The Athletic New York Rangers 2022-23 Season Preview

[BrooksBurner]

21 minutes ago, Pete said:

I didn't say he can't do it, I said he can't be counted on to do it. If you're counting on historic goaltending performances to win, then your team is in big trouble. 

 

The bottom line is unless they improve their five on five play on both sides of the puck, it's not going to matter. Everyone wants to see the kids take a step forward, but if they're not taking a step forward at five on five and if they're not responsible on the defensive side as a team, putting up personal bests and points probably isn't going to help.

 

Although I will say if the kids are putting up personal best in points, it will be at 5 on 5 because none of them are sniffing a power play. 

 

But counting on Igor to keep putting up top five all time statistical seasons is a recipe for failure. 

 

This is turning a bit into semantics, because it sounds like you are coming from an angle where "counting on" means "solely relying on Igor to be as good" which would imply the team hasn't improved, and I am coming from an angle where "counting on" means "expecting Igor to be as good", which still leaves the team improving on top of that as possible. 

 

My view more simply put: Igor can be counted on to be just as good AND the team can be better at the same time. They aren't mutually exclusive.

Edited September 28, 2022 by rmc51

[Zuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuc]

7 minutes ago, Pete said:

The reason Igor is unlikely to replicate last season is because it was historic in terms of high danger save percentage.

 

I just don't think you guys realize how much better he was than the next best goalie. You think he's just going to bang out record-breaking seasons every year, sorry but I just don't think you can count on that.

 

I'm not saying he's going to be league average, but even if he was only as good as last year second best goalie, that's a marked drop off. And last year's second best goalie had a damn good year. 

 

And frankly, if the team is as good as everybody here thinks they are, he shouldn't have to. 

 

Score at five on five, defend as a team. If they have not learned to do these two things, their season will end the same as last year's. Sure, even if they make the ECF again, if that's the reason they lose, then we saw it coming going back to last year. 

I agree 100% on the last part, but I don't think we're on the same page about Igor. You think he's a really good goalie having a historical season last year he won't replicate. I think he's an all time great goalie that will continue to play at or around that level for many more years.

 

Of course they cant rely on him alone and they do need to improve 5v5, but I actually think they will do that. Mainly based on the entire roster now being one year older, more experienced and they all know what it takes now.

[Pete]

22 minutes ago, rmc51 said:

Igor can be counted on to be just as good AND the team can be better at the same time. They aren't mutually exclusive.

No one said they are mutually exclusive, I just don't agree with the bolded. I just don't think you guys realize how much better he was than everyone else last season.

[Pete]

15 minutes ago, Zuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuc said:

I think he's an all time great goalie that will continue to play at or around that level for many more years.

I mean, from your mouth to God's ears, but this is just not likely.

[Cash or Czech]

I think it's a pretty crazy stat that of Shesterkin's professional career, he's only been under a .932 save % 4 of his 9 years. When he's played 10 or more games in a season, he's only finished below .932 once (6 seasons total). 

 

That said, I agree with Pete. The NHL is a different animal so you can't translate that high of success over a long period of time. If it's sustainable for Shesterkin, he'll end up being the greatest goalie of this generation.

Edited September 28, 2022 by Cash or Czech

[Pete]

37 minutes ago, Cash or Czech said:

I think it's a pretty crazy stat that of Shesterkin's professional career, he's only been under a .932 save % 4 of his 9 years. When he's played 10 or more games in a season, he's only finished below .932 once (6 seasons total). 

 

That said, I agree with Pete. The NHL is a different animal so you can't translate that high of success over a long period of time. If it's sustainable for Shesterkin, he'll end up being the greatest goalie of this generation.

I just doubt that KHL organizations have teams of people breaking down video the way they do in the NHL. By the time the Rangers played the Lightning, they knew all of Vasi's problems up high and exploited them. Teams learned to exploit Henrik by shooting and not deking in shoot outs.

 

IMO, it's not about the shots he's supposed to stop, it's about all the ones he shouldn't have stopped lat year, but did. The Rangers need to clean that up, and they'll be OK. But you can't expect magic every year.

[BrooksBurner]

1 hour ago, Pete said:

No one said they are mutually exclusive, I just don't agree with the bolded. I just don't think you guys realize how much better he was than everyone else last season.

I realize that, but I just think he’s that good 

[Sod16]

2 hours ago, Pete said:

I mean, from your mouth to God's ears, but this is just not likely.

 

I'm sure fans of Bobrosky, Miller, Thomas and Holtby thought that they had a goalie who would be perennially dominant after their Vezina seasons.  Few Vezina winners regress to merely average, but many do not go on to repeatedly be among the three Vezina nominees.

 

Hank only won once, but he was perhaps the best of his era insofar as he was among the top five for a lengthy period.

[Albatrosss]

I expect nothing less than another Vezina from Shesty. He’s that good. 

[Pete]

1 hour ago, rmc51 said:

I realize that, but I just think he’s that good 

Well they better hope you're right, however "hope" is probably the worst strategy of all time. 

 

"Let's hope for an all-time great goaltending performance 2 years in a row!"...Sounds legit.

 

However, as we saw last year, if they don't fix the 5 on 5 play it won't matter. So even if your miracle comes to pass, everything else still needs to change. However, if the 5v5 play gets better, Igor doesn't need to be as good. Obviously the team strategy should be to get better at 5 v 5and not rely on unsustainable performances. 

Edited September 28, 2022 by Pete

[The Dude]

7 hours ago, Zuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuc said:

On D we have Fox (24), Lindgren (24), Trouba (28), Miller (22), Schneider (21), Jones (21). Anyone doubt that this D group will look better than last season? Schneider got a full season under his belt now, Jones over Nemeth is an upgrade even if he's an undersized rookie D, Miller looks to take a huge step and Fox/Lindgren will keep improving, as they've done their entire careers.

 

There's still questions about "team defense" obviously, but there's no doubt that our D group is a lot better than it was just a year ago, even if it's still the same names.

Pretty much what I am thinking. Fox wasn't "on" for the last half or so of the season. Miller has another year under his belt,  where he took big steps, and is looking to expand his game offensively, which I think puts Trouba in a more defensive minded role, which is what Gallant was thinking a bit too early last season (expected offense from Miller, and more stay at home from Trouba). 

 

Nemeth being gone is an upgrade, no matter who they plug in, in his place. I do fear Schneider being complacent or taking a step backwards. Need him fired up. Last preseason,  he was an animal and showed a lot of everything. He looked kinda blah in game 1. But it's just one game.. 

 

The team D might even come together more if they can solidify the 4th line with players who can actually play or contribute more than just energy/toughness.  The point of bringing in Goodrow was to build a 4th line that was going to be hard to play against and able to match up with top lines in tight games. Depending on who they choose to be everyday 4th liners, it could help the team D situation just a hair.

 

I'd say Trocheck is better than Strome defensively. No? Panarin is talking like he's going to be doing more, so that will tighten things up if he cuts down the giveaways.. 

 

If there's still a kid line, they have to be strong on their forecheck and keep the puck deep in the offensive zone. 

 

They all need to control the puck lot more this season  and that will strengthen the team D concept. Fox getting back to being Fox should seriously help. 

 

That's not saying anything ground breaking.  I know.  

[Cr00zng]

15 hours ago, Pete said:

Well they better hope you're right, however "hope" is probably the worst strategy of all time. 

 

"Let's hope for an all-time great goaltending performance 2 years in a row!"...Sounds legit.

 

However, as we saw last year, if they don't fix the 5 on 5 play it won't matter. So even if your miracle comes to pass, everything else still needs to change. However, if the 5v5 play gets better, Igor doesn't need to be as good. Obviously the team strategy should be to get better at 5 v 5and not rely on unsustainable performances. 

 

The coaches weren’t able address/fix 5v5 play last season. What is the likeliness of being able to address this in the upcoming season, with seemingly the same personnel* on the team? Give them a mulligan for the last, but not for the upcoming season, if they will not address 5v5 issue.

 

*- I didn’t not follow all of the personnel changes in the off season, but based on the preseason games, it seems that there aren’t many changes.

[RangersIn7]

He didn’t say anything that was outright untrue. But he makes no accounting for several things. And I think he totally underestimates the bottom-6. 
 

I don’t see Igor being historically good again.

But I think he settles in around .925 and 2.30 

 

And that’s elite. If that happens, they’re fine.

[Albatrosss]

since Panarin, Fox, and Trouba take up all of our cap, our only hope is Shesty taking us to the promised land. 

[Bugg]

On 9/29/2022 at 12:06 PM, RangersIn7 said:

He didn’t say anything that was outright untrue. But he makes no accounting for several things. And I think he totally underestimates the bottom-6. 
 

I don’t see Igor being historically good again.

But I think he settles in around .925 and 2.30 

 

And that’s elite. If that happens, they’re fine.

Also the NHL is a bit different in the sense the team you are from October through March, while important, isn't necessarily the team you will be after the deadline. You can lose your chance at the Cup by making a mess or having injuries in those first 5-6 months (Islanders last year being a case of that.)

 

What this preview doesn't say(or at least behind a paywall, I don't know)  and we all know ; "Rangers have the draft picks and assets to add Patrick Kane or somebody with an expiring contract like that at the deadline to make them elite".