This will likely be the preface to all of this year's Season Preview posts: Unlike in the distant past where I would post different texts on this collectibles blog and my personal one, I've been using a new format for the past couple of years, where I'll copy the same text on each one. As a father of two young kids, I just do not have enough time to write two separate posts per day on each blog. This year again, the entire scope of the analysis will take place first and the featured player will have a direct or perhaps indirect connection to what's written, below.
Caveats: At this point, despite training camp being set to start in a week, several players haven't found a team yet, (at least) three star players have active trade requests, and a few clubs are currently above the salary cap, which means there is much left to do.
Key Exits: Conor Sheary (RW), Vincent Trocheck (C), Brett Berard (LW), Trey Fix-Wolansky (RW), Johnny Brodzinski (C), William Borgen (D), Jonathan Quick (G), Adam Edstrom (D), Connor Mackey (D)
Key Arrivals: Pavel Dorofeyev (LW), Joonas Korpisalo (G), Joe Veleno (C), Oliver Bjorkstrand (RW), Marcus Pettersson (D), Sean Durzi (D), William Trudeau (D), Marc Del Gaizo (D), Cole Beaudoin (C), Dennis Cholowski (D)
Top prospects: Liam Greentree (RW, 20), Malcolm Spence (LW, 19), E.J. Emery (D, 20), Alberts Smits (D, 18), Dylan Garand (G, 24)
That is a lot of turnover, slight improvements, and a prospect pool that doesn't seem ready to jump into a prominent role just yet.
What makes their odds look good:
Any team with Igor Shesterkin in net has a chance to win an NHL game - he's in the top-5 of his profession. Alexis Lafrenière has shown flashes of what first-overall draft picks can sometimes bring, in mostly a secondary role thus far, save for a few spot appearances alongside Artemi Panarin; he will now be given a more prominent role, and will be expected to produce at a much higher rate - anything below 65 points will be a disappointment.
Question marks:
GM Chris Drury has seemed to sabotage a team that made it to the Conference Final not so long ago by trading away all of its key players before announcing a rebuild. It stands to reason he wouldn't still have a job if he didn't have a plan, but he has not made any of it public. Does Adam Fox have another Norris-level season in him before the next generation (Matthew Schaefer, Lane Hutson) steps in to challenge Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes and co.?
Outlook:
There are still good pieces there, and Mike Sullivan is a good head coach. It's just... something is missing - something big. Maybe Drury is a genius and the team lands the best player in the world next summer, but in the meantime, the New York Rangers seem to just be treading water, bordering on drowning.
Prediction:
8th in the Metropolitan Division.
Eddie Mio is exactly the type of journeyman I love. Drafted in both the NHL (124th overall, Chicago Blackhawks) and WHA (138th overall, Vancouver Blazers) in 1974, he would play with neither and instead make his way into the AHL and NAHL before landing with the WHA's Indianapolis Racers, where he would befriend a certain Wayne Gretzky, with whom he would be traded to the Edmonton Oilers prior to their merger into the NHL.
He would play in Edmonton for two seasons before having to make way for Grant Fuhr and Andy Moog, and was thus traded to the Rangers for minor-leaguer Lance Nethery, where he would also remain for two seasons, after which he was sent to the Detroit Red Wings along with off-ice star Ron Duguay and Ed Johnstone for Mike Blaisdell, Willie Huber and Mark Osborne. He would retire as a Wing after the 1985-86 season - the first year I started paying attention to hockey.
Here he is getting ready for a shot wearing the Rangers' white (then-home) uniform, on card #639 from Upper Deck's 1991-92 Series 2 set and Heroes of The NHL sub-set, which he signed in black sharpie after an NHL alumni game:
