It’s the start of a five-game road trip for the Oilers, who are 1-0-1 this season, and won three in a row and five of their past six at Madison Square Garden. McDavid had a goal on March 16 when the Oilers defeated the Rangers 3-1, giving him nine goals and 23 points in 15 games against them since he entered the NHL in 2015.

“I think you have to have a heightened awareness when he’s on the ice,” Rangers coach Mike Sullivan said after the morning skate. “The biggest difference that makes Connor so unique is the speed at which he executes plays out there. Anytime we have an opportunity to limit his speed and deny him the opportunity to get the puck in stride.”

McDavid is a unicorn — a combination of size, speed and skill unlike any other player in the NHL today. He has enough individual awards to fill an entire room, although No. 97 and his teammates came up short against the Florida Panthers in each of the past two Stanley Cup Finals.

There are so many ways that McDavid excels on the ice. But one in particular stands out for Sullivan.

“It’s just how fast he can execute plays with the puck, whether it be on the rush or in the zone,” he said. “We’re going to have to have a curtained heightened awareness when he’s on the ice, without a doubt.”

Rangers must shut down Connor McDavid to defeat Oilers

The Rangers need a big night from goaltender Igor Shesterkin, who’s allowed just two goals in his first three starts this season Shesterkin has faced the Oilers just three times in his career, and the results haven’t been pretty – he’s 1-2-0 with a 3.65 goals-against average and a save percentage of just .869. He was the loser in the Oilers’ victory at MSG last March, as well as a 4-3 defeat at the Garden on Nov. 26, 2022, that saw the Rangers blow a 3-0 lead in the third period.

Igor Shesterkin to start the season:

3 Games Played
2 Goals Allowed
1 Shutout
.976 SV%
0.67 GAA

11.5 Million Dollar Man for a reason 🗽 pic.twitter.com/7Rca4Jt2Rp

— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) October 12, 2025

The Oilers, especially McDavid and longtime running mate Leon Draisaitl, are known for playing a fast-paced style. Sullivan said there are different kinds of speed, but what makes the Oilers unique is having superstars like McDavid and Draisaitl who think the game as fast as they skate.

“There’s physical foot speed, there’s team speed, your ability to change the point of attack and move the puck, being connected on breakouts, things of that nature. They help your team speed. Then there’s mind speed or intellectual speed, your ability to process the game quickly. Windows of opportunity open and close quickly, so you can anticipate on both sides of the puck to try to take advantage. Speed, in all its forms, for me is a real competitive advantage in today’s game.

Final touches before tonight. pic.twitter.com/H2B3n1jtkx

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) October 14, 2025

“Edmonton, what makes them unique, is that they have a couple of players that not only do they have the physical foot speed that makes them hard to defend against, but they also think the game on a really high level to take advantage or exploit opportunity when it presents itself. That’s what makes them unique.”

Even more unique is when the Oilers use Draisaitl on McDavid’s line, rather than splitting them up. That’s expected to be the case Tuesday.

“They’re dangerous when they’re together,” Sullivan explained. “The downside is that they lose a little bit of balance in their lineup – as an opponent, you can try to key on one line instead of two, whether it be defense pairs, line combinations, whatever it may be. I’m sure their coaching staff is always weighing that decision, just like the rest of us do with our lineups.”

The Rangers (33-29-6) had won two straight coming in, including that 4-0 victory in Columbus that vaulted them into the second wild card in the Eastern Conference. But yet again, the Rangers were unable to win a third consecutive game. They haven’t won three in a row since Nov. 14-19.

That’s not to say they didn’t play well Sunday, because they did. It was their fourth straight solid defensive showing after allowing seven goals in a loss at MSG to the Blue Jackets last Sunday. They limited the Oilers to 23 shots on goal and held superstars Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl to one point apiece.

But that was enough for the Oilers (39-24-4), who finished a four-game road trip with a 2-2-0 record by beating the New York Islanders and the Rangers — allowing one goal in each game.

Stuart Skinner was excellent in goal for Edmonton, stopping 21 of 22 shots. He bested Igor Shesterkin, who started on consecutive days for only the fifth time in his NHL career, falling to 4-1-0 in such games. He made 20 saves one night after shutting out the Blue Jackets.

McDavid, Corey Perry and Victor Arvidsson scored for the Oilers, and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins assisted on all three goals. Draisaitl extended his point streak to 18 games, longest in the NHL this season, with a first-period assist. McDavid pushed his point streak to 11 games with a third-period goal.

