Holiday Wish List for the New York Rangers in 2014-15

Around the holidays everyone is always busy writing lists and checking them twice, and the same could be said of NHL teams. Teams like the New York Rangers are always looking for ways to improve, although the areas in which they want to improve are sometimes out of their control.

The holiday freeze is coming up, so it is highly unlikely that any transactions will be made, but that doesn't mean there aren't things the team would like to see happen. With that said, it is the holiday season—so here is a fun take on what general manager Glen Sather's holiday wish list looks like.

No More Mumps

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Tanner Glass was the first New York Ranger diagnosed with the mumps, and Derick Brassard recently was diagnosed with the ailment that is currently sweeping the NHL. There is no telling when Brassard was infected, or if any other player was in close enough contact with him to contract it, but the Rangers have to be wishing that no other player is infected.

The Rangers can't afford to have any other players miss games, because they had enough key players out of the lineup to start the season. Derek Stepan had a broken fibula, Dan Boyle had a broken hand and Mats Zuccarello missed time with a back injury.

In addition to the injuries suffered earlier this year, when you factor in the hot streak the team is currently on, staying healthy is the team's biggest priority at this point.

Hire Mark Messier Back to Teach the Centers to Win Some Faceoffs

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Faceoffs are a very important part of hockey, as winning a draw leads to controlling the puck and being able to drive possession. The Rangers were a decent possession team last season, but this year they aren't dominating play as much as they should.

With that in mind, Sather probably wishes he could steal Mark Messier back from the Edmonton Oilers so he could teach the Rangers' centers how to win a faceoff. The Blueshirts currently are 28th in the NHL with a faceoff winning percentage of 46.7, and that is an area Moose could definitely help Stepan and company get better in. 

No Shootouts the Rest of the Season

The New York Rangers have skilled players such as Rick Nash, Zuccarello, Marty St. Louis and Stepan, but this season the shootout has been a sore spot for the Blueshirts.

The team has a 1-4 record in games that remain tied after 65:00 of play, and it goes without saying that Slats and Alain Vigneault hope that the Rangers can end games before the skills competition.

No matter the amount of skill the team has on the roster, lady luck has not been on the Rangers' side, as a number of posts and an incident in Pittsburgh involving Dan Boyle sum up the team's time during the shootout this season.

The Rangers have had players find twine, but more often than not the post, crossbar or end boards have seen enough rubber this season to frustrate the living hell out of Blueshirts brass.

A Consistent Schedule

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Henrik is going to be busy, so he stays hydrated.

December started relatively easy for the Rangers, but as good ole "JR" Jim Ross used to say, "business is about to pick up." After going two weeks in which the team played four games, the Rangers will play four games in the next seven days, including three games in four days.

Obviously the schedule balances out in the end, but the Rangers probably wished they were given an easier schedule heading into the holiday break. Grandpa Slats likely has a ton of Christmas shopping left to do, and the busy schedule means he might have to resort to Amazon or eBay to check the remaining items off his list.

In addition, both Henrik Lundqvist and Nash are new dads, and this schedule really cuts into their father-child bonding time. The schedule is what it is at this point, but that doesn't mean the Rangers can't hope for better things in the future.

Anthony Duclair to Stay Healthy During World Juniors

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Anthony Duclair got off to a hot start for the New York Rangers in training camp, and he was rewarded with a spot on the main roster. Although Duclair was often healthy-scratched, he made an impact whenever he was in the lineup, but the team felt it was a good idea to let him represent Canada at the 2015 World Junior Championship.

Playing in a prestigious tournament that is very competitive will ultimately allow Duclair to gain some valuable experience, but the Rangers need him healthy the rest of the season. Although there's a greater chance of Duclair getting injured in an NHL game than the WJC tournament, it is easier to rationalize getting hurt during the regular season than a short tournament.

Either way, Sather is likely crossing his fingers and lighting candles from now 'til the tournament's end, because losing a highly skilled young player for any extended period of time would be detrimental to the Rangers. 

Stats via NHL.com