With the opening puck drop just a little more than a week away, I along with my colleague Matt Mugno and special guest Ryan Mead, tackle some Rangers debate topics going into the season.
Talking and debating about hockey in the summer is always entertaining, but with the offseason winding down, it's time to get into the nitty-gritty.
Where will the Rangers finish in the Metropolitan Division standings?
Mead: 3rd and honestly, I think that's fine. New Jersey has too much firepower and Carolina has proven to be a great regular-season team again and again. The Rangers' entire goal is just to get to the dance and let Igor shine.
Mugno: I'm not one for hardy predictions, but somewhere between 2-4. I can't see New Jersey winning 15 games in a single month again, and the Rangers seem to have Carolina's number in head-to-head matches. I just don't think they'll take the division by storm and seize the number one position. They are clearly in the mix of the top three, and if worst came to worst a team like Pittsburgh or the Islanders could jump up and take the three spot. So I'll safely say the ceiling is top 2 and the floor is a fourth seed as an Eastern Conference wild card.
Lazarus: I have gone back and forth on this so many times throughout the offseason. There are days where I feel strongly about the Rangers finishing 2nd, and other days where I wouldn't be surprised if they finished 4th. There are two factors that come into play. The Rangers power play and Igor Shesterkin. This team should have a top 5 power play in the league with the clientele and Shesterkin has the ability to steal a game any given night. Peter Laviolette's impact will be strong, and I am saying that the Rangers finish 2nd.
Who will lead the Rangers in points?
Mead: Well well well, if it isn't Mr. Artemi Panarin yet again. The hate has gone too far. You can be critical of Panarin in the playoffs, but he's a lock for 85+ points every year. He's lost his hair, but he hasn't lost his playmaking ability.
Mugno: Artemi Panarin. 90-point range with a healthy season. If Mika or Fox get on a heater, I could see those two challenging for the throne.
Lazarus: One common theme that has been talked about a lot during training camp is Laviolette's approach in the neutral zone. He's not afraid of his defensemen jumping up in the play and being aggressive in the neutral zone, looking to create turnovers and go the other way. With that said, Adam Fox, who has now put up back-to-back 70+ point seasons, in my opinion has the potential to hit the 85-90 point mark this season. He's a lock for 30 points on the power play alone, and under Laviolette, the Rangers offense will start and end with him. Fox is my pick to lead the team in points, which might be unpopular.
Who will record more points, Vincent Trocheck or Filip Chytil?
Mead: Trocheck is the safe bet. Likely going to be on the first power play unit. He isn't injury prone as much as Chytil is and will likely spend more time with Panarin. All that = points.
Mugno: I think Vincent Trocheck may be more valuable in a checking role, where I could see another 60-point season. Laviolette has eluded to a shifting lineup and it's unclear exactly where Trocheck will play. If that's the case, I could see Chytil making a run for it if Trocheck's role shifts in that sense. Chytil hit 45 points last season, and a 50-60-point season is a real possibility. His 8-goal 2022 season turned into a monster post-season and a highly anticipated breakout in 2023. Trocheck clears on his numbers resume, but if Chytil earns some powerplay ice and centers playmakers like Kakko or Panarin he might have a shot at the title.
Lazarus: I agree with Ryan that Trocheck is the safe bet, but something tells me that when Chytil comes back and is fully healthy, he will take on more responsibility as the season progresses. I have very high expectations for Chytil this season after he's exploded since the 2022 postseason run.
Will Alexis Lafreniere or Kaapo Kakko hit 60 points?
Mead: No sir! That's not even me saying they'll have bad seasons. I think Kakko can take yet another step this season, but unless he gets power play time, I'm not convinced he'll bust out the way we all expected him to. PP1 time will be key for both of them and I think neither of them see it.
Mugno: Lafreniere's peaks in playmaking display untapped potential with his vision. But Kakko creates danger out of thin air. His ability to possess will allow him to tab a slew of secondary assists, on top of what could be an uptick in goal-scoring. Not much has signified a Lafreniere breakout the way Kakko has shown in camp and in exhibition play.
Lazarus: Kakko yes, Lafreniere no. Kakko has looked incredibly confident during training camp and has earned the right to get top line minutes. If his play continues to progress, he could earn himself some reps on the first power play unit. He looked excellent on a line with Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad last season and I can see those three sticking together this season.
Which player will make the biggest leap this season?
Mead: My gut says Kakko (I'm bias), but my head says K'Andre Miller. I really think he can be a star in this league. I'm not sure the points ever come the way they do for Fox, but he can be an elite shutdown defender for a long long long time.
Mugno: The attention immediately goes to Lafreniere, Kakko, and Chytil. I'm going to go out on a limb and say, K'Andre Miller. His game ebbs and flows, and last season there were times were he was defending well and rivaling Fox in his offensive output. I think one (or more) of the three aforementioned skaters may not reach the expectations of the media's consensus. The leap for Kakko is in his statistics, For Lafreniere, you'd like anything to make a big jump, and for Chytil it's probably become a 2A/2B with Trocheck. Miller has room to improve his game in some areas that can be qualified as a "big leap", and other aspects of his game that are elite and could make him a star. If streaks of defensive lapses are shortened, I don't see how Miller can't solidify the Rangers d-core as one of the best in the league.
Lazarus: Just like Ryan and Matt, Kakko and Miller are certainly the first two that come to mind when getting this question, but I'm not sleeping on Chytil. He is a natural goal scorer that went from 8 goals in 2021-22 to 22 goals in 2022-23. It might be a reach, but I think Chytil can flirt with 30 goals and 65 points this season. His confidence has been through the roof.