Will Cuylle scored his first goal in seven games for the Rangers. Artemi Panari extended his point streak to nine games with an assist. Vincent Trocheck also assisted on Cuylle’s goal.

Related: Familiar injury concerns for former Rangers center Filip Chytil after latest scary incident

Edmonton Oilers 3 – New York Rangers 1

For all the star talent on the ice for both teams Sunday, it was a pair of greasy goals that had this game tied 1-1 after two periods of play. That’s not to say the stars weren’t generating fancy scoring chances, but in a pretty tight defensive game, the goal scoring came from the blue paint for each team.

The Oilers had the only goal of the first period, when Perry scored from his knees on the power play during a scramble by Shesterkin’s crease with 43.1 seconds remaining. It was a great effort by the rugged veteran forward, who scored his 15th goal of the season when his backhand shot tipped off Shesterkin’s glove and into the net.

Corey Perry opens the scoring with less than a minute left to go in the first period 🚨 pic.twitter.com/6H0YJmeNqF

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 16, 2025

Edmonton outshot New York 12-7 in the first period, including a partial break by Jeff Skinner at 18:40, when he split the defense and forced Shesterkin to make a big-time stop.

The Rangers also had some good looks in the opening period. Alexis Lafreniere found Mika Zibanejad for an in-tight one-timer with a beauty of a pass at 8:33 that was stopped by Skinner. Then at 15:28, Zibanejad played facilitator, hitting Adam Fox in full stride flying down right wing for a Grade A look that Skinner denied.

That doesn’t even include J.T. Miller ripping a right-wing shot off the post on the power play less than two minutes into the game.

In the second period, the Rangers did an excellent job shutting down the Oilers, who entered the game with a League-high 85 goals in the second period. But the Rangers held them without a goal and only allowed six shots on goal in the period, including a point-blank look by Connor Brown that was swallowed up by Shesterkin at 10:50.

By that point, the Rangers had already tied the game. Cuylle won a goalmouth battle to tap a loose puck over the goal line for his 18th goal at the five-minute mark to make it 1-1. Panarin and Trocheck assisted on the goal, which began with a 4-on-3 odd-man rush into the zone by New York.

COOLS STUCK WITH IT. pic.twitter.com/lFKOXRRrTW

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) March 17, 2025

Matt Rempe came close to giving the Rangers their first lead shortly after Cuylle’s goal. Rempe got his skate in the way of an Oilers pass in the defensive zone, then led a rush up ice that included the 6-foot-9 forward speeding between the defensemen for a partial break-in. His forehand shot was stopped by Skinner, denying Rempe a highlight-reel goal.

New York’s bottom-six had another great scoring chance at 12:48 when Jonny Brodzinski, the trailer on a 3-on-2, took a pass from Braden Schneider, but his backhand shot was snuffed out by Skinner. Brodzinski drew a penalty on the play, but the Rangers couldn’t connect on their power-play opportunity. The Rangers were 0-for-3 on the power play Sunday.

So good defensively all night, the Rangers got burned by a rare odd-man rush from the Oilers early in the third period to again fall behind. Arvidsson played give and go with Nugent-Hopkins on a 3-on-2, and his right-wing shot deflected just enough off the stick of Zac Zones to go up and over the glove of Shesterkin to put the Oilers back in front 2-1 at 6:09.

The Rangers then picked up their offensive game after falling behind, putting consistent pressure on the Oilers. J.T. Miller and Alexis Lafreniere each had excellent chances off deflections on the same shift after the eight-minute mark. Right before that, Skinner somehow kept the puck out of the net after an Urho Vaakanainen point shot nestled into the goalie’s pads and Brett Berard and Chris Kreider pushed forward trying to poke it over the goal line.

They came within inches of scoring on the power play midway through the third period during a wild scramble in front of Skinner’s net that began with an open look for Fox. Somehow Skinner got his left arm out in time while falling to the ice to rob Zibanejad on a rebound attempt.

Skinner’s timely saves set the stage for McDavid to bury the Rangers with his 25th goal at 16:35. A terrific individual effort was capped by a wicked snap shot from left wing that beat Shesterkin to the glove side. It was McDavid’s only shot on goal during the game.

