Rangers vs. Predators: 3 things to watch for as final week before trade deadline starts
The New York Rangers are still within striking distance of a wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, but it hardly seems to be a compelling argument for general manager Chris Drury to add major pieces by the March 7 NHL Trade Deadline.
The Rangers seem to be intent on dealing away players on expiring contracts. A home game against the Nashville Predators on Sunday will be their first since trading Ryan Lindgren and Jimmy Vesey to the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday for veteran defenseman Calvin de Haan, center Juuso Parssinen and second- and fourth-round picks in the 2025 NHL Draft.
The Rangers traded Lindgren and Vesey a day after a 3-2 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs that dropped them to a pedestrian 5-6-0 in their past 11 games following a 10-game point streak from Jan. 5-23. The point streak put the Rangers (29-26-4, 62 points) within one point of the second wild-card spot and ahead of every other team below the cutoff. But now they are four points out and tied for 12th place in the Eastern Conference.
The Rangers have 23 games left to make up the deficit and will do so while trying to cope with the loss of Adam Fox, who will miss his second game Sunday in what likely will be a lengthy absence after he fell on his left shoulder in the third period of a 5-1 win over the New York Islanders on Tuesday.
The Rangers are coming off a game where they had little to show for 35 shots on goal. Though Mika Zibanejad and Will Cuylle scored tying goals, little mistakes doomed the Rangers, notably a misplay behind the net by Igor Shesterkin leading to the Maple Leafs getting the game winner in the third period.
The Rangers are a major disappointment and face a strong possibility of missing the postseason for the first time in four seasons; but the Predators (21-31-7, 49 points) are well out of the playoff race in the Western Conference after handing out three massive free-agent contracts this past offseason. They are easily the League’s biggest disappointment in 2024-25.
Nashville has the third-fewest points in NHL and is 16 points out of the final playoff spot in the West despite adding Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and former Rangers defenseman Brady Skjei on the first day of free agency. They were 10 points out following a five-game winning streak last month but are 3-9-0 in their past 12 games and after a string of poor defensive performances.
The Predators allowed three goals in the first period when they were outshot 19-3 during a 7-4 loss to the Islanders on Saturday. Nashville ended its latest loss by allowing an empty-net goal to Islanders goaltender Ilya Sorokin, who beat Shesterkin in a quest to join ‘goalie goal’ list, albeit when Stamkos sent the puck into his own net.
One of Nashville’s better defensive showings was a 2-0 home win over the Rangers on Dec. 17 when Juuse Saros notched a 25-save shutout. Saros allowed six goals on 36 shots Saturday, and the Predators will likely start backup Justus Annunen, who has allowed 18 goals in his past four appearances.
Related: Rangers trade grades after acquiring Calvin de Haan, Juuso Parssinen from Avalanche
3 things to watch for when Rangers host Predators
1. No more five-forward power-play unit
With Fox out, the Rangers experimented with a five-forward group on PP1 against the Maple Leafs on Friday. The Rangers were 0-for-3 with four shots on goal, using Alexis Lafreniere, J.T. Miller, Artemi Panarin, Vincent Trocheck and Zibanejad in the top group.
That will change Sunday. At the morning skate, defenseman Zac Jones slotted onto the top unit to play with Zibanejad, Miller, Panarin and Trocheck. It makes sense to let Jones man the point and quarterback the power play. He’s a skilled offensive player with good vision and instincts. Why not let him play to his strength?
On Sunday the Rangers face a team which has allowed a power-play goal in 14 of its past 19 games. Could this be a chance for the Rangers — two power-play goals in their past seven games and 20th overall in the NHL (20.7 percent) this season — to get untracked when a man up.
2. What’s happened to Steven Stamkos?
Stamkos is experiencing a down season in the first of a four-year, $32 million contract, entering Sunday with 17 goals and 33 points in 59 games. Barring a massive hot streak, Stamkos is likely to finish with less than 30 goals in any 82-game season not disrupted by injury since finishing with 27 goals in 2017-18.
Stamkos has not scored a goal nor recorded a point in 12 straight games since Jan. 23 and was pointless in the month of February. It is the longest scoreless drought ever for the League’s third-leading goal scorer among active players.
On Saturday against the Islanders, Stamkos was on the ice for three even-strength goals in 17:31 — and hid misfired back pass in the final seconds wound up as a goalie goal for Isles goaltender Ilya Sorokin. Stamkos has been on the ice for 15 even-strength goals in his scoreless drought.
Stamkos is two shy of 600 career assists and has 19 goals and 43 points in 43 regular-season games against the Rangers.
3. The new guys
Parssinen and de Haan will each be in the lineup Sunday to make their Rangers debuts after taking part in the morning skate. Parssinen practiced on the third line with Brennan Othmann and Jonny Brodzinski on the wings. De Haan paired with Jones on defense, skating on his off (right) side.
Reportedly coveted by the Rangers for a while, Parssinen scored two goals and had four assists this season with the Avalanche, who acquired the 24-year-old in December from the Predators. He impressed in Colorado’s two games against the Rangers and scored on a quick shot from the slot in the second period at MSG on Jan. 26.
Another fun note about the newest Rangers forward is that he scored in his NHL debut for the Predators against the Blueshirts on Nov. 12, 2022.
Like Lindgren, de Haan can become an unrestricted free agent after the season. He also is a familiar face to the Rangers since he played his first six seasons with the Islanders, including 2016-17 when he posted career highs with five goals and 20 assists.
The 33-year-old is a placeholder until the Rangers make bigger moves to bolster their defense corps during the offseason.
Veteran forward Reilly Smith won’t dress for the Rangers on Sunday due to roster management issues — likely meaning he will be traded soon. Chris Kreider landed on IR Saturday with an upper-body issue.
New York Rangers projected lineup
Panarin – Trocheck – Lafreniere
Cuylle – J.T. Miller- Zibanejad
Othmann – Parssinen – Brodzinski
Berard – Carrick – Rempe
K. Miller – Borgen
Vaakanainen – Schneider
Jones – de Haan
Quick
Shesterkin
Rangers vs. Predators: When, where, what time, how to watch
Who: New York Rangers vs. Nashville Predators
When: Sunday, March 2 at 7 p.m. ET
Where: Madison Square Garden
How to watch: MSG2
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