Next up in our 2023 fantasy hockey team preview series is the New York Rangers. I expect the Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils to battle for first in the division. The Rangers are loaded with expectations, yet I can’t help but think they’re just below the Devils and Hurricanes. There is this ‘X’ factor that I feel they’re missing and I can’t shake it. It holds me back from placing them in the same elite tier as the Devils and Hurricanes.
One of two things will happen. They’ll prove me wrong and they’ll go toe to toe for the division title to season’s end. Or, they’ll battle for the third playoff spot, likely with the Pittsburgh Penguins.
I don’t see a hockey world where they are not a playoff team. If some key pieces take a step forward, they could become the deepest, most dangerous team in the league. That’s a big if and a long-awaited step forward. Let’s take a closer look.
New York Rangers Fantasy Hockey Preview
Rangers Forwards
There’s no shortage of fantasy options. At the top of the list are two legitimate 90- to 100-point forwards, Mika Zibinejad and Artemi Panarin; two dynamic forwards that can pile up points. Panarin has produced well over a point a game since joining the Rangers in 2019-2020. Zibanejad has been a point-per-game forward or better in three of the past four years. In points pools, Panarin is the better one to own. If you’re in a multi-cat, I’d give the edge to Zibanejad.
Chris Kreider and Vincent Trocheck are fabulous multi-cat options. They’ll both give you two hits and three shots a game. Kreider, the better goal scorer, came down to earth from his 50-goal season, don’t expect him to hit that again. Trocheck has 70-point potential and could be a bit of a sleeper. He could fall a couple of rounds in your draft.
The secondary scoring for the Rangers is deep and plentiful. Look no further than Blake Wheeler, signed for $800K. I went into more detail on Wheeler here. So I won’t bore anyone by rehashing my thoughts.
Then there’s the ‘kid line,’ made up of Filip Chytil, Alex Lafreniere, and Kappo Kakko. Odds are this line won’t spend much time together 5 on 5. The Rangers could play Lafreniere & Kakko on their top two lines. This would leave the Rangers with three offensive lines few teams could match.
Lafreniere & Kakko need first unit power play time in order to break out. Until they do, their offensive production will remain limited. Kreider, Panarin, Zibanejad & Fox, are locks on that first unit. There might be room for one of them as the fourth forward. Wheeler & Trocheck won’t hand them anything though.
With nine forwards as fantasy options, the Rangers have the potential to be a lot of trouble.
Rangers Defenseman
Adam Fox, little else needs to be said. A perennial Norris Trophy candidate, Fox is an elite fantasy option on defense. The number of defensemen that will be taken ahead of Fox is very short. It’s rare we can call a defenseman a lock for 70 points but that’s what Fox is. At just 25 years old and with 285 games played, Fox likely still has another level. At two shots per game, he could adopt a bit more of a shoot-first mentality. This could really make him pop.
Defensemen breakouts usually occur around the 400-game mark. One could argue Fox has already broken out. As good as he has been, it’s more likely than not we haven’t seen his best. Fox’s floor is in the 65-point range right now, with a ceiling above a point per game. I won’t be the one to rule out 90.
It’s quite a dip from Fox to K’Andre Miller. I don’t think folks expected Miller to be this effective, this fast. There’s no reason to think he can’t become a 50-point defenseman. I would temper expectations this year. I feel like a broken record, but unless he improves on his 1.35 shots per game he faces a glass ceiling with his offense.
Jacob Trouba is a multi-cat monster. One of the very few defensemen who can pump out 200 of shots, hits, and blocks. He brings some underlying offense, but don’t expect anything beyond 40 points.
Rangers Goalies
Some teams have all the luck. For 15 years the Rangers enjoyed goalie royalty in, ‘The King,’ Henrik Lundqvist. It’s rare for a King to be so completely replaced in every facet. Yet, that’s exactly what the Rangers received when Igor Shesterkin arrived.
Shesterkin should be the number one goalie taken in every fantasy draft. It doesn’t matter if you think Sorokin or Andrei Vasilevski are better goalies. For one, we’d be splitting hairs, for two, the Rangers are the better team. This pushes Shesterkin ahead of any equal, with a stronger win share.
If you draft Shesterkin, you’re drafting a Vezina finalist. As hard as that trophy is to predict, predicting Shesterkin will be one of the final three doesn’t feel like a stretch.
Jonathan Quick is his backup. This pretty much locks Shesterkin in for 60-plus starts. Quick won’t be relied on for more than a spot-start or the weaker of back-to-back opponents. With Quick as his backup, the argument for Shesterkin being the first goalie taken in your draft is that much stronger.
The Rangers have elite talent in net, on defense, and at forward. There’s plenty of young talent nipping to round this team out. Which makes it a very deep team. Buckle up, they should score in bunches.
Shesterkin should be the first goalie taken and the only goalie to go in the first round. Fox is a top 3-5 fantasy defenseman and will go early, likely by 3rd round and before any run on defenseman occurs. Panarin & Zibanejad should be the first two forwards taken and should go within a round or so of Fox. From the first round to the last, Ranger players will be drafted throughout. The Rangers also boast some of the biggest breakout/sleeper options in the league.
Thanks for reading. Hope you enjoyed it and found this useful as you prep for your draft.
Give me a follow on twitter @doylelb4; where you’ll find as many hiking musings as you will fantasy hockey.
Make sure to check out all of our Fantasy Hockey Team Previews as they roll out over the coming weeks!