CONNOR MCDAVID'S 25TH OF THE SEASON DOUBLES THE OILERS' LEAD 💪

He extends his point streak to 11 games 👀 pic.twitter.com/fWahC7coH9

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 17, 2025

With the 3-1 loss, the Rangers failed to create more distance between them and the ninth-place Montreal Canadiens, who are one point behind them, and the Blue Jackets and Detroit Red Wings, each of whom is two points in arrears. Montreal and Columbus each have two games in hand on New York; Detroit has one.

After a day off Monday, the Rangers are back at it Tuesday, when they host the Calgary Flames at MSG.

The Rangers (33-28-6) skated out of Columbus with an impressive 4-0 victory over the Blue Jackets on Saturday for their second straight win to secure a winning road trip (2-1-0). In the process, they leapfrogged the Blue Jackets and moved into the second wild card in the Eastern Conference. They’re now one point up on the Montreal Canadiens and two ahead of the Blue Jackets, though both teams have a game in hand on New York.

It was a terrific defensive effort by the Rangers, who allowed only 21 shots on goal and picked up their eighth shutout of the season. This after they were hammered by the Blue Jackets 7-3 at MSG last Sunday showed excellent resiliency by the Blueshirts.

See you back at home, #NYR family. pic.twitter.com/wToXLJZKR6

— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) March 16, 2025

Alexis Lafreniere scored his first goal in 15 games, Vincent Trocheck scored twice and Artemi Panarin had a clutch goal that made it 2-0 midway through the second period. With Adam Fox back in the lineup after an eight-game injury absence, there was plenty of good for the Rangers on Saturday night.

Now, they must regroup quickly to face an Oilers team that’s waiting for them. The Oilers defeated the Islanders 2-1 in overtime at UBS Arena on Friday and has been in the tri-state area since Tuesday, including a 3-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday.

Like the Rangers, the Oilers (38-24-4) have a lot to play for down the stretch. They are third in the Pacific Division, though just one point behind the second-place Los Angeles Kings. It hasn’t been an easy run for the Oilers after they lost Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final to the Florida Panthers last spring. They’ve lost eight of 12 games (4-8-0) since Feb. 7 and struggled offensively, even with Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl producing at their typical pace.

This is the second and final meeting in the season series. The Oilers hammered the Rangers 6-2 at Rogers Place on Nov. 23.

Related: 3 Rangers takeaways after clutch 4-0 road win against Blue Jackets

3 things to watch for when Rangers host Oilers

1. More Igor

Rangers coach Peter Laviolette wasn’t saying postgame Saturday, but there’s a chance Igor Shesterkin starts on consecutive days for only the fifth time in his NHL career. It should be noted that Shesterkin is 4-0-0 in those previous four instances, two of which came after he played a full game the day before and two when he was pulled from a contest the previous day.

This is no knock on backup Jonathan Quick, but the Rangers are in a spot where they need every possible standings point and Shesterkin is their clearcut best option at the position. He was solid again Saturday, stopping all 21 shots for his fifth shutout of the season. And it’s not like he was overworked Saturday nor this season, starting 49 of their 67 games.

Big=time game. Big-time opponent. Big time of the season. Seems like it’s the moment to ride your big-time goalie.

UPDATE 4:45 pm: Igor Shesterkin will start Sunday night against the Oilers

2. Containing Connor McDavid, Leon Draisaitl

You probably haven’t heard this one before, right? To defeat the Oilers, you need to contain McDavid and Draisaitl. Shocker, we know.

But it’s the truth. Even though that pair of superstar forwards continues to produce at a serious rate, the Oilers are struggling mightily to score enough goals to win games. They’ve scored two goals in three straight games and four of six. They’ve scored three or under in 10 of their past 11. Despite the star play of McDavid and Draisaitl, the Oilers have been incapable of piling up the goals.

That said, these guys are on a tear. Draisailt scored both goals, including the OT game-winner, against the Islanders and is on a 17-game point streak, tied for longest in the NHL this season. He leads the NHL with 49 goals and is second with 100 points, two behind Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche. It is the sixth 100-point season in Draisaitl’s career.

McDavid, currently with points in 10 straight games, is not exactly a slouch this season either. He’s fourth in League scoring (85 points) and third with 61 assists.

3. Vincent Trocheck getting hot with Artemi Panarin

Panarin’s been on a roll for a bit now, with an eight-game point streak (six goals, six assists). He added two more points to that total Saturday, with a goal and assist, and sits at 71 points, his fifth season with at least 70 points for the Rangers, tied with Mark Messier and Mika Zibanejad for fifth most in Rangers history.

