What went right for the Rangers this season

It’s not all negative for the Rangers. This year may have ended without the playoffs, but there were a ton of positives to take away from this season. From sophomore surges to key rookies, the future is bright for this team. Let’s look into what went right for the Rangers this season.

Adam Fox

Where else to begin but with Adam Fox? He will be a Norris finalist, and has an outside shot of winning it. He should win it, but for some reason the voters seem to think it’s Hedman’s turn. There’s no such thing as “turns.” Whoever was the best gets it. Fox was better.

Fox is the defenseman many thought Tony DeAngelo was. He does it all, and has emerged as one of, if not the best defensemen in the game today. He did all this while basically carrying the Rangers blue line to respectability through injuries and drama. Fox is a cornerstone of the franchise and the best defenseman since Brian Leetch.

The kids, they are alright

Ryan Lindgren emerged as a legitimate top pairing defenseman. K’Andre Miller, in his rookie season, showed top-four ability and top-pair potential. Alexis Lafreniere, once let loose, showed why he was the top pick. Kaapo Kakko has become one of the top defensive forwards in the league. Filip Chytil has shown more than just flashes, and is one of the leaders in the league in P/60.

None of this includes the cameos by Vitali Kravtsov, who showed he belonged, and Zac Jones, who is skilled but still raw.

And how about Igor Shesterkin? Kid is likely going to win a Vezina at some point in his career.

Yea, the kids, they are alright indeed.

The top-six is fantastic

Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, and Ryan Strome all continued their great production, which was one of the things that went right for the Rangers. Pavel Buchnevich had a career year. Chris Kreider continues to be one of the best net-front presences in the game. The Rangers have tremendous skill up front, some of the best in the league.

It does appear unlikely that all five of these guys will be back, as the Rangers will look to add a bit more sandpaper into their top-nine. It looks like Strome –who was trade bait last season– and Buchnevich –a potential cap casualty– may be those guys they dangle, but no one is certain.

The Rangers don’t *need* to trade anyone or shed any salary. It’s just reading the tea leaves regarding how the offseason has played out so far.

Next year’s plan

Given that two major pieces of what went right for the Rangers are youth related, it’s critical the Rangers don’t blow it up. Chris Drury won’t, so that’s not that big of a concern.

As for that top-six, at some point the Rangers do need to make room for Lafreniere, Kakko, and Kravtsov. Where, exactly, is still unknown.

The Rangers are in a good spot. It’s easy to find the negatives with this season. But it’s just as easy to find the positives. Stick to positivity. There’s going to be fun Rangers hockey next season.