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Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n
If the New York Rangers are going to rebound from one of the most disappointing seasons<\/a> in franchise history, they\u2019ll need to prove TSN\u2019s rankings of their wings are wrong.<\/p>\n The Rangers group of left and right wings is one of eight rated in Tier 4, the next-to-last grouping. They are one of four Metropolitan Division teams with Tier 4-rated wings; two of the others \u2013 the New York Islanders and Philadelphia Flyers \u2013 also missed the Stanley Cup Playoffs last season, as did the Columbus Blue Jackets, the only team in the Eastern Conference rated in Tier 5.<\/p>\n Amazingly, the division-champion Washington Capitals, whose group of wings includes Alex Ovechkin, the NHL\u2019s all-time goal-scoring leader,<\/a> are also in Tier 4.<\/p>\n So why do the Rangers rate so poorly?<\/p>\n \u201cIn terms of known quantities on Broadway, there\u2019s\u00a0Artemi Panarin\u00a0and Alexis Lafreniere, and then there\u2019s just about everyone else,\u201d writes TSN\u2019s Travis Yost, who counts Mika Zibanejad as a center \u2013 his natural position \u2013 rather than a right wing, the position where he spent most of the final two months of the season playing on a line centered by trade acquisition J.T. Miller.<\/p>\n Panarin led the Rangers in goals (37) and points (89) last season. But both numbers were down markedly from 2023-24, when he had a career year with 49 goals and 120 points, and earned NHL First-Team All-Star honors for the second time in six seasons since signing with the Rangers on July 1, 2019.<\/p>\n Though 89 points is nothing to sneeze at, it was his lowest total in five non-COVID seasons on Broadway. He also finished minus-9, the first time in his 10 NHL seasons (two each with the Chicago Blackhawks and the Blue Jackets before joining the Rangers) that he ended up below plus-4.<\/p>\n Still, with 550 points in 430 games, Panarin\u2019s 1.28 points per game are the most in team history. He\u2019s unquestionably the best free agent signing ever by the Rangers. But they\u2019ll have to make a decision soon:<\/a> Do they re-sign him before his seven-year contract runs out next summer, trade him during the season or do a sign-and-trade before free agency begins? <\/p>\n Related: Rangers concern meter: Weighing potential issues for 2025-26 season<\/a><\/p>\n Rangers wings not ranked highly by TSN<\/p>\n Lafreniere\u2019s production also fell off sharply last season. The first player taken in the 2020 NHL Draft got off to a fast start but struggled after signing a seven-year, $52.15 million extension<\/a> ($7.45 million average annual value, according to Puckpedia<\/a>). He had four goals and seven points in seven games before the signing but just 13 goals and 38 points in the remaining 75 games. <\/p>\n His season totals \u2013 45 points (17 goals, 28 assists) were a big drop-off from his 2023-24 totals of 28 goals and 57 points. Considering his draft status, it\u2019s not unfair to say Lafreniere has been a disappointment through his first five NHL seasons.<\/p>\n Related:\u00a0Is this the breakout \u2014 or breaking point \u2014 for Alexis Lafreni\u00e8re with Rangers?<\/a><\/p>\n Playing Zibanejad on the right side with Miller would help generate more offense from the wing, albeit at the cost of leaving a hole in the middle on the third line. But for the Blueshirts to rebound and at least challenge for the playoff berth they failed to earn last season, they\u2019ll need more from a promising but largely unproven group of youngsters.<\/p>\n Will Cuylle played his way up from the third line to a top-six role in his second full season, finishing with 20 goals, 45 points and a team-record 301 hits.<\/a> He was a rare bright spot in a season that saw most of his teammates\u2019 performances fall off, and there\u2019s no reason he shouldn\u2019t continue to improve.<\/p>\n The Rangers are also banking on production from some other promising young wings who are trying to earn full-time NHL jobs.<\/p>\n Related:\u00a0J.T. Miller, Matt Rempe among Rangers poised to make bigger contributions in 2025-26<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThe Rangers are betting on several promising, albeit inexperienced options filling out the rest of the top nine, with\u00a0Will Cuylle,\u00a0Adam Edstrom,\u00a0Brett Berard and Gabe Perreault chief among them,\u201d Yost wrote. <\/a>\u201cEven with two full seasons under Cuylle\u2019s belt, this is a group that\u2019s going to have some learning moments: the four skaters have just a combined 269 games played.\u201d<\/p>\n They\u2019re really hoping that Perreault, their top prospect, is ready to contribute at the NHL level this season. Perreault excelled in two seasons at Boston College and helped Team USA win back-to-back gold medals at the World Junior Championship; he signed with the Blueshirts after the Eagles were eliminated from the NCAA Tournament last spring.<\/p>\n The Rangers\u2019 first-round pick (No. 23 overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft has the skill (108 points in 73 games with BC) and hockey IQ (his dad was longtime NHL center Yanic Perreault). What the 20-year-old might lack is the size and strength to play at the NHL level this season. He was pointless in five games after signing with the Rangers, and management might decide he needs some time with Hartford of the American Hockey League.<\/p>\n Berard is coming off a shoulder injury and Edstrom missed the last 31 games of 2024-25<\/a> with a lower-body injury. The Rangers are still waiting for Brennan Othmann,<\/a> who also had injury issues last season, to score his first NHL goal; the Blueshirts\u2019 first-rounder (No. 16 overall) in 2021 has two assists in 25 NHL games.<\/a> Matt Rempe is a fan favorite because of his size and physical play \u2014 and he\u2019s working hard to develop his hockey skills. But a third-line role is likely to be his career ceiling; a spot on the fourth line is more realistic this season.<\/p>\n The Rangers were in Tier 1 in goaltending<\/a> and Tier 3 on defense \u2014 both rankings look realistic. So does Yost\u2019s appraisal of the Blueshirts as a team that needs work on the wing.<\/p>\n \t\t \t\tJohn Kreiser covered his first Rangers game (against the California Golden Seals) in November 1975 and is still going … More about John Kreiser<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMentioned in this article: Alexis LaFreniere<\/a> Artemi Panarin<\/a> Brett Berard<\/a> Gabe Perreault<\/a> Will Cuylle<\/a> <\/p>\n![\"NHL:](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/NHL-Philadelphia-Flyers-at-New-York-Rangers-25891035-788x525.jpg\")
Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images<\/p>\n![\"NHL:](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/NHL-New-York-Rangers-at-New-York-Islanders-25897919-788x525.jpg\")
Dennis Schneidler-Imagn Images<\/p>\n![\"NHL:](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/NHL-Tampa-Bay-Lightning-at-New-York-Rangers-25954680-788x525.jpg\")
Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images<\/p>\n![\"avatar\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1755676932_295_John-Kreiser.jpg\")
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