Which New York Ranger players are regression candidates for next season?
The New York Rangers had one of the best regular seasons in franchise history last year. Their .695 points percentage is the third-highest in franchise history and they won their fourth President's Trophy for best record in the league. Artemi Panarin scored 120 points and finished fifth in the Hart Trophy voting for league MVP. After the Rangers' offseason moves, which players could be regression candidates for the 2024-25 squad?
Can Jonathan Quick keep the magic alive?
Last year, star goaltender Igor Shesterkin did not get off to a great start. In his first 26 games, he had just a .901 save percentage. The Rangers won 16 of those games despite the poor numbers, but they needed great performances out of backup goalie Jonathan Quick to keep their season alive.
In that same stretch, through January 13, Quick posted a .912 save percentage and brought the Rangers nine wins and two overtime losses in 15 games. They needed to get this performance out of Quick to stay in playoff position through January. Both goalies turned it up a notch down the stretch and helped the Rangers get the number one overall seed.
At 38 years old, Quick will be among the oldest goalies in the league when next season begins. His .911 save percentage is his highest number since 2017-18, so a regression is in the cards for 2024-25. The Rangers must ensure that Quick is healthy and can win games where needed next season. They hope not to need him as much as they did a year ago, but he must be just as good when he is needed.
Will Rangers' folk hero Matt Rempe turn back into a pumpkin?
No hockey story grabbed the attention of average sports fans more than Matt Rempe last season. The Rempire State Building made his NHL debut in the outdoor game against the Islanders, fighting legendary power forward Matt Martin on national television. He made the glove-dropping rounds and popped in a goal to ignite the Blueshirts down the stretch.
Rempe was not actually very good last year. While a lot of oxygen was used talking about him, he only scored two points in 17 regular season games. Rempe scored once and didn't add any assists in 11 playoff games. Although it is the same coaching staff and locker room that fell in love with him last year, don't be surprised if he gets less playing time this year.
With the loss of Jack Roslovic and the unknown health of Filip Chytil, the Rangers might need offense more than physicality. Rempe got benched at the end of close games throughout his tenure with the big club. He was not trusted in the defensive end and was skipped over for better players. If the Rangers are struggling at any point, he could end up back in the American Hockey League.
Can Alexis Lafrenière keep up his scoring pace?
In 2020, the Rangers won a hotly-contested draft lottery and drafted winger Alexis Lafreniére. Ever since, he has not been the top-pick-type player that Jack Hughes, Auston Matthews, and Connor McDavid have. His breakout season finally came last season with 28 goals, 29 assists, and 57 points, all career highs.
The best part of those stats is that they are almost entirely at five-on-five. He only totaled two goals and four assists on the Rangers' electric powerplay last season. Lafreniére took the most shots of any season in his career and played over 17 minutes per night. He was even great in the playoffs, putting up eight goals and six assists in 16 games.
The reason he is a regression candidate is because he played primarily with Artemi Panarin at five-on-five last season. While he could certainly remain on that wing, it is unknown just how much of Lafreniére's production is because of Panarin's career year. If he gets moved off that wing, he could see his offensive production dip significantly.
The Rangers are set to be favorites in the Metropolitan Division once again this season. If these players put up similar numbers and production to what they did last year, they could be in the conversation for the President's Trophy as well.
