Gaborik donned a Rangers sweater for 255 games from 2009-13, after he signed a five-year, $37.5 million contract in the summer of 2009.

Bringing blazing speed and a dynamic scoring touch to a team that desperately needed an offensive playmaker, Gaborik topped the 40-goal mark twice and led the Rangers in points for two of his three full seasons.

The Slovakia native set the bar high in his first season in New York, scoring 42 goals and a career-high 86 points. In 2011-12, he earned his third and final All-Star nod with 41 goals and 76 points, and won MVP honors at the 2012 NHL All-Star Game.

Gaborik’s 42-goal season in 2009-10 ranks fourth among Rangers in the 21st century, trailing only Jaromir Jagr (54), Chris Kreider (52), and Artemi Panarin (49).

But Gaborik’s legacy in New York is defined as much by his production as it is by a tumultuous relationship with former Rangers coach John Tortorella.

“Yeah, it was up and down,” Gaborik admitted last week on Spittin’ Chiclets. “But he played the top guys a lot. He just tried to squeeze the best out of you that he could.”

Gaborik and Tortorella frequently butted heads, as the star forward’s finesse-style game often clashed with the hard-nosed, defense-oriented system Tortorella favored.

One of their most infamous battles came against the New Jersey Devils in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, when Tortorella benched his star forward during Game 2 of the 2012 Eastern Conference Final.

“We almost got into a fight,” Gaborik recalled. “I went to block a shot — and I was in a shooting lane. It was going wide, and somebody tipped it in.”

The shot, off the stick of Devils defenseman Bryce Salvador, was redirected by fourth-line center Ryan Carter and beat Rangers goalie Henrik Lundqvist. Moments before Carter’s goal, which tied the game 2-2 at 18:09 of the second period, Gaborik also failed to clear the puck from the defensive zone.

“During the intermission, I went to see [athletic trainer Jim Ramsey]. He stretched me out, and ‘Torts’ storms in and he’s saying, ‘you’ve gotta f—ing block the shot.’ I was like, ‘I was in a shooting lane’, and we were this close,” Gaborik said with a smile, pinching his thumb and index finger together.

“And I remember if Mike Rupp wasn’t in the training room, I don’t know what would’ve happened. He stepped in between us and kinda got in the way.”

It’s a familiar tale for Tortorella, who earned a love-hate reputation as a fiery coach who held his players to high standards, particularly on defense.

“I remember walking into the [locker] room, and guys were looking at me because they could hear every f—ing single word,” chuckled Gaborik.

Tortorella benched Gaborik, New York’s leading scorer that season with 41 goals, for the majority of the third period. New Jersey’s David Clarkson delivered the game-deciding goal at 2:31 of the third, and the Devils ultimately won the series in six games, advancing to the Stanley Cup Final on Adam Henrique’s overtime winner.

“Sometimes it was heated,” Gaborik reflected. “But at the same time, I understand you had to have really thick skin to play for Torts because he just tried to push the guys to the limits. He just tried to take [the] maximum that you can bring.”

Tortorella was well known for holding his players to task, both on and off the ice — something Gaborik affirmed during the nearly 90-minute interview.

“About Torts, I remember after s—-y game, coming down to the rink next day, you know that you’re gonna get a f—ing hour of video,” he divulged. “When he was doing his video clips, he used to have subtitles on the bottom before the clip started. So it was something like this: ‘No. 10 — where the f— you think you’re going?’, and then he just ripped you apart.

“At the end of the day, you laugh about it, but it was not very pleasant back then.”

Former Rangers star Marian Gaborik believes ‘everybody should play in New York’

Gaborik’s run with the Rangers concluded on something of a sour note. Thirty-five games into the 2012-13 season, the Rangers traded Gaborik to the Columbus Blue Jackets for a package headlined by center Derrick Brassard.

Though Columbus was one of 10 teams on his no-trade list, Gaborik told Spittin’ Chiclets hosts Ryan Whitney, Paul Bissonette, and Keith Yandle that he agreed to sign off on the deal, saying that he no longer felt wanted by the organization.

Despite the disappointing ending, Gaborik maintains positive feelings about his tenure with the Rangers.

“It was fun. I say everybody should play in New York to get experience of playing in the Big Apple, and live there,” he said. “It was amazing. Madison Square Garden and the organization — top notch.”

Gaborik also acknowledged that Tortorella’s coaching style helped prepare him to play for Los Angeles Kings coach Darryl Sutter. Under Sutter, Gaborik helped the Kings lift the Stanley Cup in 2014, defeating the Rangers in a five-game Final.

Marian Gaborik had ‘no doubt’ Kings would defeat Rangers in 2014 Stanley Cup Final

Gaborik was traded to the Kings in March 2014 and put up five goals and 16 points in 19 regular-season games. But his biggest impact came in the playoffs. The 31-year-old led all postseason skaters with 14 goals and finished with 22 points in 26 games.

Though it was Alain Vigneault — not Tortorella — behind the bench for the Rangers, Gaborik still exacted revenge on his former team. He scored twice in the Stanley Cup Final and delivered the third-period equalizer in Game 5 before Alec Martinez’s Cup-winning goal in double overtime.

“That was a topic journalists were asking me, playing New York in the Final,” Gaborik recalled. “Coming into that series, I had no f—ing doubt that we were gonna win. It was amazing feeling I had with myself and the team that there’s no chance that we [were] gonna f— this up.”

Ironically, New York had the upper hand initially.

“Then the first game, we’re playing at home — after 15 minutes, we could’ve been down 3-0,” he recollected. “They had like two breakaways, [Chris] Kreider flying, [Benoit] Pouliot flying, they were like flying. [Jonathan Quick] stood on his head, obviously they hit a couple posts as well, but we got kind of lucky.”

Los Angeles rallied from a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Rangers 3-2 in overtime. The Kings jumped out to a 3-0 series lead before getting the job done at home in Game 5.

It was an emotional victory for Gaborik, who pondered retiring amid injury issues at the beginning of the 2013-14 season.

“I was going to honestly hang it up,” Gaborik revealed, only returning to the NHL after receiving words of encouragement from his wife. “And six months later, I was f—ing holding the Stanley Cup.”

Two years after coming within two wins of the Stanley Cup Final with the Rangers in 2012, Gaborik hoisted the Stanley Cup for the only time in his 17-year, 1,035-game NHL career.

“I thought that ‘I’m never gonna win the Cup’ when you’re at that age,” he admitted. “With everything that was going on, you really appreciate it that you win later in your career than if you win your first or second year. It was the best feeling ever in sports.”

It was a feeling Lundqvist and that era of Rangers squads never got to experience. 2014 still marks New York’s only appearance in the Stanley Cup Final since raising winning it all in 1994.

Having to watch Gaborik lift the trophy after shipping him away one season prior was merely salt in the wound.

The Blueshirts made the playoffs 15 times from 2005-06 through 2024-25 after extending a seven-year non-playoff streak by coming up short from 2000-01 through 2003-04 (there was no hockey in 2004-05 because of the lockout). They got to the NHL final four in 2012, 2015, 2022 and 2024, and reached the Stanley Cup Final in 2014, when they lost to the Los Angeles Kings in five games in their first trip to the championship round in 20 years.

Even without a Cup, the period from 2000-25 provided plenty of postseason thrills, including a series-clinching third-period hat trick, the longest overtime win in eight decades, the win that got the Rangers to the 2014 Final, and a memorable comeback and Game 7 win.

Here’s a look at five unforgettable playoff games from the first 25 years of this century.

May 16, 2024: Chris Kreider’s third-period heroics send Rangers to East Final

No Rangers player scored more goals this century (326) than Chris Kreider, whose time in New York came to an end on June 12 when he was traded to the Anaheim Ducks, aka “Rangers West.” Kreider’s most memorable game with the Rangers came 13 months earlier, in Game 6 of the 2024 Eastern Conference Second Round against the Carolina Hurricanes.

The 2023-24 Rangers set team records for wins (55) and points (114) on the way to the Presidents’ Trophy, swept the Washington Capitals in the first round of the playoffs and won the first three games in the second round against the ’Canes.

But Carolina won the next two games to get the series back to Raleigh with a chance to pull even, and their momentum continued into Game 6. Carolina led 3-1 after two periods and was less than 20 minutes away from sending the series back to Madison Square Garden before Kreider had the period of a lifetime.

