After bowing out of the first round, the New York Rangers are looking for a bounce back season in 2023-24.
2022-23
Record: 47-22-13 (107 pts) – 3rd in Metropolitan
Playoffs: Lost to New Jersey in First Round
Key Losses
Patrick Kane (F – UFA), Vladimir Tarasenko (F – OTT), Jaroslav Halak (G – UFA), Niko Mikkola (D – FLA), Tyler Motte (F – UFA), Gerard Gallant (Head Coach)
Key Additions
Blake Wheeler (F), Nick Bonino (F), Jonathan Quick (G), Tyler Pitlick (F), Erik Gustafsson (D), Peter Laviolette (Head Coach)
2023-24 Preview
The New York Rangers had a solid 2022-23 season, finishing with a record of 47-22-13 and accumulating 107 points. They secured the 3rd position in the Metropolitan division standings. However, their playoff run was cut short as they lost to the New Jersey Devils in the First Round.
Need for Change
Going into the 2023 offseason the Rangers decided to make a change behind their bench. Out was Gerard Gallant, and in was Peter Laviolette as head coach. With the change the Rangers also made some changes to their lineup as well.
After letting all of their trade deadline acquisitions walk in free agency, the Rangers were able to sign aging winger Blake Wheeler, as well as goaltender Jonathan Quick. Forwards Nick Bonino, Riley Nash, and Tyler Pitlick were also signed along with defenseman Erik Gustafsson as part of their mini revamp.
Stepping Up
The Rangers are going to be looking to their young kids Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafreniere to step up their games. Both players have yet to hit 20 goals in a season, and Kakko hit 40 points for the first time this past season, while Lafreniere was a point shy of hitting the 40 point mark.
While Lafreniere had a solid playoffs in 2021-22, both him and Kakko were non-existent against New Jersey in the first round. The Rangers are going to need their former 1st (Lafreniere, 2020) and 2nd (Kakko, 2019) overall picks to elevate their games this season, and prove that they were worth getting drafted so high in their respective drafts.
Looking ahead to the 2023-24 season, the Rangers have high hopes. The team will rely on standout players such as Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad to lead the way. The Rangers’ fans and supporters are eagerly anticipating the start of the season to see how their team performs under the guidance of their new head coach and with the contributions of the new additions to the roster.
Read our other 2023-24 Team Previews: ANA, ARI, BOS, BUF, CAL, CAR, CHI, COL, CLB, DAL, DET, EDM, FLA, LA, MIN, MON, NAS, NJ, NYI
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