When the Knicks won the NBA Championship, my mind immediately went to the New York Rangers. The concept of the Rangers winning the ultimate prize feels further away than ever, as the Rangers continue to face turmoil after their trip to the Eastern Conference Finals in 2024. Still, there are reasons to believe the Rangers could win it all soon, and they could be closer than you think.
1. New York, New York
New York will remain the best argument why the Rangers could win sooner rather than later. It takes one elite athlete to decide they want to play in New York for everything to change. Could that be Connor McDavid? Auston Matthews? Who knows. But the reality is, the Rangers have a huge advantage playing in New York and being an Original Six franchise.
Don’t be mistaken, if the Rangers added a talent like McDavid or Matthews, the entire equation would change. New York would overhaul their entire team approach, and focus on how to win and win soon.
2. Mike Sullivan
Mike Sullivan won’t be the sole reason the Rangers win a Cup, but he is another advantage the Rangers have in their organization. Sullivan’s first season with the Rangers wasn’t perfect, but he was coaching a retooling team rather than a contender. Let’s not forget that Sullivan has won back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins. Sullivan knows how to win and remains one of the best coaches in the league.
3. The current core
Let’s not forget that the Rangers have an elite goalie in Igor Shesterkin and an elite defenseman in Adam Fox. Again, these are advantages that many other teams don’t boast. Fox and Shesterkin are not old so we shouldn’t expect their play to fall off any time in the near future. Having the duo in prime positions is a great starting point for building a roster and why the Rangers could win soon.
4. Parity
Something that works for the majority of the NHL is that new teams are making the playoffs and making decent runs every season. The NHL playoffs have become almost a “you just have to get in and then see what happens” kind of playoffs, which would benefit a team like the Rangers who may not have it all figured out just yet.
Additionally, this is where having Shesterkin is so huge and why the Rangers could win it all sooner rather than later. If the Rangers can get in, Shesterkin will likely steal some games and advance the team further than they should realistically go.
5. It can’t get worse
Hey, maybe the Rangers won’t win the Cup any time soon after all. But it can’t get any worse than the last couple of seasons (I hope?). The Rangers could win it all soon with some luck and some savvy moves. The trust isn’t there, and for good reason, but as they say with the lotto: Hey, you never know.
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