Chris Kreider stepped up and made history! @NYRangers | #NYR | #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/5uOvOKxdy9

— NHL Media (@NHLMedia) May 17, 2024

The big left wing cut the deficit to 3-2 by beating Frederik Andersen from behind the goal line at 6:43, then tied the game at 11:54 with a power-play goal. He completed his natural hat trick and put the Rangers ahead 4-3 by tipping Ryan Lindgren’s shot past Andersen at 15:41. Barclay Goodrow’s empty-netter capped the 5-3 win — and one of the great comebacks in Rangers history .

“He took over the game,” captain Jacob Trouba said. “He’s shown the ability to do that at times. … A lot of guys call him ‘The Horse,’ and that’s what he is.”

Kreider was the third Rangers player to score three goals in a series-clinching game — and the first since Mike Gartner in 1990. He joined Mark Messier in the famous “Guarantee Game” in 1994 and Wayne Gretzky in 1997 as the only Rangers to score three goals in one period of a playoff game

“We talk about being a resilient group and a competitive group,” he said afterward, “and I think we showed that tonight.”

May 2, 2012: Marian Gaborik scores 3OT goal against Capitals

Rangers fans of a certain age still remember Pete Stemkowski’s triple-overtime goal in Game 6 of the 1971 Semifinals against the Chicago Black Hawks (as they were known then). The goal at 1:29 of the third OT was the latest goal by the Rangers for more than 40 years, until Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Washington Capitals in 2012.

Each team scored once in the second period before the goaltenders — Henrik Lundqvist of the Rangers and Braden Holtby of the Capitals — took over. The third period was scoreless, as were the first and second overtimes.

The goalies continued their run of perfection until well past the midway point of the period when Marian Gaborik, who had scored 41 regular-season goals but none in the Rangers’ previous eight playoff games, put his name in the team record book.

Marian Gaborik scores the 3OT winner vs. WSH on this day in 2012! #NYR pic.twitter.com/9TXPWMM9zu

— Michael Silvers (@msilvers1979) May 2, 2024

The goal came practically out of nowhere. Dan Girardi controlled the puck along the right wall in the offensive zone and sent it to Brad Richards behind the net to Holtby’s right. Richards sent a quick pass in front of the net to Gaborik, whose quick shot ended the game at 14:41.

“I just tried to get open,” Gaborik said simply. “It was a beautiful pass. I just tried to get good wood on it.”

In the blink of an eye, the Rangers owned a 2-1 lead in the series, which they went on to win in seven games.

“It was about will,” Gaborik said. “We wanted to win this game, and it feels great to get the winner.”

May 29, 2004: Rangers reach Final for first time in 20 years

Rangers fans in the spring of 2014 were been champing at the bit to get back to the Stanley Cup Final, something that hadn’t happened since the Blueshirts won it all 20 years earlier.

But the 18,006 fans who packed Madison Square Garden for Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final against the Montreal Canadiens were confident that this was going to be the night the drought ended. They were right.

The Rangers came out flying. They dominated play in the first period, outshooting the Canadiens 11-5 — but couldn’t get a puck past Dustin Tokarski (Carey Price was out with an injury). The Canadiens nearly broke the scoreless tie early in the second, but Lundqvist made the save of the series when he got his blocker on a shot by Thomas Vanek.

FLASHBACK – A superhuman save and a fourth line goal propel the Rangers to their first Stanley Cup Final in 20 years as they defeat Montreal 1-0 on this day in 2014. Where were you? #NYR pic.twitter.com/ba9jmUxfPw

— Michael Silvers (@msilvers1979) May 29, 2018

The Rangers finally got on the board from an unlikely source. Dominic Moore found a little room in front, took Brian Boyle’s passout from behind the net and beat Tokarski at 18:07 of the second.

There’s always the temptation to go into a shell in the third period when you’re protecting a lead, but the Rangers opted to stay aggressive — and it paid off. They outshot the Canadiens 13-5 — and as the waning moments of the third period approached, fans began to count down before erupting in celebration as the buzzer ended the 1-0 win. The Garden shook — and the Rangers were back in the Final.

“We played so well the entire game,” Lundqvist said. “For me it was more about just being focused on the shots they had.”

May 8, 2015: Ryan McDonagh’s OT goal saves Rangers season

The Rangers were on the verge of seeing one of the great seasons in their history go down the chute as time ticked down in the third period of Game 5 in the 2015 Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Capitals.

The Presidents’ Trophy-winning Rangers were down 3-1 in the series and 1-0 late in Game 5 in front of a stunned crowd at the Garden.

The clock ticked under 2:00 remaining in regulation with the Rangers still trailing. Coach Alain Vigneault called for Lundqvist to come to the bench in favor of a sixth attacker — but before he could get there, the Rangers tied the score. Derek Stepan’s pass found Kreider, whose shot through traffic went past Holtby with 1:41 remaining to make it 1-1.

The Garden was rocking when the teams came back onto the ice for overtime. The Rangers outplayed the Caps before Stepan controlled the puck in the offensive zone as the midway point of the first OT neared. Defenseman Ryan McDonagh jumped off the bench — and Stepan found him racing toward the slot.

One perfect pass and a well-placed shot later, the Rangers were still alive. The Garden erupted as McDonagh’s shot beat Holtby and gave the Blueshirts a season-saving 2-1 win.

May 13, 2015: Derek Stepan steps up with Game 7 OT winner

Five days after setting up McDonagh’s season-saving overtime goal against Washington, Stepan got the chance to step into the hero’s spotlight on his own.

The Rangers forced Game 7 at the Garden by holding off the Capitals 4-3 at Verizon Center in Game 6. But while logic said the momentum was with the Rangers, the visitors didn’t seem impressed – they grabbed a 1-0 lead when Alex Ovechkin beat Lundqvist at 12:50 of the first period.

However, Capitals defenseman Mike Green took two penalties early in the second period, and the Rangers capitalized on the second one when Kevin Hayes scored at 6:22 to tie the game 1-1. Hayes became the first Rangers rookie to score in a Game 7 since Muzz Patrick in 1939. 

The Capitals, who had dominated the first period, had the upper hand late in the second but couldn’t get another puck past Lundqvist. Neither team scored in the third period, so the Rangers were off to overtime for the fourth time in the first two rounds.

Washington had the better of play for much of overtime, but Lundqvist was equal to the task and gave the Rangers a chance to win.

Stepan won an offensive-zone face-off, and Girardi took a shot that was stopped by Holtby. But he couldn’t control the rebound; the puck came into the slot and Stepan buried it — setting off one of the biggest celebrations in Garden history.

The Rangers won their NHL-record sixth consecutive Game 7 and became the first team to win a series in successive years after trailing 3-1, having done the same thing against the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round in 2014.

“You have to believe in the group and how we play,” Lundqvist said, “and that someone in this room is going to be the hero.”

On this night, it was Stepan, the second-line center on our All-Quarter Century Rangers team.

But with the NHL salary cap guaranteed to rise by $7.5 million, to $95.5 million for next season, teams should have more money to play with this summer.

The Rangers have just under $12.2 million available, according to Puckpedia – though some of that must be saved for restricted free agents such as forward Will Cuylle. More than half of that space came from trading veteran forward Chris Kreider and his $6.5 million average annual value contract for the next two seasons to the Anaheim Ducks. The Rangers didn’t get much in return, but they did more than double their previous cap space.

Barring a last-minute trade to free up more cap room, general manager Chris Drury may have to shop at the lower end of the market. But that doesn’t mean he won’t have options as he tries to get the Rangers back on the right track after they missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2024-25.

Here’s a look at five of the Rangers biggest free-agent successes in the past 25 years.

Related: New York Rangers 2025 NHL Draft tracker: Selection, analysis for each pick

Artemi Panarin (2019)

The Rangers hit a grand slam on July 1, 2019, when they got left wing Artemi Panarin to sign on the dotted line.

It is the best free-agent in their history. Panarin’s recorded at least 89 points five times (his only miss was in the COVID-shortened 2020-21 season), was an NHL First-Team All-Star twice, a Second-Team All-Star once and became the fastest skater to reach 500 points (165 goals, 335 assists in 384 games) with the Rangers, when he picked up an assist on Dec. 30, 2024. His 1.28 points per game are the most in Rangers history, and his 120 points in 2023-24 are the second-highest single-season total in franchise history.

Panarin didn’t come cheap – his seven-year contract, which expires after the 2025-26 season, carries an average annual value of $11,642,857. But it’s been money well-spent.

With one year left on his contract, Panarin and the Rangers must determine if they want to continue their relationship next summer, when the star winger will be 34. But there’s no question that he’s been their best free-agent signing in the 21st century.

Vincent Trocheck (2022)

Three years after signing Panarin, the Rangers found a center to go with him when they inked Vincent Trocheck to a seven-year contract with an AAV of $5.625 million.

Trocheck hadn’t scored more than 22 goals or put up more than 51 points in any of his four previous seasons before signing with the Rangers. But he’ exceeded those totals in each of his first three seasons on Broadway, highlighted by a 25-goal, 77-point, plus-16 performance in 2023-24 – most of which was spent centering a line with Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere. That line was key in the Blueshirts winning the Presidents’ Trophy as NHL regular-season champion.

He followed that by being arguably the Rangers best player in the postseason, finishing with eight goals and 20 points In 16 games, when the Rangers reached the Eastern Conference Final for the second time in three seasons.

Trocheck followed that by scoring 26 goals and totaling 59 points in 2024-25, leading the team with seven game-winning goals, finishing fourth in the NHL by winning 59.3 percent of his face-offs (minimum 300 face-offs) and stepping into a leadership role after captain Jacob Trouba was traded to the Anaheim Ducks in early December.

Getting a top-six center who can play in all situations, has leadership skills and is signed for four more seasons at a very manageable salary-cap hit is a definite win for the Rangers.

Marian Gaborik (2009)

The Rangers were looking for scoring when the free agent market opened in 2009. They found it in Marian Gaborik, who spent only three full seasons on Broadway but became one of just three players in team history to hit the 40-goal mark more than once.

Ironically, the greatest night of Gaborik’s career had come against the Rangers. On Dec. 20, 2007, he became the first NHL player in more than 11 years to score five goals in a game; they came as part of a six-point night in a 6-3 win by the Minnesota Wild against the Rangers.

Less than two years later, Gaborik signed with the Rangers as a free agent on July 1, 2009. He wasted no time filling the net, finishing fifth in the NHL with 42 goals in 2009-10. Injuries limited him to 22 goals and 48 points in 62 games in 2010-11, but he stayed healthy the following season and scored 41 goals. He was MVP of the 2012 NHL All-Star Game when he scored three goals and assisted on another — and was named to the NHL First All-Star Team.

Gaborik also earned a line in the Rangers record book that spring by scoring the latest playoff goal in team history. His goal at 14:41 of the third overtime lifted New York to a 2-1 victory over the Washington Capitals in Game 3 of their second-round series.

But the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season was another matter. Gaborik never found his scoring touch and was dealt to the Columbus Blue Jackets ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline. One year later, the Blue Jackets sent him to the Los Angeles Kings, and his playoff-high 14 goals – the last two against the Rangers in the Final — helped them win the Stanley Cup.

Gaborik’s time with the Rangers was relatively short. But his impact was undeniable.

Mats Zuccarello (2010 and 2013)

The 2010 Vancouver Olympics were a coming-out party for Mats Zuccarello, who excelled for Norway. His play attracted attention from NHL teams, and the Rangers signed the undrafted free-agent forward on May 26, 2010.

Zuccarello split the next two seasons between the Rangers and the AHL Connecticut Whale. But with the NHL headed for a lockout in the fall of 2012, he signed with Magnitogorsk of the KHL before rejoining the Rangers as a free agent on March 28, 2013.

Everything finally came together for Zuccarello in 2013-14. He led New York in scoring with 59 points in 77 games, establishing himself as a top-six forward. He also scored five goals and had 13 points in 25 playoff games — as well as becoming the first Norway-born player to skate in the Stanley Cup Final, although the Rangers lost to the Kings in five games.

Zuccarello became a reliable presence up front for the Rangers — as well as a fan favorite at Madison Square Garden, where “Zuuucc” became a popular cheer. He averaged 56 points from 2013-14 through 2017-18, including NHL career highs of 26 goals and 61 points in 2015-16.

After a slow start in 2018-19, the last year of his contract, Zuccarello came alive at midseason and had 37 points (11 goals, 26 assists) through 46 games. But the Rangers, in the midst of a rebuild, traded him to the Dallas Stars on Feb. 23, 2019. He’s played with the Minnesota Wild for the past six seasons, averaging 66 points in the past four.

Michael Nylander (2004)

The father of Toronto Maple Leafs star William Nylander was worth the wait for the Rangers, who signed the free-agent center to a three-year contract on Aug. 10, 2004. But he didn’t make his debut with the Blueshirts until Oct. 5, 2005, because of the lockout that wiped out the 2004-05 season.

Nylander had been a productive middle-six center for more than a decade in the NHL. Little did anyone know that he was about to have the two best seasons of his career.

Coach Tom Renney put the 33-year-old Swede between Jaromir Jagr and Martin Straka. The trio formed one of the most productive lines in Rangers history for the next two seasons. Jagr set the Rangers’ single-season record in 2005-06 with 123 points; he got lots of help from Nylander, whose 79 points were 15 more than he’d ever had. The Rangers, who hadn’t made the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 1997, not only returned to the postseason but reached the 100-point mark for the first time since 1994.

Nylander was even better in 2006-07, setting career highs with 26 goals and 83 points. The Rangers again made the postseason and won a series for the first time in a decade.

The late-career surge drew plenty of attention in the summer of 2007, when Nylander reached free agency again. He rejoined the Capitals and played two more seasons before returning to Europe to finish his career – but never came close to those two magic seasons in New York. Though his time on Broadway was short, his impact was undeniable.

From the 1970s to the present day, the New York Rangers have cashed more than a few winners. Some have been of the big-ticket variety, the kind of player everyone knows about. Others have been solid players who stepped up their games when they arrived at Madison Square Garden, while still others came from out of nowhere and turned into valuable contributors. Here’s a look at the 10 best free-agent signings in Rangers history:

Related: New York Rangers’ worst free-agent signings in history: Wade Redden leads the pack

10. A Flower Blooms on Broadway

The Signing: Rangers signed forward Guy Lafleur to a one-year contract
Date: Sept. 28, 1988

Why it mattered: Lafleur, one of the greatest players in NHL history, had retired in 1984 after 14 brilliant seasons with the Montreal Canadiens and was preparing for his induction into the Hall of Fame in September 1988 when he shocked the hockey world by deciding to attempt a comeback. Rangers GM Phil Esposito, a longtime Lafleur rival, hedged things a bit by calling it a “tryout,” but “Flower’s” performance at training camp showed that he still had something in the tank.

Lafleur wasn’t the star he’d been in Montreal, but he had flashes of his glory days during his one season in the Big Apple, including a four-assist performance against the Edmonton Oilers and the final hat trick of his NHL career against the Los Angeles Kings. But the biggest one came on Feb. 4, 1989, when he lit up the Forum in his first game back in Montreal. The crowd roared for No. 10 in blue as he scored twice and assisted on a third goal. 

Related: New York Rangers worst trades in past 50 years, including Luc Robitaille twice

A goal in the season finale against the New York Islanders gave Lafleur 45 points (18 goals, 27 assists) in 67 games – excellent numbers for a 37-year-old who hadn’t played in the NHL for nearly four years.

Lafleur did the Rangers one more favor after becoming a free agent in the summer of 1989; he signed with his hometown Quebec Nordiques. Under the rules of that era, the Rangers received a fifth-round compensation pick in the 1990 NHL Draft — one that Espo’s successor, Neil Smith, turned into defenseman Sergei Zubov, a future Hall of Famer himself and the leading scorer on the Rangers’ 1994 Cup-winning team.

Related: New York Rangers best trades in past 50 years, including Mark Messier

9. A Terrific Two Years

The Signing: Rangers signed Michael Nylander to a three-year contract
Date: Aug. 10, 2004

Why it mattered: The only problem with Nylander’s time in New York was that it was too short.

The Rangers signed the Swedish center just before training camp in 2004, only to see the first season of his contract negated by the lockout that wiped out the 2004-05 season.

When play resumed in 2005-06, the 33-year-old found himself centering a line with Jaromir Jagr and Martin Straka. It was a match made in hockey heaven; Jagr set Rangers records that still stand with 54 goals and 123 points; he got plenty of help from Nylander, who had career highs in assists (56), points (79) and plus-minus (plus-31). The Rangers qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time since 1996-97 and reached the 100-point mark for the first time since winning the Stanley Cup in 1994.

Nylander was even better in 2006-07, putting up career highs across the board with 26 goals, 57 assists and 83 points. The Rangers again qualified for the playoffs, this time winning a round for the first time in a decade.

However, the season lost to the lockout meant that Nylander became a free agent in the summer of 2007, when he was coming off back-to-back career seasons. Though he was set to turn 35 just before opening night, the Washington Capitals swooped in and signed him to a four-year contract; he played just two seasons before retiring.

It wasn’t a coincidence that Jagr’s production fell off as soon as Nylander left, and he left for the KHL a year later. 

These days, Nylander is best known for his hockey-playing sons — particularly Mitch, a high-scoring forward for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Related: Where do New York Rangers rank regarding team statistics in salary cap era?

8. Dandy Dan

The Signing: Rangers signed defenseman Dan Girardi to a two-year contract
Date: July 1, 2006

Why it mattered: Girardi made a career out of putting his body in harm’s way.

The Rangers signed the undrafted free agent defenseman in the summer of 2006 and started him in the ECHL, but his gritty style (and some injuries on the blue line) got him to the NHL by midseason. He turned into a key member of the Rangers team that had the franchise’s longest run of success since the 1994 championship — they missed the playoffs once in his 11 seasons and got to the Stanley Cup Final in 2014.

Girardi did contribute offensively, but it was his willingness to hit and block shots that made him a Garden favorite. He was credited with at least 125 blocks in each of his final eight seasons with the Rangers and had more than 175 hits seven times in his 11 seasons with New York. Girardi averaged 22:15 of ice time in his 11 seasons with the Rangers, was an alternate captain and even earned a trip to the NHL All-Star Game in 2012.

But all those hits and blocks eventually took a toll. Girardi began to slow down in the later 2010s, and the Rangers bought out the final three seasons of his six-year contract in the summer of 2017. Tampa Bay signed him and he played two more seasons with the Lightning before retiring.

Girardi was the NHL’s all-time leader in blocked shots (1,954) when he hung up his skates; 1,691 of those came with the Rangers. Few players in team history have been more willing to sacrifice their body for the team.

Related: 10 most underrated New York Rangers since 2000

7. Trocheck Finds Next Level with New York Rangers

The Signing: Rangers signed center Vincent Trocheck to a seven-year contract
Date: July 13, 2022

Why it mattered: Trocheck is a good player who’s taken his game to another level since joining the Rangers.

The Pittsburgh native had been a solid middle-six center with the Florida Panthers and Carolina before Rangers GM Chris Drury brought him to New York two years ago. He said he made the decision to join the Rangers because he didn’t want to come to a team that didn’t have a chance to win every year.

Trocheck is a big reason the Rangers got to the Eastern Conference Final for the second time in three seasons last spring. Not only did he finish with a career-high 77 points and earn a spot in the NHL All-Star Game, he also led the Rangers in the postseason with 20 points in 16 games, scored his first career playoff overtime goal (a double-OT winner against Carolina) and set up two other OT tallies.

At 5-foot-11 and 187 pounds, Trocheck is small by NHL standards. But he more than makes up for any lack of size with his work ethic and intensity. Coach Peter Laviolette was so impressed with Trocheck’s effort last season that he played him an average of 21:27, fifth in the NHL among forwards. One reason he got so much ice time was his success in the faceoff circle; Trocheck was fifth among all players with a 58.7 winning percentage during the regular season, then won 57.8 percent of his draws in the playoffs.

But not only does Trocheck center the Rangers’ top offensive line, playing between Artemi Panarin and Alex Lafreniere, he’s also an excellent defensive center — arguably the defensive conscience of an offense-first trio. If his first two seasons are any indication, Trocheck’s average salary of $5.625 million is an incredible bargain. 

Related: The Case For Rangers’ Vincent Trocheck being named to NHL Network’s top-20 centers List

6. From Norway to New York

The Signing: Rangers sign forward Mats Zuccarello to a two-year contract
Date: May 26, 2010

Why it mattered: “The Norwegian Hobbit” lost a name when he signed with the Rangers. He had been Mats Zuccarello Aasen while playing in Sweden and for his home country in the 2010 Winter Olympics, but the “Aasen” didn’t make the trip when he came to New York.

Zuccarello bounced between the Rangers and the AHL for his first three seasons before becoming a regular in 2013-14, breaking out with 19 goals and 59 points and contributing five goals and 13 points in the playoffs as the Rangers reached the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since winning it all in 1994. 

The 5-foot-8 forward soon became a crowd favorite, winning the Steven McDonald Extra Effort award twice. He was named an alternate captain in 2017, scored his 100th NHL goal on March 12, 2018, and became the ninth player in Rangers history to lead the team in scoring for three consecutive seasons.

But when the Rangers struggled in 2018-19, management decided to rebuild — and the 31-year-old Zuccarello was among those who were shipped out. He was dealt to the Dallas Stars on Feb. 23, 2019, though he played just two games before an upper-body injury ended his season. He’s played the past five seasons with the Minnesota Wild. But his 113 goals and 352 points in 509 games are a terrific contribution from a player no one knew much about before his arrival.

Related: Top 10 all-time best United States-born players in New York Rangers history

5. Sweet Swedes

The Signing: Rangers signed center Ulf Nilsson and forward Anders Hedberg to two-year contracts
Date: March 20, 1978

Why it mattered: Free agency within the NHL was still years away in 1978. But poaching talent from the rival World Hockey Association was perfectly OK, and that’s what GM John Ferguson did in March 1978 when he announced that two of the WHA’s biggest stars, Swedish linemates Nilsson and Hedberg, would be heading to the Big Apple for the 1978-79 season.

The two, along with left wing Bobby Hull, had terrorized WHA goalies for years with the Winnipeg Jets, so the news left Rangers fans salivating. Hedberg scored at least 50 goals and finished with 100 points in each of his four WHA seasons. Nilsson averaged 121 points in his four WHA seasons and never had fewer than 76 assists.

Neither came close to those totals in the NHL, but both were fine players who keyed the Rangers’ run to the 1979 Stanley Cup Final.

Hedberg had three straight 30-goal seasons and led the Rangers in scoring in 1978-79. A knee injury limited him to four games in 1981-82, but he had at least 20 goals in each of his six seasons before retiring in 1985.

Nilsson was averaging well over a point a game in his first season before he sustained a broken ankle caused when he caught a rut in the ice at the Garden as he was hit by Islanders defenseman Denis Potvin (he absolved the future Hall of Famer of any blame for the injury, but the “Potvin Sucks” chant lives on 45 years later). Nilsson also missed the entire 1981-82 season because of a knee injury sustained playing for Sweden in the 1981 Canada Cup. He played just 10 games in 1982-83 before retiring with 169 points in 170 NHL games — and one of the biggest “what if” clouds in Rangers history.

Related: 5 alternate jerseys the New York Rangers should bring back

4. Grabbing Gabby

The Signing: Rangers signed forward Marian Gaborik to a five-year contract
Date: July 1, 2009

Why it mattered: Gaborik figured in one of the most embarrassing games in Rangers’ history — he became the first player in 11 years to score five goals in a game when he did it for the Minnesota Wild against Henrik Lundqvist on Dec. 20, 2007. That big night was part of a 42-goal season, one that convinced the Rangers to sign him when free agency opened in July 2009, even though he’d missed all but 17 games in 2008-09 while recovering from hip surgery.

Gaborik did just what the Rangers brought him to New York to do — score. He was fifth in the NHL in 2009-10 with 42 goals, then scored 41 in 2011-12 to help them finish first in the Eastern Conference. He was voted a First-Team All-Star and scored what is still the latest overtime goal in Rangers history, connecting at 14:41 of the third overtime in Game 5 of the conference semifinals against the Washington Capitals; the 2-1 win keyed their trip to the conference final.

But the Rangers lost that series to the New Jersey Devils, and coach John Tortorella was unhappy with the play of many of his veterans, including Gaborik — although it was revealed after the playoffs that he’d been playing with a torn labrum in his right shoulder. 

Gaborik had successful surgery and was ready to go when the lockout-shortened 2012-13 season began in January. But Tortorella hadn’t forgotten his unhappiness from the previous spring. Gaborik’s ice time diminished, as did his scoring numbers, and he sometimes found himself on the fourth line.

The Rangers sent Gaborik to the Columbus Blue Jackets at the 2013 trade deadline, but he exacted his revenge on the Rangers a year later after being traded to the Los Angeles Kings. Gaborik’s 14 goals led the Kings as they won the Stanley Cup for the second time in three seasons; the last two were game-tying third-period tallies in their five-game victory over the Rangers in the Final.

Despite his disappointing finish with the Rangers, Gaborik finished his time in New York with 115 goals and 229 points in 255 games. Tortorella was fired after the 2012-13 season — and it would have been interesting to see what Gaborik would have done under his replacement, Alain Vigneault.

Related: 6 Unanswered Rangers questions before 2024-25 season, including Matt Rempe’s long-term role

3. A “Great” Day

The Signing: Rangers sign center Wayne Gretzky to a two-year contract
Date: July 21, 1996

Why it mattered: Hockey’s greatest player playing his home games at The World’s Most Famous Arena. Sounds like a match made in heaven.

Of course, it wasn’t the 1980s-model Gretzky that the Rangers were getting when they signed “The Great One” in the summer of 1996. But even a 35-year-old Gretzky was still a force to be reckoned with, especially because he was rejoining his longtime Edmonton Oilers teammate Mark Messier.

The Gretzky-Messier tandem carried the Rangers to the Eastern Conference Final in 1996-97, which turned out to be their only season together in New York. No. 99 was No. 1 in the NHL with 72 assists, led the Rangers with 97 points, was voted a Second-Team All-Star and piled up 20 playoff points (including a first-round hat trick against the Florida Panthers) before the Philadelphia Flyers bounced them in five games.

Gretzky led the NHL in assists again in 1997-98 with 67 and repeated as a Second-Team All-Star. But with Messier signing with the Vancouver Canucks as a free agent, they finished 15 points out of a playoff berth. They were out of the playoff race for most of 1998-99, and as the end of the season approached, Gretzky decided he’d had enough. On April 16, two days before the end of the season, he announced he would retire after the Rangers’ final game two days later.

Appropriately, his last NHL point was an assist — one that came on the Rangers’ lone goal in a 2-1 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins, who then lined up and shook his hand like it was the end of a playoff series. After the teams left the ice, Gretzky came back out for a solo skate — “I made a lot of curtain calls, but the fans wouldn’t stop cheering,” he said. “I cried; I broke down a couple of times.”

The Great One is still the Greatest One when it comes to goals, assists and points. Those numbers include the 57 goals and 249 points in his 234 games as a Ranger. His big regret was that he didn’t win the championship he’d hoped for in New York.

Related: Rarest Rangers sweaters in franchise history, including Wayne Gretzky

2. “Gravy” Train Rolls In

The Signing: Rangers sign forward Adam Graves to a five-year contract
Date: Sept. 3, 1991

Why it mattered: Chalk up one for Neil Smith.

Before joining the Rangers as GM in 1989, Smith had worked for the Detroit Red Wings. One of the players he scouted was Graves, who was selected by Detroit in the second round of the 1986 NHL Draft. But the Wings traded Graves to Edmonton in November 1989, and he was part of the Oilers’ championship team the following spring.

However, Smith never forgot Graves, and when he became a Group I free agent after the 1990-91 season, the Rangers signed him to a five-year contract, giving up forward Troy Mallette as compensation. Graves was given No. 11, but quickly shifted to No. 9 after the Rangers acquired former Edmonton teammate Messier a month later.

Coach Roger Neilson put Graves on Messier’s left wing, and he began filling the net. After seasons of 26 and 36 goals, “Gravy” broke the Rangers’ single-season goal-scoring record with 52, then piled up 10 more in the playoffs; the last one came in Game 7 of the Final and helped the Rangers end their 54-year championship drought.

Graves’ style of play was simple but effective — get to the front of the net and make life miserable for opposing goalies. Most of the 280 goals he scored in 10 seasons with the Rangers didn’t travel very far. But off the ice, he might have been even more valuable for what he did for the team and the community. Though on the ice, he was tough as nails, scoring goals and protecting teammates so well that the Rangers retired his No. 9 on Feb. 3, 2021. Wway from the rink, he was humble, caring and kind — and still is.

1. The Breadman Cometh

The Signing: Rangers sign forward Artemi Panarin to a seven-year contract
Date: July 1, 2019

Why it mattered: Panarin was an instant hit in the NHL after arriving with the Chicago Blackhawks from Russia as an undrafted free agent, winning the Calder Trophy in 2015-16 and being named a Second-Team All-Star the following season. Despite that, the Hawks traded him to the Columbus Blue Jackets in the summer of 2017, only to see him continue to pile up points during the following two seasons.

Panarin had plenty of suitors when he became an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2019, but reportedly turned down more money from at least one other team to sign a seven-year, $81.5 million contract with the rebuilding Rangers.

Talk about money well spent!

Panarin’s arrival jump-started the rebuild the Rangers had announced before the 2018 trade deadline, and he’s been a major factor in their two trips to the Eastern Conference Final during the past three seasons. “The Breadman” delivered career highs of 49 goals and 120 points last season, helping the Rangers win the Presidents’ Trophy as regular-season champs; the 120 points are the second-highest single-season total in Rangers history, trailing only Jagr’s 123 in 2005-06. 

He is the only player in team history to break the 90-point mark four times (the only time he missed was the Covid-shortened 2020-21 season), and he’s one of just five Rangers to score as many as 49 goals in a season. His 1.32 points per game is the most in the Rangers’ 98-year history, and he reached 400 points faster than anyone in team history. Few free-agent signings in NHL history have paid off like this one.

Related: Rangers’ Artemi Panarin named one of best wings in hockey by NHL Network analyst

Here’s the list of the Top 5 performances by a New York Ranger in an All-Star Game.

New York Rangers Top All-Star Game Performances

5. 1984 Don Maloney 1G – 3A – 4PTS

The Wales Conference edged the Campbell Conference 7-6 in East Rutherford, NJ. This All Star game was played at the old Brendan Byrne Arena and saw cross river rival Don Maloney of the NY Rangers win the game’s top honor with a 4 point performance.

This performance is over 30 years old and finding video and or photos of this game was difficult. The best I could come up with was this photo found on an Ebay auction!

Even though it’s literally considered ancient to the hi-tech generation, Don Maloney is the first ever Ranger to earn this honor.

4. 1999 Wayne Gretzky, 1G – 2A – 3PTS

As many were anticipating, 1999 was likely going to be the last season for #99. Wayne Gretzky played very well notching 3 points at the Ice Palace in Tampa Bay. This was also the second year where the format was changed to North America vs. the World.

Gretzky’s 3 points helped NA come out on top 8-6. In the 5 years this format was done, NA topped the World All Stars 3 times. It was a shining moment for the Great One in the twilight of his career.

In 18 All-Star Game appearances, Gretzky has 3 MVP awards, 25 points (13G-12A). Apparently, 1999 is considered ages ago as the only highlights I can find are in Russian.

3. 2012 MARIAN GABORIK, 3G – 1A – 4PTS

Marian Gaborik playing for Team Chara scored a hat-trick in Ottawa. It was Gaborik’s shining moment as a Ranger and also sad foreshadowing for the 2014 Stanley Cup Final. Gaborik would score twice on fellow Ranger, Henrik Lundqvist.

“I was just fortunate to get lucky against him. I think he’s one of the best, if not the best, goalies in the League. I tried to get into his mind the whole weekend. It was a pretty good challenge against him.”

Gaborik’s performance against Lundqvist was a scene we would see often for him as a member of the L.A. Kings. He would help them march to the 2014 Stanley Cup at the expense of his good friend, Henrik Lundqvist.

2. 1994 Mike Richter, 19 Saves 2GA

Okay, for the record Richter played only the second period and in normal circumstances we wouldn’t be screaming MVP in a regular season game. However, this was the All-Star Game and it took place at Madison Square Garden. Possible hometown favoritism aside, goalies are normally left out to dry in these games, making Richter’s performance really jaw-dropping.

