New York Rangers: All I want for Christmas list
The New York Rangers will be spending the holiday break with family and friends. They were instructed by their head coach Gerard Gallant to get away from it all and not think about hockey. Of course, he wisely told them to be ready to go on December 26, as they are scheduled to practice at 4 PM.
A Christmas List is a tradition for those who celebrate. Children write down gifts they want Santa Clause to bring them and place under the tree. The same goes for all hockey teams and their fans.
Of course, before the season started, I’d wager the Rangers and their fans would have had the playoffs at the top of their requests addressed to the North Pole. At 19-7-4 for 42 points, they are well on the way to post season action.
Let’s take a look at what fans wants for a Very Merry Rangers Christmas!
New York Rangers Christmas List
Yesterday, I asked some fans to give me their Christmas List for the Blueshirts and as expected there was some good ones. But one was repeated over and over several times.
Health: Of the 50+ responses I received, health and in particular that of Igor Shesterkin’s was at the very top of the Rangers list. Aside from Shesterkin’s absence, the Blueshirts have been relatively healthy. In total, the Rangers have lost only 49 man-power games per NHL Injury Viz this season. That’s a stark contrast to the Vegas Golden Knights at 174 man-power games, who lead the NHL.
Roster Upgrades: Another popular ask was for a top six winger. The Rangers indeed have the cap space to go all in at the trade deadline. The question will come down to urgency and asking price. If Chris Drury wanted to, he could have already given up a first round pick for Phil Kessel. Many think, as I do, that Gallant wants Reilly Smith from Vegas, same as when he asked for Drury to acquire Ryan Reaves. Once Jack Eichel comes off LTIR, Vegas will be forced to move the pending UFA.
Progress for the kids: The third most popular one was referencing the younger Rangers. Patience is a virtue, and I believe Kaapo Kakko and Alexis Lafrenière continue to make strides and are developing nicely. They are just 20 years old, and have shown real signs of being not good, but excellent NHL players. Filip Chytil and Vitali Kravtsov also came up and are more of a concern for me. Still, I get it and would also like to see more consistency going forward from them all. The Rangers probably feel the same way.
More Christmas asks
There were several other great asks by fans, here are the best of the rest.
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