Make that an eight-game point streak for Artemi Panarin! 🥖 pic.twitter.com/mCHBdhBhtI

— NHL (@NHL) March 16, 2025

Now his linemate is joining the party. Trocheck has three goals in the past two games, including a pair Saturday that featured a short-handed empty-netter in the third period which iced the victory. Trocheck now has 20 goals for the third straight season with the Rangers and seventh time in his NHL career. He’s second on the Rangers in goals, behind Panarin (29) and fourth in points with 45.

New York Rangers projected lineup

Panarin – Trocheck – Cuylle

Lafreniere – J.T. Miller- Zibanejad

Kreider – Carrick – Berard

Othmann – Brodzinski – Rempe

Vaakanainen – Fox

K. Miller – Borgen

Jones – Schneider

Shesterkin

Quick

Rangers vs. Oilers: When, where, what time, how to watch

Who: New York Rangers vs. Edmonton Oilers

When: Sunday, March 16 at 7:00 p.m. ET

Where: Madison Square Garden

How to watch: MSG

But what will the national audience see from the Rangers (17-19-1)? The team that lost 15 of 19 games to close out 2024 and dropped into last place in the Metropolitan Division? Or the one that competed throughout a spirited 2-1 win against the Boston Bruins in the first game of the New Year on Thursday?

There were some signs of life in the Rangers in their final two games in December, albeit losses to the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers. They built on those efforts, though, with their best game in a while against the Bruins. Though far from perfect Thursday, is the needle finally beginning to point upward for the Rangers?

They’ll face a bigger test against the high-scoring Capitals (25-10-3) on Saturday. The Bruins had plenty of Grade A scoring chances, but Jonathan Quick was sensational holding them at bay. The Capitals are not the low-scoring Bruins, though. So, the Rangers must defend much better or Quick could be buried under a barrage from Alex Ovechkin and Co., who are second in the NHL averaging 3.63 goals per game.

Speaking of Quick, he’s seeking to become the 15th goalie in NHL history to win 400 games after career win No. 399 on Thursday.

New York Rangers news

Here are our three things to watch for when the Rangers visit the Capitals, including finding ways to shut down Ovechkin, who’s 24 goals away from breaking Wayne Gretzky’s all-time goals record of 894.

There were plenty of news-n-notes from Rangers practice Friday, including Matt Rempe and K’Andre Miller “dropping the gloves” in a mock fight.

Brett Berard certainly made a splash with his game-winning goal and subsequent wild celly for the Rangers in their win against the Bruins. Teammate Braden Schneider noted how the rookie plays “100 miles an hour.”

Rangers legend Henrik Lundqvist is one of seven hockey greats in the IIHF Hall of Fame class of 2025.

Gabe Perreault and Drew Fortescue will be on the ice Saturday in Ottawa, trying to help the United States reach the Gold Medal game at the 2025 World Junior Championship when they play Czechia in the semifinals. Perreault had three assists in the quarterfinals, a 7-2 U.S. win against Switzerland.

NHL news

New Jersey Hockey Now is reporting that the Devils are eager to make a trade to add depth scoring to their lineup. General manager Tom Fitzgerald arrived in San Jose ahead of the team a couple days ago, perhaps to chat with good buddy and Sharks GM Mike Grier about Mikael Granlund?

Semyon Varlamov was back on the ice skating Friday for the Islanders, though the 36-year-old goalie didn’t face shots nor take part in practice. Varlamov has missed 13 games with a lower-body injury.

One day after the Bruins lost to the Rangers, they signed forward Mark Kastelic to a three-year contract extension with a $1.567 million salary cap hit.

Colorado Avalanche goalie Scott Wedgewood is going to miss some time after sustaining a lower-body injury during a collision against the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday.

The Blackhawks ended a five-game losing streak, defeating the Montreal Canadiens 4-2 behind Arvid Soderblom’s 38 saves.

Without the injured Quinn Hughes, Elias Pettersson, Thatcher Demko and Filip Hronek in the lineup, the Vancouver Canucks were shut out 3-0 by the woeful Nashville Predators. Former Rangers forward J.T. Miller is without a goal in his past 12 games for Vancouver.

Leon Draisaitl scored with 1:35 left in regulation to lift the Edmonton Oilers past the Anaheim Ducks 3-2 and extend his point streak to 13 games.

WATCH Brandon Saad score a natural hat trick in the St. Louis Blues’ 4-0 win against the Ottawa Senators.

That’s because the Rangers have their own superstar to re-sign before he can become an unrestricted free agent next July 1.

So, even though comparing Igor Shesterkin to Draisaitl is not exactly apples to apples, there are enough similarities here for the Rangers to learn a thing or two.

It starts with that each 28-year-old is among the best in the world at his position. Shesterkin is, arguably, the best goalie in the NHL. The 2022 Vezina Trophy winner sure looked the part carrying the Rangers to the Eastern Conference Final last spring. And Draisaitl is just about the best forward on the planet. Or at least in the conversation with his Oilers teammate Connor McDavid after three straight 100-point seasons and triple-digit points in five of the past six seasons.

Each player is a cornerstone for the team that selected him in the 2014 NHL Draft. Draisaitl professed love and loyalty today for the only NHL team he’s played for. Shesterkin certainly has expressed similar sentiments about New York and the Rangers in the past.

And had they both reached free agency July 1, there’s a good chance they’d be the two most attractive options on the open market, along with Mitchell Marner of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Mikko Rantanen of the Colorado Avalanche (assuming Sidney Crosby is a lock to re-up with the Pittsburgh Penguins).

Then there’s the money. Draisaitl received an eight-year contract worth $112 million. That averages to an NHL record $14 million per season. No other player will earns as much annually as Draisaitl when the extension kicks in for the 2025-26 season.

Shesterkin? He’s reportedly aiming to be the highest-paid goalie in NHL history. That would mean topping Carey Price and his $10.5 million AAV. Perhaps that number creeps north of $12 million per season on a long-term deal.

Like the Rangers, the Oilers are up against the salary cap. Plus, McDavid, Evan Bouchard and Darnell Nurse will need new deals within a year. The Rangers need to sign Shesterkin and then get Alexis Lafreniere and K’Andre Miller signed before they can become restricted free agents with arbitration rights next summer.

But there’s a key takeaway for the Rangers in how the Oilers conducted their business with Draisaitl despite bumping up against the cap.

Related: Igor Shesterkin tops list of 2025 NHL free-agent goalies

Rangers can learn from Oilers signing Leon Draisaitl to massive contract

“Players like Leon are special,” Oilers general manager Stan Bowman explained Tuesday. “There’s not many players in the world that can play hockey like he does. There’s no way we could ever replace what Leon brings to the table. … For me, there was never a question (about signing Draisaitl).”

Though goalies are typically not valued as highly as great skaters — forwards, in particular — Rangers general manager Chris Drury should have that same line of thinking about Shesterkin as Bowman does with Draisaitl.

You have, arguably, the best player at his position in the NHL. Don’t overthink it. Get a deal done.

Of course, it’s not that simple. There are negotiations, and the GM of any team most definitely is looking for some kind of financial concession to be able to build around his superstar player(s).

But in the end, get the deal done and figure out the rest.

“Certainly, there are going to be challenges in the future but that’s for us to figure out down the road,” Bowman stated. “I think right now, the most important thing was to make sure that, No. 1, he wanted to be in Edmonton — and that’s something we should all focus on, as well … we’ll figure out the rest down the road. But now, just thrilled that he’s with us.”

We might hear similar comments made by Drury in the coming weeks since one would have to believe the Rangers want to get an extension in place before the 2024-25 season begins.

However, team and player could be waiting to see how Jeremy Swayman’s contract drama plays out with the Boston Bruins. Again, this isn’t quite apples to apples, but Swayman is looking at a significant raise, and is an intriguing top-end goalie comparable to Shesterkin.

Right now, Swayman is not under contract for this season and remains an RFA. He’s not eligible to be a UFA until 2026. But the sides are working on a big contract, and not one that would simply walk him into free agency.

Shesterkin is three years older and has proven more in the NHL than Swayman, who will be an uncontested No. 1 for the first time in the NHL this season following the trade of his partner Linus Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators.

In the end, Shesterkin deserves — and will get — a lot more on his next contract than Swayman. But he’ll likely want to see what the 25-year-old’s deal looks like before he puts pen to paper on his own contract with the Rangers.

That said, the bottom line takeaway for the Rangers from the big Draisaitl news Tuesday remains that it is an absolute priority to sign Shesterkin.

Then figure out the rest later.

In Saturday’s stunning 4-3 loss to the Edmonton Oilers, Draisaitl was skating back to his bench after scoring the go-ahead goal and angrily knocked the stick out of an unsuspecting Trouba’s hands.

Trouba wisely kept himself in check and chose to ignore the childish act in order to not put the Rangers down a man again with 2:02 remaining. It was a one goal game and let’s face it, the Oilers aren’t known for defense. A penalty there and the storyline would’ve been how the Blueshirts captain couldn’t control himself costing his team a chance to salvage a point.

Leon in his reputation era 🌚 pic.twitter.com/UR4JpcQ12d

— Edmonton Oilers (@EdmontonOilers) November 27, 2022

Leon Draisaitl on Jacob Trouba stick incident

After the loss, and thanks to the Oilers social media team poking some fun on the stick swipe, there’s been a lot of focus on the incident.

Somehow the Rangers inability to hold multi-goal leads and Trouba not going bonkers over his stick being knocked out of his hands are connected. All that ails the Rangers can be captured in this moment.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

During TNT’s broadcast, Leon Draisaitl jokingly dismissed the incident with a tongue in cheek response on what happened.

“I was just trying to defend myself there last game,” Draisaitl laughed. “I thought it was right in my way. I just tried to get it out of the way.”

Leon Draisaitl addresses the Jacob Trouba incident and why he nicknamed his stick "The Burger Flipper" 😂⬇️ pic.twitter.com/2R2WtUaRjT

— NHLonTNT (@NHL_On_TNT) December 1, 2022

Haha, very funny.

Watching the video several times, you see Jacob Trouba made a mental note of what Draisaitl did. He clearly gets the numbers of the player that disrespected him.

On another note, even if the score were a little more lopsided there’s no given Trouba would’ve done anything because he’s obviously playing through an injury he’d rather not aggravate in a tussle.

I’ll simply add this, the New York Rangers play the Oilers again on February 17 in Edmonton. They will have payback on their minds for the loss, but I’ll bet Trouba will be looking for Draisaitl to cross the tracks at some point in the game.

If he does, the #8 Train will be right on time.

NHL News and Rumors

NHL Recaps. All the latest scores here.

Pat Maroon responds to Jack Edwards fat jokes. Read more.

NHL Rumors: Insider lays out Patrick Kane ask. Read more.

David Pastrnak votes for Leon Draisaitl

The majority of hockey experts believe that Edmonton’s Leon Draisaitl will take home the Hart Trophy. Draisaitl put up 110 points and was the only player at the pause to break the century mark. Of course, the award is not all about points but importance to team. Draisaitl plays with Connor McDavid and while Panarin has talent like Mika Zibanejad around him, it’s undeniable that he was the MVP of the Rangers this season.

Today, Draisaitl just got a big boost to his candidacy when Boston Bruins forward, David Pastrnak stated Leon should win it hands down.

“For me, what Leon Draisaitl was showing up the whole season. A lot of people say, ‘Oh he’s playing with Connor’ and stuff. Connor was hurt for a month or two and he brought it up even another level up. For me it’s absolutely no question it’s going to be and it should be Leon Draisaitl because the way he played this year there is absolutely no question for me.”

Pastrnak via NESN

Nathan MacKinnon votes for Artemi Panarin

Artemi Panarin was the most sought after unrestricted free agent to hit the market in years. The entire league understood he was a game breaker and team maker. Before he signed with the New York Rangers, the Florida Panthers, New York Islanders, Columbus Blue Jackets and Colorado Avalanche were among the most mentioned teams in the hunt. This season, the Breadman propelled the Rangers into the playoffs with a staggering 95 points in 69 contests.

In a recent radio interview, Avs superstar, Nathan MacKinnon opened up on how he tried to lure Artemi Panarin to Colorado. It went so far as to even offering his spot on the PP. Aside from trying to recruit him to the Avalanche, Nathan feels Panarin should be the winner of the Hart Trophy.

“I knew he was a free agent so I was kind of watching him with Columbus. What an amazing player,” MacKinnon said. “And then I watched him all season – just from talking to him, really nice guy, so maybe I’m a little biased with that – but that’s why I think he should win the Hart this year.”

MacKinnon via the Score

Panarin for MVP

There is no doubt that not only are Panarin and Draisaitl worthy but so are MacKinnon and Pastrnak singing their praises. In my view, Leon Draisaitl has already won the Art Ross Trophy for scoring and he does play on a team with Connor McDavid. When it boils down to it, for those casting ballots, they will be hard pressed not to give it the free agent that dazzled Broadway. Let’s face it, without him the Rangers likely who have failed to return to the playoffs for the first time since 2016-2017.

*An earlier version of my story appeared on Sportsnaut.

Henrik Lundqvist

Travis Yost of TSN is the latest NHL reporter to wonder just what will happen with Henrik Lundqvist this summer. Being a Rangers-centric site, we have covered this in-depth from trade to retirement and what those implications are. Here’s just a bit from the TSN article. Ultimately it does little to answer questions, instead just raises more. One thing I can confidently say, the window to trade Alexandar Georgiev has passed and it will come down to what happens with Hank this summer.

Lundqvist may not be the same goalie he once was, but he’s still quite capable. He has a no-movement clause, but with one year and an $8.5-million cap hit remaining on his current deal, he is certainly a tradeable asset. The questions here are significant too. Would Lundqvist have any interest in playing elsewhere? Would the Rangers want to see their face of the franchise playing elsewhere? Do the Rangers feel like they are ready to transition from a guy who is closing in on 1,000 games played? Or do they look at trading a prospect – it’s hard for me to believe they would consider shipping Shesterkin, but Georgiev is an intriguing trade candidate – to acquire more assets?

TSN

Art Ross Hunting

Leon Draisaitl had himself a night and is in line to win the Art Ross Trophy for the first time in his career.

Change to the Offside Rule

News is coming out of Florida that a change to the offside rule is coming.

Big Injuries

The NYR have lost Chris Kreider to a fractured foot with no timetable to return. Tampa lost Steven Stamkos for 6 to 8 weeks to repair a muscle in his core. Finally, the Jackets did lose Josh Anderson officially for this season.

Larry Brooks packed a ton of information in his latest edition of Slap Shots this Sunday. I urge everyone to give it a read here, but I will break it down with my perspective below.

Leon Draisaitl to NY

First off….YES! Secondly, highly unlikely!

Larry Brooks wrote that the Rangers might consider taking on all of Milan Lucic’s awful and long contract if Edmonton were to add Leon Draisaitl. Consider? I don’t know if Brooks is joking here or what, but Jeff Gorton would jump all over that!

Well, here’s how Edmonton writers responded.

It’s laughable that anybody thinks Draisaitl is available. No way, no how. Not even for Karlsson.

— Jim Matheson (@NHLbyMatty) June 17, 2018

It’s that time of year where New York and Toronto hockey speculators come up with laughable trade rumours that undervalue #Oilers players.

The latest silly speculation?

Leon Draisaitl & Milan Lucic for Brady Skjei, say NYPost.

I kid you not.https://t.co/Fuf2EnCftj pic.twitter.com/nic3yS83Xm

— David Staples (@dstaples) June 17, 2018

RFA’s Qualified

We’ve been talking about the Rangers RFA’s for awhile now. Brooks informs us that they have been qualified but the likelihood of them all being on the ice for training camp is zero. That’s a big statement to make but coincides with the rumor buzz that one of either Jimmy Vesey, Vlad Namestnikov, Ryan Spooner, Brady Skjei, or Kevin Hayes will be moved.

High Interest in Kevin Hayes

According to Brooks, lots of interest in Hayes. This is a bit of a stunner because Hayes is a big versatile forward who can play center or the wing. But the Blueshirts have plenty of those players stockpiled in Lias Andersson, Vlad Namestnikov, etc…

In truth, of all the RFA’s the Rangers have Kevin Hayes could bring back a big defenseman or help move up in the draft. Hayes’ good buddy and old college teammate Johnny Gaudreau is in Calgary and a potential swap for defenseman, Dougie Hamilton might make some sense. Also, if the Rangers can feature Hayes and the #9 pick with some sweetners to Carolina for the #2 pick, they can get the highly coveted Andrei Svechnikov.

Keeping Zuccarello

Per Brooks, he feels that Mats Zuccarello will be reporting to camp this summer. There is also some hedging in his article that if Gorton has a change of heart at the draft he could be moved.

My take on Zuccarello this whole time is that the Rangers will keep him and possibly name him captain. He’s the perfect player to help lead these kids too.

Latest on Kovalchuk

Ilya is on the East coast talking with teams about coming back. We know for certain he met with Boston this weekend but Brooks is saying that Ilya still remains interested in the Rangers. He adds the caveat that Ilya wants the Rangers to go out and add more pieces to entice him to come though.

I’m still of the mindset that if the Rangers give Kovalchuk either 6 million for 2 years or goes 5 million for 3 years, he will come to NY. On a side note, throw in the St. Louis Blues as a team with keen interest in him too.