The East beat the West 9-8 thanks to the stellar goaltending of Mike Richter who made incredible save after incredible save. The most popular was stopping Pavel Bure on a breakaway. Why was that so important? Because in the 1994 Stanley Cup Final, Bure was awarded a penalty shot and tried the same move that Richter stopped.

Mike Richter won game honors surrounded by teammates, Mark Messier, Brian Leetch and Adam Graves. For two years in a row a Ranger took home the MVP and car.

1. 1993 Mike Gartner, 4G – 1A – 5PTS

Mike Gartner opened the scoring with a deflection goal in front of Ed Belfour and the Wales Conference would go on to rout the Campbell Conference 16-6 at the Forum in Montreal.

This would be the last All-Star Game in which the format was Wales versus Campbell. Gartner went on to score 3 more goals using his speed and blistering shot that were trademarks for his career.

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Here’s the list of 5 MVP performance starting with Don Maloney in 1984 and ending with Marian Gaborik’s stellar showing in 2012.

1984 Don Maloney 1G – 3A – 4PTS

The Wales Conference edged the Campbell Conference 7-6 in East Rutherford, NJ. This All Star game was played at the old Brendan Byrne Arena and saw cross river rival Don Maloney of the NY Rangers win the game’s top honor with a 4 point performance.

This performance is over 30 years old and finding video and or photos of this game was difficult. The best I could come up with was this photo found on an Ebay auction!

Even though it’s literally considered ancient to the hi-tech generation, Don Maloney is the first ever Ranger to earn this honor.

1993 Mike Gartner, 4G – 1A – 5PTS

Mike Gartner opened the scoring with a deflection goal in front of Ed Belfour and the Wales Conference would go on to route the Campbell Conference 16-6 at the Forum in Montreal.

This would be the last All-Star Game in which the format was Wales versus Campbell. Gartner went on to score 3 more goals using his speed and blistering shot that were trademarks for his career.

1994 Mike Richter, 19 Saves 2GA

Ok, for the record Richter played only the second period and in normal circumstances we wouldn’t be screaming MVP in a regular season game. However, this was the All-Star Game and it took place at Madison Square Garden. Possible hometown favoritism aside, goalies are normally left out to dry in these games. Making Richter’s performance really jaw dropping.

The East beat the West 9-8 thanks to the stellar goaltending of Mike Richter who made incredible save after incredible save. The most popular was stopping Pavel Bure on a breakaway. Why was that so important? Because in the 1994 Stanley Cup Final, Bure was awarded a penalty shot and tried the same move that Richter stopped.

Mike Richter won game honors surrounded by teammates, Mark Messier, Brian Leetch and Adam Graves. For two years in a row a Ranger took home the MVP and car.

1999 Wayne Gretzky, 1G – 2A – 3PTS

As many were anticipating, 1999 was likely going to be the last for #99. Wayne Gretzky played very well notching 3 points at the Ice Palace in Tampa Bay. This was also the second year where the format was changed to North America vs. the World.

Gretzky’s 3 points helped NA come out on top 8-6. In the 5 years this format was done, NA topped the World All Stars 3 times. It was a shining moment for the Great One in the twilight of his career.

In 18 All-Star Game appearances, Gretzky has 3 MVP awards, 25 points (13G-12A). Apparently, 1999 is considered ages ago as the only highlights I can find are in Russian.

2012 MARIAN GABORIK, 3G – 1A – 4PTS

Marian Gaborik playing for Team Chara (sorry folks, I don’t get this new format) scored a hat-trick in Ottawa. It was Gaborik’s shining moment as a Ranger and also sad foreshadowing for the 2014 Stanley Cup Final. Gaborik would score twice on fellow Ranger, Henrik Lundqvist.

“I was just fortunate to get lucky against him. I think he’s one of the best, if not the best, goalies in the League. I tried to get into his mind the whole weekend. It was a pretty good challenge against him.”

Gaborik’s performance against Lundqvist was a scene we would see often for him as a member of the L.A. Kings. He would help them march to the 2014 Stanley Cup at the expense of his good friend, Henrik Lundqvist.

 So who is your pick? Tell us in the comments below.

There are just a few short days until the NHL trade deadline, at which Ranger fans will likely have to once again say goodbye to players who have been a part of this team for years. In commemoration of a new period in Rangers hockey, let’s take a look at some of the greatest playoff moments in recent history. Here are the top ten most exciting and adrenaline-pumping playoff moments of the current decade.

10. Mika Zibanejad’s 2017 Overtime Winner
A year after winning the Presidents Trophy but falling short in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Rangers found themselves again competing for Lord Stanley’s cup in the playoffs. In a first round matchup with the Montreal Canadiens, they were caught in a stalemate heading into an important Game 5 in Montreal. The game went back and forth with the Rangers tying it up late in the second period. A scoreless third led to a chance for the Rangers to bring a 3-2 series lead back to Madison Square Garden. Streaking towards the net, Mika Zibanejad batted a cross ice pass from Chris Kreider into the net to give New York the series lead. The Rangers won the following game to advance to the second round.

9. Marian Gaborik’s 2012 Triple Overtime Thriller
During the 2012 playoffs, the Rangers managed to reach the Eastern Conference Finals, defeating the Ottawa Senators and Washington Capitals in the process. During Game 3 of the second round versus the Capitals, tied 1-1 in the game and series, the two teams headed to OT to determine who would take the series lead. One overtime passes and no goal. Then a second overtime passes and still no winner. Finally, the third overtime period begins. With the clock now passed midnight in 3OT, Marian Gaborik receives a centering pass and promptly slides it through the five-hole of the Capitals goaltender Braden Holtby.

8. Marc Staal’s 2012 Overtime Winner
Two games later in that same series, now tied 2-2, the Rangers found themselves down by a goal with 18 seconds to play. Washington was called for a four minute high sticking penalty. The Rangers’ Brad Richards then scored an electrifying power play goal with 6.6 seconds remaining to send the game into overtime. But because it was a double-minor penalty, the Rangers would begin the extra period on the man advantage. About a minute and a half into the period, the Rangers won a face-off back to Marc Staal, who proceeded to bomb a slap shot through traffic past Braden Holtby. The Rangers went up 3-2 in the series and won it in seven games.

7. Carl Hagelin’s 2015 Series-Clinching Goal
In 2015, the Rangers were the top ranked team in the NHL and headed into a first round matchup with Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins, meeting them in the playoffs for the second straight year. The Rangers dominated the series, taking a 3-1 series lead back to Madison Square Garden having won the previous two games in Pittsburgh. Tied 1-1 in overtime with the Penguins trying to avoid a first round exit, Carl Hagelin took control of the puck in the corner to Marc-Andre Fleury’s left side, skated toward the slot, spun around, and fired a quick forehand shot past Fleury. Hagelin was then swarmed by his teammates, as the Rangers clinched the series and beat the Penguins for the second straight year.

6. Ryan McDonagh’s 2015 Overtime Winner
The Washington Capitals were less than two minutes away from beating the Rangers and advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals. They held a 3-1 series lead heading into Game 5 and were up 1-0 late in the game. Having won the previous two games, the Capitals were riding a hot streak and bringing the Rangers to the brink of elimination. With about 1:42 left in the game, Henrik Lundqvist skated toward the Rangers bench to allow an extra skater to come on. But before even making it, Chris Kreider threw a shot at the net that eluded Holtby and tied the game. The Rangers, now with a new sense of life, took the game into OT. About halfway through the period, Derek Stepan faked a shot and threw it behind him toward a speeding Ryan McDonagh. With no hesitation, McDonagh blasted a shot that found its way into the back of the net. The Garden exploded as the Rangers now had life in the series after being on the brink of elimination.

5. Martin St. Louis’ Mother’s Day Goal
During the 2014 playoffs, the Rangers found themselves down 3-1 in their second round series with the Pittsburgh Penguins. On the brink of elimination and heading to Pittsburgh for Game 5, as if their morale couldn’t get worse, Rangers’ forward Martin St. Louis found out his mother had passed away from a heart attack three days before Mother’s Day at the age of 63. Despite the devastation he felt from this news, he remained with the team. Meanwhile, the news inspired the team to push harder and sparked a comeback. The Rangers won that game in Pittsburgh by a score of 5-1, after being shut out in the previous two contests. With the Rangers trying to complete the comeback and force a decisive Game 7, the teams headed back to Madison Square Garden for Game 6, on Mother’s Day. Given the circumstances, the Rangers grieved with their teammate that day but came ready for another important game. But just a few minutes into the game, the Rangers took a 1-0 lead scored by who else but Martin St. Louis. In a moment felt by all Ranger fans and charged with emotions, Marty scored a goal and picked up the puck on his way back to the bench, dedicating the goal to his recently passed mother on Mother’s Day.

