For Rangers fans across the state, the 2024-2025 season can be summed up in one word: disappointing. After winning the President’s Trophy last season – the award given to the team with the most points in the regular season — the Rangers currently sit out of the playoffs at 6th place in the Metropolitan Division, and barely competitive in a close Wild Card race.
Last season, the Rangers were able to sweep the Washington Capitals, battle against the Carolina Hurricanes, and reach the Eastern Conference finals where they ultimately lost to the Florida Panthers, who would go on to win the Stanley Cup in the 2023-24 season. One article from after the loss last year reads as follows: “Rangers eliminated from playoffs, dormant offense among culprits. Relying too much on Shesterkin, struggles in 3rd period.” Rangers fans looking over this season so far look at the statement as an eerie premonition: the exact problems outlined in last year’s final game carry over to today, and are much to blame for the lackluster season the Rangers have had so far.
Many fans have begun to place the blame on head coach Peter Lavoilette, who entered the role in 2023. The Rangers are a team stacked with young players, most of whom display promising levels of potential… think Will Cuylle, Filip Chytil, Kappo Kakko, and Matt Rempe. Looking at that list, two of the four have been traded – Chytil and Kakko to Vancouver and Seattle, respectively. Laviolette’s critics acknowledge his lack of development in these young players, coupled with less playing time than veterans who haven’t been generating results (Kreider, Zibanejad, Lindgren) as the reason for the Rangers downfall.
Some, however, blame those veterans who have not played with an invigorated, concentrated spirit — this refers to the “dormant offense” that last year’s article acknowledged. Zibanejad and Kreider, in particular, are players receiving backlash. Zibanejad only has 10 goals and 33 goals, when last year’s stats predicted he would have 15 goals and over 50 points. Kreider’s stats echo the same message; despite his assistance on the powerplay with 5 goals, his low-bar 16 goals is 2/3s of his predicted number. Leading the offensive team is Artemi Panarin, who, although not reaching his projected numbers either, leads the team with 23 goals (which puts him in 23rd place league-wide) and a team-high 56 points.
Beyond the offensive, the defensive Rangers lineup has caused major issues, especially late in the period, and has resulted in a heavy reliance on goaltenders Shesterkin and Quick (who have both played incredibly). With ex-captain and defenseman Jacob Trouba traded to Anaheim earlier in the season, the defense, which was not performing well before his departure either, struggled to gel and consistently made rudimentary mistakes.
Ryan Lindgren stands as the statistically weakest defenseman with a -5 plus/minus, and the younger Braden Schneider has the highest plus/minus by a Rangers defenseman this season, at +7. Veteran Adam Fox, a former Norris Trophy winner in 2020-21, sits behind Schneider and leads the team’s time on ice minutes, averaging over 23 minutes per game. The Rangers’ defense seems to operate in extremes: when the team wins, the defense has played a flawless game, protecting their goaltender and performing well shorthanded, but when they lose, the defense often seems to be the easiest scapegoat. From careless cross-ice passes to pointless crowding behind the net, the defense needs to improve if the Rangers want a shot at the playoffs this year.
Despite the disappointing year, the Rangers have had a few, albeit short, winning streaks. Currently, the team seems to be improving, scoring 2 points in an Original Six matchup against the Boston Bruins at MSG on Wednesday, the 5th.
