The New York Rangers are left searching for answers on their roster after falling short again in the Eastern Conference Finals. They’ve advanced to the East Finals twice in the last three years but lost both in six games. The Rangers have plenty of talent and recently added 2023 Stanley Cup Champion Reilly Smith. It feels like this season could be now or never, as they have 13 contracts expiring after this season and plenty of raises to pass out. The Rangers could find added depth in the form of some breakout candidates.
The Rangers finished 55-23-24 during the regular season and dominated the first two series. The team set franchise records in wins and points in a season, which is no small feat for an Original Six team. The playoffs began the same, with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider leading the way as they did all season.
However, it was a different story in the East Finals against the Florida Panthers. Both players failed to record a point in five of the six games during the series, which makes it nearly impossible to get a series win. The Rangers are lucky they even made it to six games, as the play of Igor Shesterkin was the catalyst.
As long as the Rangers have Shesterkin in the net, they’ll have a chance to contend. The issue is that Shesterkin becomes a free agent at the end of the season, and there is no talk of an extension. New York better prove to the Russian netminder this season that they can get over the hump. If not, he may decide to head elsewhere.
Can Brennan Othmann crack the Rangers roster?
Othmann has some snarl to go along with his scoring touch. He tallied 65 penalty minutes in 67 games in the American Hockey League last season, with 21 goals and 28 assists. One slight for the Rangers is they don’t have many playoff-style players in their lineup. Kreider can be a physical presence, but Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin don’t handle getting pushed around well.
Othmann would bring a swagger to the lineup that could affect the rest of the players. Sometimes, that mindset can be contagious, and it’d be the shot in the arm the Rangers may need to get past the East Final barrier.
The problem Othmann faces is trying to crack the lineup. The Rangers have 14 forwards who could potentially make the opening night roster, and that doesn’t include Othmann. He has to make a big impression in training camp to get in the lineup, but if anyone can do it, it’s Brennan Othmann.
Will Cuylle is looking for a contract extension
Will Cuylle is in the final year of his entry-level contract. He spent most of the first year in Hartford, tallying 25 goals and 20 assists in 69 games. The Rangers promoted him for four games, but he looked for a bigger role in 2023-24. Cuylle may have exceeded his expectations by getting in the lineup for 81 games with New York.
Cuylle scored 13 goals and eight assists in limited minutes. He showed glimpses of earning a more prominent role, but couldn’t advance past other players. It’s the same issue we expressed concern about with Othmann. There’s a chance that Othmann could steal that role, but where would that leave Cuylle?
Cuylle deserves to get more minutes. His best chance of getting those will be if the Rangers trade Kaapo Kakko. Cuylle offers many more habits than can contribute to a winning team. He can be the Rangers’ most massive breakout candidate with the right opportunity.
Kaapo Kakko has been a bust so far
A former second-overall pick who hasn’t lived up to his potential will always be a breakout candidate. It isn’t time to write off Kaapo Kakko yet, as he is still 23 despite being five seasons into his career. Kakko had a career-high in 2022-23 with 40 points in 82 games after three disappointing seasons. He followed it up with just 19 points this season and only two in 15 games in the postseason.
Kakko is getting to a boom-or-bust point with the Rangers. They don’t have much time to wait for him to become a valuable player. He signed a one-year contract extension for the 2024-25 season, and it feels like they may cut ties soon if he doesn’t figure it out. Will Kaapo Kakko break out in 2024-25, or is it time for the Rangers to move on?