4. Dominic Moore’s 2014 Series-Clinching Goal
With the Rangers up 3-2 in the Eastern Conference Final against the Montreal Canadiens, Game 6 consisted of little scoring and tight defense. A period and a half had passed, leaving Rangers fans to question whether they could finish off Montreal during that game or be forced to play a seventh game in Montreal. Finally, with the second period almost at its end, Dominic Moore received a centering pass from Brian Boyle and put it in the back of the net, giving the Rangers a 1-0 lead heading into the third period. They would go on to keep the lead and close out the series.

3. Derek Stepan’s 2015 Series-Clinching Goal
Two Games after Ryan McDonagh’s overtime winner, the Rangers had forced a Game 7 at Madison Square Garden, having completed the comeback after being down 3-1 in the series. The Rangers were down 1-0 but Rangers’ forward Kevin Hayes managed to tie the game in the second period. The two teams battled for the next period and a half but were unable to score again, leading to a Game 7 overtime. First team to score would receive a date with the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference Final. Tension gradually increased as half of the overtime period passes. A face-off takes place in the Capitals zone and the Rangers win it. The puck slides back to Keith Yandle who passes the puck towards Dan Girardi. Girardi sends a one-timer from the point at the net but Holtby makes the save. However, Holtby lets it rebound out into the slot, where Derek Stepan pounces on it. Stepan snapped the rebound into the back of the net and sent the Rangers to the Eastern Conference Finals. Personally one of my favorite moments, I will never forget Mike Emerick’s call of the play.
“Drive by Girardi and a save…rebound! SCORE! Stepan, in overtime! The Rangers move on to Tampa!”

2. Rangers Win 2014 Eastern Conference Final
After taking the lead off of Moore’s second period go-ahead goal, the Rangers needed to defend for just one period in order to reach the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in 20 years. Montreal pushed hard, but Henrik Lundqvist was stellar throughout. The Rangers defense stifled the Canadiens and as the waning moments of the third period approached, fans began to countdown before finally erupting in celebration at the buzzer. Streamers came down from the rafters, the Garden shook, and the Rangers were off to the Finals for the first time since they ended their 54-year championship drought.

Honorable Mentions
Chris Kreider scored an overtime winner against the Boston Bruins during the second round of the 2013 playoffs. Down 3-0 in that series, the goal kept the Rangers alive for one more game. Unfortunately, the Bruins won the next game, ending the Rangers season and coach John Tortorella’s tenure in New York.
Kevin Hayes scored in overtime in Game 4 of the 2015 conference quarterfinals against the Penguins. That victory set up the Rangers Game 5 win.

1. Martin St. Louis Overtime Winner
Up 2-1 in Eastern Conference Final, the Rangers were presented with an opportunity with take a 3-1 lead heading back to Montreal. The Rangers took a 2-1 lead into the second intermission of Game 4, but Canadiens’ P.K. Subban tied it just two minutes into the period. The teams battled for another period but were unable to pull through, resulting in overtime. Six minutes into the overtime, Carl Hagelin found Martin St. Louis all alone near the left side of Montreal netminder Dustin Tokarski. St. Louis had shot from this same exact spot in games and periods prior, but was robbed by Tokarski every time. This time was different. St. Louis fired it above his shoulder and the Garden exploded. The Rangers were now just one game away from the Stanley Cup Finals and the anticipation was brewing. St. Louis jumped into the corner boards, followed by his teammates, as the deafening roar of MSG celebrated the Rangers 3-1 series lead.

The countdown above is my take on the the Rangers recent playoff moments. Many of you may have different lists. As we continue to reminisce and close the door on the previous era, feel free to leave me a comment with YOUR favorite Rangers playoff moment of the 2010s.

In the summer of 2018, the world of the NHL was a abuzz regarding the potential destination of pending unrestricted free agent, John Tavares. A plethora of teams made their respective pitches to the then-Islanders captain to try and entice number 91 to pack his bags and leave that vagabond franchise in his rear view mirror and head for greener pastures. As we all know, Tavares bolted Brooklyn to sign with his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs and fulfill a life long dream.

In the summer of 2019, there is expected to be an equal amount of anticipation and excitement over where Columbus Blue Jackets forward Artemi Panarin will decide to hang out his shingle. Franchise changing players hitting the open market smack dab in the middle of their prime is not a usual occurrence. Since the NHL finally granted its veteran players unrestricted free agent status in the early 1990s, you could count on one hand just how often this phenomenon has occurred.

Panarin is only 27 years of age and has played in fewer than 300 regular season NHL games. The talented Russian has averaged slightly under a point-per-game over his first 3+ campaigns. He won the Calder Trophy for Rookie of the Year in 2016. He is widely regarded as, not just an offensive juggernaut, but also a terrific all-around player. If he does in fact decide not to re-sign with Columbus and he enters the world of unrestricted free agency, there will be a bidding war for his services the likes of which the NHL has rarely seen.

The omnipresent speculation floating around the Twitter-sphere is that Panarin wants to take his immense talents to the Big Apple. Like thousands of mid-westerners have before him, the supremely skilled “Bread Man” wants to, allegedly, leave small town life in the American heartland and venture out to Broadway to become a superstar. It seems like a good marriage, right? I mean, the Rangers have the cap room to outbid virtually any potential Panarin suitor. Plus, the Rangers can offer him something that most teams cannot, and that is the currently vacant captaincy.

It remains to be seen whether or not Panarin will leave Ohio’s state capital and whether or not his Rangers fascination is legitimate or exaggeration. Panarin certainly is not the first, nor will he be the last, big ticket free agent to express interest in making Manhattan his hockey-playing home.

https://twitter.com/hockeyagent1/status/1090025846574927876?s=21

While many of The Garden Faithful are salivating over the prospect of buying a Blueshirts sweater with “Panarin” scrawled across the name plate, and seeing Jeff Gorton and David Quinn up at the podium with the newly introduced Blueshirt, let’s pump the breaks just a bit and let’s hold on before we start slotting him in on the Rangers top line next season. After all, the Rangers history of handing out lucrative unrestricted free agent contracts is not exactly admirable. From Neil Smith (Theo Fleury) to Glen Sather (way too many to mention) to Jeff Gorton (Kevin Shattenkirk), one big ticket player after another seemed to stop caring about hockey once they signed on the dotted lines and started receiving all of that guaranteed money, getting caught up living the high life in New York City along the way

The Rangers have had to use the NHL’s collectively bargained buyout clause to erase free agent mistakes an embarrassingly high amount of times. Bobby Holik, Chris Drury, Wade Redden, Brad Richards; you know, I will stop right there. No need to go on and re-open some pretty deep wounds for Rangers Nation.

Instead of rehashing past failures, let’s turn our attention to the one unrestricted free agent transaction in recent history that actually paid dividends for the Rangers and that is Marian Gaborik. The Slovakian sniper became a Ranger in the summer of 2009. Gaborik would go on to become one of only three Rangers in their entire 93 year history to have multiple 40+ goal seasons, joining the esteemed Jean Ratelle and the goal scoring machine that was Mike Gartner. Gaborik is the last Blueshirt to eclipse the 80-point plateau notching 86 points in the 2009-10 season.

Gaborik was able to flourish under the intense heat and media scrutiny of being a top New York Rangers free agent prize when so many others before him had crumbled. He was not intimidated by the bright lights of the big city. He was not in awe of the multitude of nightly celebrities shown on the massive MSG scoreboard. Even though Gaborik was unceremoniously shipped out of New York in the spring of 2013, to Columbus of all places, the fact remains that his run on Broadway was as successful as any unrestricted free agent before or since.

The likelihood of Panarin declaring himself a free agent on July 1st and creating a league-wide bidding war for his services seems to be growing by the day. If Jeff Gorton does, in fact, make the “Bread Man” an offer he can’t refuse and that introductory press conference with him standing in front of the Ranger banner holding a Rangers jersey with his name on it comes to fruition, then Rangerstown has to hope he follows in the footsteps of his fellow European who fled the quiet life in the midwest for the hustle and bustle and potential stardom on Broadway.

