The New York Rangers are in a good position atop the Metropolitan Division despite struggling through the month of January, but there are some questions that remain when it comes to their roster as we head towards the Stanley Cup Playoffs this spring.
The Rangers are a team that expects to compete for a Stanley Cup this spring, and early on this season it seemed like they would be one of the top contenders. They still could be, but there are multiple concerns when it comes to their ability to make a deep playoff run.
Through their struggles, there have been three main concerns with the Rangers. One is the struggles of Igor Shesterkin this season. This is an issue that will have to fix itself, and it might be on its course to doing that after he shut out the Calgary Flames in a 2-0 win on Monday at home. The next issue is the defensive lapses, and given the lineup the Rangers have on the blue line, this is more of a structural issue that will have to fix itself as well for Peter Laviolette. The last concern is the power play struggles and specifically the scoring ability of Mika Zibanejad.
The Rangers have plenty of talent on the power play, and to an extent, Mika Zibanejad will simply have to shoot his way out of his scoring struggles. He is putting up points, but he needs to be a goal scorer. Along with the power play struggles, Zibanejad's line with Chris Kreider and Blake Wheeler has struggled on a five-on-five level. This is where the NHL Trade Deadline could help the Rangers. A right winger at the NHL Trade Deadline to help the line of Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider would be the biggest help to the Rangers' Stanley Cup hopes. Now, let's get into the best scenario for the Rangers ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline.
Rangers acquire either Frank Vatrano or Vladimir Tarasenko ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline
There are some who believe that the Rangers could use a center after Filip Chytil was ruled out for the remainder of the season. However, centers will cost much more on the market when it comes to a trade, and it will not be worth the price to pay for a third line center. Not to mention, Jonny Brodzinski has done a fine job playing on the third line in the meantime. The Rangers just need the third line to be defensively responsible. Boosting the offense on the first line with Zibanejad and Kreider should be the priority, and there are two players who have proven to work alongside those two in Frank Vatrano and Vladimir Tarasenko who could be available ahead of the deadline.
Frank Vatrano joined the Rangers for the 2021-2022 season ahead of the deadline, and was successful with Zibanejad and Kreider, helping the team reach the Eastern Conference Final before losing to the Tampa Bay Lightning. He is willing to shoot the puck when given a chance, and that helps when Zibanejad is not feeling his shot, which leads to him playing more passive. This would help the first line generate more offense. As would acquiring Vladimir Tarasenko, who was with the Rangers last season, and signed a one-year contract with the Ottawa Senators this summer.
Frank Vatrano has another year on his contract, which could complicate a trade, while Vladimir Tarasenko would be a true rental, and he has complete control of where he goes due to a full no-movement clause in his contract. Either one of these players would help the Rangers boost their offense going into the Stanley Cup Playoffs this year.
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