Daily Faceoff Show: Is now the time for the Rangers to go all in?
The first two months of the regular season have gone incredibly well for the New York Rangers.
With an 18-6-3 record, the Rangers’ .722 points percentage is tied with the Carolina Hurricanes for second best in the NHL, behind only the Florida Panthers. Which for a team that entered the season merely hoping to make the playoffs, to tie the Stanley Cup-winning 1994 Rangers for the most wins (16) in franchise history through 23 games has been an impressive feat.
But in a super competitive Metropolitan Division, is this the right time for a Rangers team whose development is ahead of schedule to push all its chips into the middle of the table?
On today’s episode of The Daily Faceoff Show, Frank Seravalli and Steve Greeley discussed how patience might be a virtue right now for the Rangers, despite how close the team is to the top of the standings.
Greeley: “If we rewind six months ago, this team’s goal was to make the playoffs and right now they’re well ahead of schedule. They look like they’re going to be in the playoffs, for sure. So it just becomes a matter of, is this a team that’s really buyers and is going to trade some future assets? Or are they still follow the letter they sent out two years ago in their rebuild. I think a lot of things will impact what they do and where they need to add. There are certain things in their own division. Malkin’s coming back, Backstrom’s coming back. Their division’s tougher. I don’t think the Rangers are going to be huge buyers if they don’t see themselves as a team that’s going to advance multiple rounds.
“I do think they’ll be patient right now. March may be a different story.”
Seravalli: “I agree. I don’t think the timing is right, just from a division perspective. Yes they can be competitive and yes they can surprise a team or two when it comes to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Not counting the Rangers out. When you look where the Washington Capitals are in their cycle, you look at where the Carolina Hurricanes are. Finishing first in that Metro in the regular season is going to be so critical just to avoid getting one of those teams in the first round.”
Another aspect that may impact the Rangers’ immediate fortunes is the health of goaltender Igor Shesterkin, who hasn’t played since Dec. 3 due to an apparent lower-body injury. Shesterkin’s 2.05 goals-against average and .937 save percentage have him as perhaps the favorite to win the Vezina Trophy, with some within the hockey world suggesting their goalie’s performance has covered up flaws on this Rangers team.
You can watch the full episode here: