With only one sport remaining within the 4 Nations Face-Off event, which means that the NHL will probably be resuming its regular schedule within the subsequent few days. For the New York Rangers, this final half of the season goes to be a very powerful time of the 12 months. They’re combating for his or her playoff lives and as of this writing, they sit three factors out of the final wild card spot within the Jap Convention. With a lot drama already surrounding the staff all through this season up to now, they’re going to be an interesting staff to look at heading down the stretch. On this piece, we’re going to have a look at three storylines to comply with because the Rangers start their push for the playoffs.
#1: The Continued Impression of J.T. Miller
The Rangers made an enormous commerce on the finish of January once they acquired J.T. Miller from the Vancouver Canucks. It signaled that they had been nonetheless going to be making a push for the playoffs and that he could be an enormous piece for the staff not only for this season, however for the subsequent 5 seasons after, which is how lengthy he has left on his $8 million common annual worth (AAV) contract. Miller began off sizzling with two objectives in his first sport again with the staff and 4 factors total within the first two video games. His line with Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad appeared harmful each time they had been on the ice and whereas it was damaged up within the closing sport earlier than the break, it may very simply be put again collectively.
Miller didn’t have a degree in his final three video games and has 4 factors in his first 5 video games again as a Ranger. Whereas it’s a small pattern measurement, it will be attention-grabbing to look at what his impression on the staff will probably be because the season goes alongside, and he will get extra comfy with the gamers round him. Will they proceed to stack one line and depart the remainder of the lineup wanting weaker, or will they attempt to unfold gamers out and perhaps put Miller with different gamers to try to elevate their video games? We should wait and see, however one factor for sure is that if the Rangers need to make the playoffs, Miller will should be a key contributor down the stretch.
#2: The Play of Alexis Lafreniere
Final season was a breakout 12 months for 2020 first-overall choose, Alexis Lafreniere. He scored 28 objectives and 57 factors in 82 common season video games and adopted it up with eight objectives and 14 factors in 16 playoff video games. He really appeared like he was changing into the celebrity he was hyped as much as be 5 years in the past. He began off this season nicely and in October, he signed a seven-year extension with the Rangers price $7.45 million AAV. Followers had been ecstatic that he could be sticking round, however ever since he signed the extension, he hasn’t appeared like the identical participant. He has simply 14 objectives and 32 factors in 55 video games this season, with 13 objectives and 24 factors in 47 video games because the extension. He appears like a shell of what he was final season, and it has been very disappointing to see.
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The largest concern involving him is his lack of back-checking and play within the defensive zone. There have been too many performs this season and lots of just lately during which he’s simply coasting again whereas the opposing staff will get an awesome scoring probability and more often than not, the puck has been getting into. Lafreniere simply appears lazy on the market when he’s not within the offensive zone, and if he can’t repair these different points in his sport and continues to battle offensively, this new extension may appear to be an enormous mistake earlier than it even kicks in. He will probably be a participant to look at, and perhaps this break gave him the bodily and psychological reset he wanted as a result of he must step up his sport if the Rangers need to make the playoffs.
#3: What Occurs on the Commerce Deadline?
The NHL Commerce Deadline is on March 7, which is in three weeks time. The Rangers have seven video games between from time to time and the way they play in these video games goes to find out what path common supervisor Chris Drury takes on the deadline. In the event that they lose a majority of those video games, he’s going to dump gamers like Ryan Lindgren, Reilly Smith and Jimmy Vesey. All of them are pending unrestricted free brokers and certain gained’t be again with the staff after this season. Perhaps he even listens to provides on a participant like Okay’Andre Miller, who has struggled this season and is due for a brand new contract this offseason. One other participant who may get shopped round, and his identify was already on the market earlier this season, is Chris Kreider. Whereas he’s having a down season, he’s a confirmed playoff performer and any playoff-bound staff will need to have him of their lineup.
Now, if the Rangers win most or the entire subsequent seven video games, it may persuade Drury that he ought to add to this roster to assist them push for the playoffs. Whereas he nonetheless might commerce off the pending free brokers, he may use the belongings he will get for them and package deal them for different gamers he thinks may assist this staff win now. Who could be the gamers coming in? Effectively, it’s exhausting to say as a result of the commerce marketplace for leases this season isn’t very interesting, and it will make extra sense to surrender belongings for gamers underneath contract past this season as a substitute of shedding belongings every year for leases who depart each offseason. This upcoming stretch of video games will probably be a very powerful of the season, as it is going to probably determine the destiny of the staff for the remainder of it.
The Rangers will probably be probably the most attention-grabbing groups to comply with popping out of the break. They’ve gamers who must play higher, a star participant nonetheless making an attempt to settle into his new atmosphere, they usually might be one of many extra energetic groups main as much as the commerce deadline. Whereas there will probably be extra storylines to comply with as nicely, these are the large three to maintain your eye on because the NHL season returns to motion and the push in the direction of the playoffs begins.
