiations never materialized into a signing.
The 31-year-old super sniper earned $8 million dollars annually in his previous contract but settled on a 1 year $5 million dollar contract to play for an Ottawa Senators team that can seize the Atlantic Division.
The turn of events will let down Ranger fans, as his all-in demeanor and shoot-first mentality are characteristics the 2023-2024 team could have benefited from tremendously.
Patrick Kane: The three-time Stanley Cup champion would be an LTIR addition that could appear with New York in either late 2023 or early 2024. The winger is recovering from hip-resurfacing surgery and has not indicated by any means that his camp is seeking a negotiation any time soon.
His health status and plan are straightforward. The question that begs; is it worth signing the 33-year-old? The fanbase is split by the query. Does the attacker provide a dimension in New York’s current scheme that adds to a triumphant vision? It seems the winger is just beyond his heyday, acquired by a club that would have to take more risks on his talents.
Alexis Lafrenière: Whether it’s on his natural wing or backhand flank, the youth phenom must show a display of growth this fall.
It will likely be for the team that drafted him with their only first-overall selection in history. The winger remains unsigned and will likely ink a low-budget short-term “prove it” deal.
The 21-year-old skater enters his fourth NHL season under his third head coach. All eyes are on how Lafrenière has improved as a talent, and how Peter Laviolette positions the young man for success in a premature make-or-break conundrum.
Barclay Goodrow: The two-time Stanley Cup champion became trade target number one in the press in late June. Another player challenged observers of the club as to what the management would do with his contract.
At $3.6 million dollars annually, Goodrow became the candidate to trade to sign Miller and Lafrenière, and potentially Kane and Tarasenko.
In the last number of weeks, the Ranger's activity is akin to hearing a faint pin drop.
Barclay Goodrow remains an integral part of the fabric of this team. The fate of Goodrow playing in the big apple is directly linked to what Chris Drury wants to negotiate with Kane or Tarasenko. His salary is the most moveable compared to the other core members of the returning team.
Zac Jones: The 22-year-old 3rd-round draft selection may have one final shot at earning a bottom-pairing role. He will have to compete with free agent Erik Gustafsson, whose play last season guarantee’s an improvement for Braden Schneider’s defensive partner.
Jones must be convincing enough to earn the position in a competitive camp and continue to steadily defend during the season. If not, we may see Jones play as a 7th defender, or part of a sweetener in a transaction.