The New York Rangers are the defending President's Trophy winners after putting up the league's best regular season record. They lost to the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final, falling short of the Stanley Cup again. Heading into 2024-25, the Rangers have a star-studded lineup and a great chance to make the playoffs and finally lift the Cup again.

The Rangers have another superstar goalie Igor Shesterkin to lead them. He is heading into unrestricted free agency after this season and they must sign him to a massive deal. They are not a competitive team without their goalie and the deal must get done to keep their window open. Shesterkin will be backed up by Jonathon Quick again this season.

The biggest question marks for the Rangers come on the blue line. Captain Jacob Trouba has been bandied about in trade talks all summer long. He reportedly denied a trade to his hometown Detroit Red Wings, choosing to remain with New York. He has two years remaining on his contract but admits that this is likely his final season on Broadway.

They will be burying their $8 million captain on one of the bottom pairs. However, they can get away with it because of Adam Fox's continued greatness. The former Norris Trophy winner takes the top spot alongside either Ryan Lindgren or K'Andre Miller. The other two defensemen, as of now, are Zac Jones and Braden Schnieder. The youngsters represent great prospects for the Rangers that represent the team's future.

Rangers forward projections, division odds, and playoff chances

New York Rangers left wing Artemi Panarin (10) skates with the puck as Florida Panthers defenseman Brandon Montour (62) defends during the third period in game five of the Eastern Conference Final of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden.
Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images
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While the Rangers did fall short in the playoffs, no one is questioning their forward star power. Artemi Panarin leads the group as one of the best wingers in the league. He put up 120 points last year, which would usually be enough for a Hart Trophy nomination but there were many great seasons last year. They got good news on Panarin's pre-season injury and expect him to be ready for opening night.

Panarin will be on the top line with Vincent Trochek and Alexis Lafreniere. The second line has a new member, as Reilly Smith was traded from the Penguins to the Rangers. Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad have been looking for their third linemate and they may have it in the former Golden Knight. The third line will consist of Filip Chytil, Kaapo Kakko, and Will Cuylle. The fourth line has some questions after Jimmy Vesey got hurt in the pre-season.

Matt Rempe is likely to make the team after he became a fan favorite last season. While his value is primarily in fighting and enforcing, he can still be a valuable member of the team. The remainder of that group will be a rotation of Sam Carrick, Jonny Brodzinski, and Adam Edstrom. Expect Vesey to be a part of that group when he returns.

On FanDuel, the Rangers have the third-best odds to win the Metropolitan Division at +290. The Hurricanes and Devils are the teams above them on the list. They are prohibitive favorites to make the playoffs for a fourth consecutive year at -360. Their over/under is at 100.5 and their Stanley Cup odds are +1300, sixth-best.