Before I begin this post, I just want to clarify that I am not on any mind altering medication (do Asthma meds count?) and have been told that I still have my wits about me and that I am not clinically insane. Why do I say this?

Well, it seems to be an unpopular opinion, but I think this could benefit the Rangers in the short term. I think the Rangers should take a shot at signing Ilya Kovalchuk this summer!

*GASP*

*SIGH*

*FAINT*

“HOW DARE YOU SUGGEST THE RANGERS SIGN SOMEONE OLDER?”

“DONT YOU KNOW THIS IS #TANKSZN”

“COMMUNIST”

Woah. Okay, let’s take a step back here and look at how the Rangers signing Kovalchuk could benefit this team.

PURE SNIPER

When was the last time the Rangers had someone who could fire the puck with absolute power and will? Gaborik? Jagr? The closest I can think of in the last few years outside of those two is Mika Zibanejad, who is nicely coming into his own.

One of the things the Rangers have been missing over the years is a sniper. Add a pure sniper to any of the 2011-2014 teams and the Rangers chances of winning a cup would have gone up substantially. Rick Nash was supposed to be that guy, but instead, turned into a reliable, two-way player instead of a pure sniper.

Kovalchuk, even as he inches closer to the age of 35, can still fire the puck with authority. If you look at teams like the Capitals or Lightning, they have at least one guy who can fire the puck, in this case, I’m talking about Ovechkin and Stamkos. Now, I’m not comparing Kovalchuk to a Stamkos or Ovechkin but they shoot and help their teams substantially when needed.

Now, I’m not comparing a current Kovalchuk to a Stamkos or Ovechkin, that’s absurd. But one of the things the Rangers have lacked over the last few months, and even throughout this season, is shots on goal. Whenever the Rangers put a ton of shots on goal in a game, they win. More shots on goal equal more chances which can equate to more goals. Even at his age, Ilya Kovalchuk can still do that and the Rangers would be wise to bring him aboard.

VETERAN PRESENCE

As a kid, Ilya Kovalchuk was my favorite player to watch in his early days as a Thrasher and it killed me when he was traded to New Jersey. It seems like yesterday that I was watching highlights of him go bar down on goalies and power his way to goals. Hard to believe that was almost ten plus years ago.

Kovalchuk is 34 years old. He’s played in 816 NHL games, played in 245 KHL games, has combined 524 goals in both leagues, as well as being a 3x Gold Medalist (2018 Winter Olympics, 2008 and 2009 IIHF World Championships), a 3x NHL and KHL All-Star, 2x Gagarin Cup winner in the KHL as well as numerous other accolades in both leagues. Clearly, he knows what he is doing and this type of experience can benefit a lot of the young guys that are coming into a very young locker room.

Although some may bring up his attitude from previous seasons with New Jersey, I doubt any of this would come into play, especially since it’s known he has a hunger to play in the NHL, and preferably for the Rangers, again. Players like Pavel Buchnevich, Vladislav Namestnikov, Filip Chytil, Lias Andersson and potentially Yegor Rykov if he comes over this summer along with other Ranger youth could learn from someone like him, who has an obvious track record in the NHL, as well as knowing how to deal with certain things throughout a long regular season.

THE GUY CAN STILL PLAY

Русская машина никогда не ломается, мы выигрываем хоккейное золото для родины! (Russian machine never breaks, we win hockey gold for homeland).

That was probably going through Kovalchuk’s mind and many of the Russian….excuse me, Olympic Athletes from Russia when they won the Gold over Germany in OT at the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.

Maybe it’s not exactly what they were thinking, but if there’s one thing that was evident, it was that Ilya Kovalchuk made a difference. He was all over the ice for the Russians; and although it may seem like he lost a step or two, he still seems very active and incredibly engaged in the play. From watching his highlights in the KHL, it still looks like he possesses that blinding speed that worked so well for him in the NHL. 107 goals in 3+ seasons while being an older player is still pretty impressive for someone who is aging. Below are just some of his recent highlights. Not bad for an older guy.

IN SUMMARY

The Rangers are a budding young team with a ton of potential, skill, and size. Kovalchuk, although being older, has a lot of these qualities still in his arsenal. He plays the game with speed and skill along with his size. The man can still shoot and hold the puck like he used to and can bring a veteran presence to this team to help solidify the rebuild.

We can sit here and talk finances, but I don’t think it’ll take much for the Rangers to land Kovalchuk. He has publicly stated his desire to want to play on Broadway and if he signs to a team friendly deal for a season or two, how can one possibly think this is a bad idea? Kovalchuk now is not the same Kovalchuk of yesteryear with the Thrashers. But Kovalchuk now still carries a ton of skill that can help bridge the gap for any younger players, mentor his fellow countrymen on life in the NHL, and bring a developed skill set this team hasn’t seen in a few years.

Editor’s Note: No Devils photos were provided in this article.

Alexandre Daigle, Center.

Time with Rangers: 58 Games in 1999-00

Stacking up 247 points in 119 games in juniors, Alexandre Daigle was poised to become the next NHL superstar. So much so, he received the largest starting salary for a rookie at 5 years, $12.25 million. Talk about taking someone to the bank!

His stock was so incredibly high that the Quebec Nordiques were willing to depart with Peter Forsberg in order to draft Daigle. Posting 88 points in his first two seasons, Daigle seemed to be heading for superstardom.

After his stellar start, Daigle seemed interested in being a celebrity rather than a hockey player, which led to accusations of him lacking motivation and effort. That being said, his point production declined along with Ottawa’s patience in waiting for the potential superstar to break out. During the 97-98 campaign, Ottawa had enough and Daigle was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers for Vaclav Prospal and fellow first-round bust Pat Faloon.

Failing to make his mark with Philadelphia, the Flyers dealt Daigle to Edmonton, who was then flipped to Tampa Bay for Alexei Selivanov. After playing 32 games with Tampa Bay, Daigle was traded to the Rangers, sending cash in return. Daigle was brought in as a reclamation project and failed to live up to his past hype by only putting up 8 goals and 18 assists in 58 games during the 99-00 campaign for the Rangers, which ultimately led to him being placed on waivers at the end of the season.

Ilkka Heikkinen, Defense

Time with Rangers: 7 games in 2009-2010

Ilkka Heikkinen’s tenure with the Rangers seemed to be one of poor timing. Heikkinen posted a line of 8 goals and 30 assists with a plus/minus rating of -2 during the 2009-2010 AHL campaign. In seven games with the Rangers that same year, he posted a plus/minus of +2 but never hit the score sheet.

Then coach John Tortorella claimed to like his physicality but hated his defensive positioning. Another case that didn’t help Heikkinen’s cause was the then emergence of Matt Gilroy and Michael Del Zotto. Factor in Marc Staal, Dan Girardi, Wade Redden and Michal Rozsival and Heikkinen didn’t really find a spot with the Rangers. He was even quoted as saying..

 “They have their six d and they don’t want to send anybody down. I think I’m not going to get a one-way contract, not if I play the whole year in the AHL,” a discouraged Heikkinen, 25, told Newsday yesterday after practice in Hartford. “I’m not going to play a second year here. I’ll go back to Europe or maybe Russia.” Newsday

Heikkinen returned to Europe in 2010 and is currently playing for the Växjö Lakers Hockey Club in the SHL.

Alexander Frolov, Wing.

Time with Rangers: 43 games in 2010-2011

A Los Angeles Kings mainstay for many years, the Rangers signed Alexander Frolov to a one year $3 million contract in hopes of providing another offensive weapon alongside Marian Gaborik. After a slow start, it seemed Frolov was going to break out when he sustained a knee injury after Ducks forward Brad Winchester fell on Frolov’s leg, promptly tearing his ACL. Surgery was required to repair the knee, which ended his season prematurely.

Frolov managed to produce seven goals and nine assists in his only go around with the Rangers, falling short of the expectation to provide extra offense to Gaborik’s elite skill set. After the season concluded, Frolov opted to play in Russia in 2010, and after a small retirement in 2014, returned to hockey in 2015, where he currently plays for Amur Khabarovsk of the KHL.

That’s all for now. If you have any names for more “Lesser Known Rangers”, feel free to leave suggestions in the comments section below.