Projecting the Best New York Rangers at Each Position in 5 Years

I do not own a crystal ball, but I have watched enough of the New York Rangers to tease out who the best player at each position will be in five years.

Oracle? Not quite. My predictions are based on an analysis of individual talent and where they stand in the organization.

There are plenty of players—either on the current roster or in the system—who are going to be good in five years, but who will be the best at each position?

Read on to find out. 

Left Wing: Chris Kreider

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As of now, Rick Nash is the best offensive player on the Rangers' roster. He probably will be for at least a few years.

In five years, however, Nash will be 34. It will not be surprising if his skills decline at least a little bit.

Enter Chris Kreider. The 22-year-old has been on fire since being recalled in late October, notching 12 points in 16 games. He's been a dominant force on the forecheck, and his speed has infuriated opponents.

He's been so good that he's garnering some Olympic attention. David Poile, the general manager of Team USA, told Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News.

"

(He) started the year off in minors. I’ve personally been very impressed with his play of late. I’m probably not saying anything that the Rangers haven’t said, which is (it comes down to) consistency. That’s always what you want to do is get that consistency. He’s got that big body, he’s a great skater. He just has to put it all together for them. So (he’s) a little bit of a late addition to our evaluations, but like I said, he’s playing very well right now. My favorite saying in this (type of) circumstance is we’re not gonna make any decisions until we have to, and that’s not until Jan. 1, so that’ll be right up until there.

"

Essentially, Kreider went from playing in the AHL to garnering Olympic consideration in just 12 games. Not too bad.

He has the ideal combination of size, speed and power and, in many ways, plays a similar game to Rick Nash.

In five years, Kreider will be a consistent 30-goal scorer and probably the best offensive weapon the Rangers have to offer. 

Center: Derek Stepan

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In five years, Derek Stepan will be 28 and entering the prime of his career.

He's already the best center on the roster and will probably play a significant role for the Americans in Sochi.

Stepan already has 61 goals and 95 assists in 235 career games. He can play in every situation and is one of the best passers in the league.

There are a number of promising center prospects in the system for the Rangers, most notably Oscar Lindberg, who projects as a fine pivot.

He probably will never be as good as Stepan, though. Stepan is a star in the making. In five years, he'll be even better. 

Right Wing: Danny Kristo

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I'm sure that Ryan Callahan will still be the heart and soul of this team in five years, but I doubt that he will be the best right winger.

That honor will most likely go to Danny Kristo.

Kristo has been absolutely dominating the AHL this year. In 18 games, the 23-year-old has nine goals and seven assists. It's becoming a bit too easy for him. 

This is a year after he scored 26 goals and added 26 assists in 40 games at the University of North Dakota. 

Kristo has an ideal blend of size, speed and creativity. He has a wicked slap shot to boot. If he's not called up this year, he will definitely be a regular next year.

The Rangers absolutely stole Kristo from the Montreal Canadiens. In five years, the Habs will be wishing they could have this one back. 

Defense: Ryan McDonagh

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At 22 years old, Ryan McDonagh is establishing himself as one of the best defenseman in hockey.

In five years, he might be the very best.

McDonagh is having his best season of his fine career. He's been dominant defensively and has shown loads of promise on offense. He's developing into a premier two-way defenseman.

He's destined to play big minutes for the Americans in Sochi. General Manager David Poile implied as much to Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News:

"

McDonagh’s played very well for the last couple years. All of the reports we’ve had this year have been really good. He’s played really, really well. I’m very confident that he’s got an excellent chance of being on the team.

"

McDonagh is already a shutdown defenseman. In five years, he could become a 30-minute-a-night player who is devastating on the power play.

The Rangers do have some good young defensemen in the minor league system, and they already have Marc Staal, who is still just 26.

McDonagh has already eclipsed Staal, though, and he's only going to get better. It's going to be fun to watch him develop.

Goalie: Henrik Lundqvist

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An admission: I struggled with this one.

I have no doubt of Lundqvist's greatness. He may very well be the best goaltender in Rangers' history.

I do have concerns, however, about how he will age. In five years, Lundqvist will be 36.

It's not that goaltenders can't perform well when they reach 35 years of age. Martin Brodeur has been great at 41, Tim Thomas has been fantastic at 39. Heck, Dominik Hasek was fantastic into his 40s.

Will Lundqvist be able to sustain the kind of success he's had thus far in his career? I'll offer a qualified yes.

I have information that would lead me to conclude that he will decline as he ages. If anything, he's seemingly getting better. 

While Cam Talbot has had a spectacular start to his rookie season, it's only been six games.

I have a hard time believing that Talbot will overtake Lundqvist, even in five years.

Will he be as good as he is now? Probably not, but Lundqvist will most likely be the best goalie the Rangers have in five years.