The Ilya Kovalchuk interest is starting to build with the @StLouisBlues. https://t.co/bXaEPs0WRf

— NHL (@NHL) June 16, 2018

The Rangers suffered another loss last night in the fog of the “rebuild presser”. This time to the hands of their biggest rival, the Islanders. Now the team is 4 points out of the final wild card spot in the East, giving the Blueshirts only a 14% chance of making the playoffs.

At this rate, the Rangers are very likely to not only miss the playoffs but finish in the top 10 of the NHL draft lottery. If that is the case, the Rangers would have at least a 5% chance of winning the lottery and the prized selection of defenseman, Rasmus Dahlin. They also would have about a 14-15% chance to move into the top 3 per Tankathon.

May as well keep the losses coming and your fingers crossed.

The Wolves are at the Door

For nearly a decade, this franchise was competitive…I mean highly competitive. They made the ECF in 2012, 2014, and 2015 with a trip to the Cup Final in 2014. They also won a Presidents’ Trophy in 2015 which is also impressive. However, what really stands out is this:

Since the 2010-11 Season, the NY Rangers have played more playoff games than any other team with 98, beating Pittsburgh by 3 (95). This is quite the statistic that will be easily overlooked.

Sadly, the Rangers never achieved the ultimate goal of winning the Stanley Cup which makes what is happening now more difficult for everyone involved. It is like starting a marathon and never finishing, or it’s that classic sports car you bought rotting in your driveway because you couldn’t afford to finish the restoration.

The organization is paying the price for their Cup-less success, as veterans grow long in the tooth and a lack of first round draft picks have come to haunt them in the last 2 years. There are only so many college free agents to sign, like Kevin Hayes and Jimmy Vesey, but they aren’t high end draft picks like Aaron Ekblad, Connor McDavid, and Auston Matthews.

This is acceptable for a team like the Blackhawks, who have played 89 playoff games in that span, but have Stanley Cups to show for it.

The Clock is Ticking to Zero

We are now nearing the last week before the NHL trade deadline. While every NHL insider weighs in on the situation, the noise inside the Rangers organization is growing. Both Rick Nash and Ryan McDonagh have submitted their trade lists. This isn’t a false alarm, these players are going to be traded.

The trade action could start as soon as today. The proverbial shoe is going to drop soon, as players like Michael Grabner, Nick Holden, and David Desharnais are sent packing for picks. However the biggest pieces will see a massive bidding war that will test GM, Jeff Gorton’s ability to extract maximum value for Nash, McDonagh, and quite possibly Zuccarello.

If Nashville really wants Rick Nash that bad, then they need to pay up. Rumors have Nashville prospect Dante Fabbro as someone that could interest the Rangers. Still the Rangers organization already has a lot of defense prospects. The Predators lost in the Stanley Cup final last year, if they really want Nash who could be picked up by rival St. Louis or Dallas, then the price has to be scoring winger, Eeli Tolvanen.

As for McDonagh, the price for him is said to be high, and it should be. It is also very likely the Rangers do not move him at the deadline unless maximum value is extracted. The wise move is to wait until the draft and see what you could get for him then. Make no mistake here though, if the Rangers decide to move a 27 year old, top pair defenseman with a year remaining on his contract, it will be likely be on deadline day after a massive bidding war.

Correction: McDonagh is 28.

The final wrinkle in all of this could be a trade that comes out of nowhere. Something that many didn’t see coming, like moving a J.T. Miller or Chris Kreider. What if a blockbuster with Edmonton is brewing for Leon Draisaitl? The 6’2″, 215 lb, 22 year old center is a star. A legit #1 center in the NHL that would flourish in the Eastern Conference. From last season to this season, he is averaging .94 points per game. Even at a cap hit of 8.5M until 2025, he is a steal.

The Last Days of Vigneault

The Rangers know how good AV has been for the organization. To his credit, the biggest team accomplishments came under his guidance. Of the 98 playoffs games since 2011, he was the coach in 61 of them. He was the perfect fit for a veteran team to take over for John Tortorella.

Now that the organization has committed to a rebuild, they know that developing youth is not a strength of Vigneault’s. It is time to move on and it may happen after the deadline if they want to promote Keith McCambridge of Hartford to the NHL on an interim basis.

Otherwise, they may simply allow AV the dignity of finishing the season before moving on. Just understand that unless this entire rebuild is an elaborate farce, the Rangers need a young and innovative coach for this new era of hockey they are embarking on. AV simply is not that and the wolves have come for him too.