New York\u2019s first 20-plus games have been defined by two constant themes: A vastly improved defense under new coach Mike Sullivan, and an offense that\u2019s sputtering due to underperforming stars and a lack of scoring depth. The result is identical goals for and goals against averages of 2.48 \u2014 the former ranking 30th in the NHL, while the latter sits fourth.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s made for an interesting evaluation process. Many Rangers are playing the best defense of their careers, but their point production is sagging across the board. I\u2019ve tried to balance all factors while ranking the team\u2019s top 20 players through a quarter of the season.<\/p>\n
The order is based on all-around impact, which can come in many forms. Those who log the most ice time, are tasked with more responsibility and haven\u2019t missed time due to injury, inherently bring more value, with those players likely to be ranked higher. Above all, results matter. I\u2019ve combed through statistics from various sites and gathered opinions from trusted sources around the league to help determine the effectiveness of each player. I\u2019ve also watched and dissected nearly every game while also observing countless practices and speaking to Sullivan and players almost daily. It\u2019s all helped shaped these rankings.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s an admittedly inexact science, but it\u2019s also a fun way to analyze what we\u2019ve seen so far this season. Let\u2019s dive in: (All stats listed prior to Wednesday\u2019s games.)<\/p>\n
1. Adam Fox \u2014 On a team filled with underproducing players at the top of the lineup, Fox stands out as someone who\u2019s mostly giving the Rangers what they expect. His 16 points (three goals and 13 assists) are tied for fifth among NHL defensemen, and his 6.2 net rating sits third, according to Hockey Stat Cards. He\u2019s achieved this while taking on a larger shutdown role defensively, with his 1.49 quality of competition rating indicating he\u2019s faced the toughest matchups of any New York defenseman.<\/p>\n
2. Igor Shesterkin \u2014 Has Shesterkin been lights out every night? Not quite. There have been several moments when he looks human, particularly against high shots on the glove side. But fans nitpicking every goal speaks more to the high standard he\u2019s set and fragile state of the offense than anything else. The 29-year-old ranks seventh among goalies who have appeared in at least 10 games with a .911 save percentage and sixth with 9.5 goals saved above expected, according to MoneyPuck. He remains the Rangers\u2019 backbone and player most capable of stealing wins.<\/p>\n
3. Vladislav Gavrikov \u2014 New York\u2019s big free-agent signing has helped turn what had been one of the league\u2019s worst defenses into one of the better ones. Gavrikov is rarely out of position, physical when he needs to be and excellent at using his 6-foot-3, 210-pounds to clog lanes and poke away pucks with his stick. He\u2019s been a stabilizer next to Fox, with their 59.7% expected goals-for rate ranking third among all D pairs that have logged at least 200 minutes together, according to MoneyPuck.<\/p>\n
4. Mika Zibanejad \u2014 The choices get pretty tough in this range because there\u2019s a clear group of go-to forwards, but they\u2019ve each had offensive struggles. Zibanejad has been more consistent than the others while reestablishing himself at his natural center position, which is why I gave him a slight edge, but 12 points through 21 games is well short of what the Rangers need. He leads the team with seven goals, 68 shots and 25 individual high-danger scoring chances at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick, which indicates he\u2019s been more aggressive after playing tentatively much of last season. He looks better, but it hasn\u2019t always translated to results.<\/p>\n
5. Artemi Panarin \u2014 After enduing one of the worst slumps of his career to start the season, with only seven points in his first 14 games, Panarin shaved his head<\/a> and cranked it up 12 points in his last seven, including five straight. His 19 points overall (five goals and 14 assists) leads the team, with his 4.0 net rating ranking second only to Fox. But there are legitimate questions about whether the Rangers should re-sign a pending free agent who just turned 34 and has shown signs of slippage.<\/p>\n 6. J.T. Miller \u2014 The captain deserves a fair share of credit for the defensive turnaround, with his 2.3 defensive rating ranking first among New York forwards. That\u2019s come while facing the stiffest quality of competition of any Ranger at 2.24, according to Hockey Stat Cards. But the 32-year-old was acquired in a blockbuster trade with the Vancouver Canucks to be a driving force on offense and has been a shell of that player. He\u2019s looked a step too slow while registering 10 points (four goals and six assists), including only five at five-on-five. Does it stem from a lingering lower-body injury sustained at the end of training camp? Or did the Rangers hitch their wagon to a player whose point-per-game days are behind him? Miller was hard on himself<\/a> following Tuesday\u2019s 3-2 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, saying, \u201cI certainly expect a hell of a lot more production than what I have.\u201d<\/p>\n 7. Will Borgen \u2014 The 28-year-old defenseman isn\u2019t helping the offensive cause, either, but that\u2019s not his role. The Rangers requested him as part of last year\u2019s trade that sent Kaapo Kakko to Seattle because they valued his mobility and steady defense, and he\u2019s making that look like a smart move<\/a>. Opponents are averaging just 0.97 goals per 60 minutes at 5v5 with Borgen on the ice, according to Evolving Hockey, with he and Gavrikov tied for fourth in the NHL with a 4.2 defensive rating. He\u2019s been a stalwart.<\/p>\n 8. Alexis Lafreni\u00e8re \u2014 There have been vocal critics of Lafreni\u00e8re, with some of it deserved, but there\u2019s a lot to like under the hood<\/a>. He\u2019s one of only four Rangers with a positive offensive rating and ranks first among their lineup regulars with a 59.36% xGF, according to Evolving Hockey. It wasn\u2019t resulting in many points early on, but the 24-year-old winger has seen an uptick since being reinserted on a dynamic line with Panarin and Vincent Trocheck. He\u2019s sitting on 12 (four goals and eight assists) for the season.<\/p>\n \n After slumping early this season, Will Cuylle appears to have found a rhythm in his past 12 games. (Tim Fuller \/ Imagn Images)<\/p>\n 9. Will Cuylle \u2014 Another young winger the Rangers are counting on this season, Cuylle has matched Lafreni\u00e8re with 12 points (six goals and six assists). All but one of those has come in his last 12 games. The 23-year-old slumped early while being given his first extended look in the top six, which could be a sign that he\u2019s better served in a third-line role. Sullivan made that adjustment Tuesday, but shouldn\u2019t mess with Cuylle on New York\u2019s top power-play unit, where he\u2019s proven to be the best option at the net-front position<\/a>.<\/p>\n 10. Jonathan Quick \u2014 How can we put a player in the top 10 who\u2019s only appeared in five games? Part of it has to do with underwhelming performances from others, but the biggest factor has been Quick\u2019s tremendous play<\/a>. He\u2019s approaching his 40th birthday in January but doesn\u2019t seem to be slowing down one bit. He leads the league with a .951 SV% and has been at that number or higher in four of his five starts. Quick\u2019s 1.257 GSAx per 60 ranks second among goalies with multiple appearances, according to MoneyPuck.<\/p>\n 11. Sam Carrick \u2014 The Rangers are facing legitimate concerns about their depth, but there\u2019s no question about their fourth-line center. The 33-year-old has been reliable at 5v5, where he\u2019s posted a 52.12% xGF and anchored what Sullivan calls his \u201cmomentum line,\u201d<\/a> and rates as the team\u2019s best penalty killer according to Evolving Hockey\u2019s xGA\/60. He also brings an element of toughness New York has lacked in the past, galvanizing the team<\/a> by standing up to some of the NHL\u2019s toughest customers.<\/p>\n 12. Noah Laba \u2014 The Rangers appear to have found their third-line center, as well. The 22-year-old rookie hasn\u2019t looked out of place<\/a> after surprising everyone by making the team out of camp. His defense has been excellent, with a 1.01 GA\/60 that ranks first among New York\u2019s regular forwards. He\u2019s also brought a speed element the roster sorely lacked, with his 23.04 mph max skating speed landing in the 94th percentile league wide, according to NHL Edge. The next step is growing Laba\u2019s offensive confidence and building on the six points (three goals and three assists) he\u2019s posted so far.<\/p>\n 13. Vincent Trocheck \u2014 The 32-year-old center should be in the top five based on the quality of his play, but missing 14 games due to an upper-body injury has drastically limited his impact. His return has lengthened the lineup<\/a> while adding a necessary blend of skill and snarl. With six points (three goals and three assists) through seven contests, Trocheck\u2019s 0.86 points per game average ranks second to only Panarin. He\u2019s reunited with Lafreni\u00e8re and Panarin to give the Rangers an offensive-minded trio that can generate off the rush and create quick-strike opportunities, which was badly needed. They\u2019re averaging 5.89 goals per 60, which ranks third among all NHL lines that have logged at least 75 minutes together, according to MoneyPuck.<\/p>\n 14. Taylor Raddysh \u2014 A hat trick on Oct. 23 against the San Jose Sharks inflated Raddysh\u2019s statistics, but he\u2019s been a solid all-around addition to the bottom six. Not only can he chip in some secondary scoring, which has been a glaring need for the Rangers, but he\u2019s a big body at 6-foot-2, 201 pounds who skates fairly well (61st percentile in max speed) and has been very good defensively. Opposing teams are only scoring 1.29 goals per 60 with the 27-year-old winger on the ice at 5v5 and his 2.03 xGA\/60 ranks first among New York\u2019s regular forwards, according to Evolving Hockey.<\/p>\n 15. Carson Soucy \u2014 It looked like the Rangers made a mistake by surrendering a 2025 third-round pick to acquire the 31-year-old defenseman from Vancouver last season, but he\u2019s largely salvaged that deal by outplaying low expectations. The defense has been steady, as evidenced by a 1.9 defensive rating, but his puck skills have left much to be desired.<\/p>\n 16. Braden Schneider \u2014 Speaking of expectations, it may be time to adjust them for Schneider. The 24-year-old has shown a bit more physicality following surgery to repair his right labrum, but he\u2019s the Rangers\u2019 only sub-50% xGF defenseman (47.89%, per Evolving Hockey) and hasn\u2019t seized the opportunity as quarterback of the second power-play unit.<\/p>\n 17. Conor Sheary \u2014 It\u2019s hard to complain about a player who signed for the league minimum after coming to camp on a professional tryout contract<\/a> and has registered a 2.2 defensive rating that ranks second among New York forwards behind only Miller. But it\u2019s also fair to wonder if the Rangers will eventually require an upgrade, whether it comes via trade or promoting a prospect.<\/p>\n 18. Adam Edstr\u00f6m \u2014 The 6-foot-7, 232-pounder has brought an enticing combination of size and speed, with his 23.8 max skating speed sitting in the NHL\u2019s 99th percentile. But after starting strong, he\u2019s been scratched in three of the last seven games. The Rangers\u2019 best lineup absolutely includes the 25-year-old winger, but his line hasn\u2019t been as effective since losing Edstr\u00f6m\u2019s close friend and bash brother Matt Rempe to an upper-body injury on Oct. 23.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/USATSI_27528503-scaled.jpeg\")
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