Complete Preview and Predictions for the New York Rangers in 2015-16

It's tough to get to the top—and even tougher to stay there.

The New York Rangers earned the 2014-15 Presidents' Trophy after finishing first overall in the NHL standings—a feat the franchise hadn't accomplished since its last Stanley Cup season in 1993-94.

Ranked third in the NHL both offensively and defensively, the Rangers proved to be a balanced team that could battle through adversity, especially when goaltender Henrik Lundqvist missed nearly two months of action because of a throat injury.

With most of the usual suspects returning for another season, coach Alain Vigneault took a positive approach when asked if the Rangers' Stanley Cup window is still open.

"Are we in our window, and how many years is that window? We're a good team. I'm going to let the experts decide if we're in the window or not," Vigneault told Dan Rosen of NHL.com.

Here's the outlook for the Rangers in 2015-16.

Key Roster Changes

Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports

Key Departures

• Martin St. Louis (RW)
• Carl Hagelin (LW)
• James Sheppard (C)
• Cam Talbot (G)
• Glen Sather (GM)

Key Additions

• Viktor Stalberg (LW)
• Emerson Etem (LW)
• Jarret Stoll (C)
• Antti Raanta (G)

Overview

The Rangers fell just one game short of a second straight trip to the Stanley Cup Final, so offseason lineup changes were minimal.

Martin St. Louis retired, Antti Raanta will back up Lundqvist in place of the departed Cam Talbot, and Emerson Etem was an inexpensive replacement for Carl Hagelin.

In the front office, longtime assistant general manager Jeff Gorton moved up to the GM position after Glen Sather retired.

General Fanager lists the 23 players on the Rangers roster and notes the team has $150,500 in cap space. The opening-night roster is set and will include preseason standouts Oscar Lindberg and Dylan McIlrath.

Projected 2015-16 Depth Chart

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Forwards

1. Rick Nash, Derick Brassard, Mats Zuccarello
2. Chris Kreider, Derek Stepan, Kevin Hayes
3. Viktor Stalberg, Oscar Lindberg, J.T. Miller
4. Dominic Moore, Jarret Stoll, Jesper Fast
5. Tanner Glass, Emerson Etem

Defense

1. Dan Girardi, Ryan McDonagh
2. Marc Staal, Dan Boyle
3. Keith Yandle, Kevin Klein
4. Dylan McIlrath

Goal

1. Henrik Lundqvist
2. Antti Raanta

Biggest Storylines to Watch

Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Goaltending Depth

Talbot made his case as an NHL starter by getting into 36 games last season—and playing spectacularly while Lundqvist missed 24 games after taking a puck to the throat.

Lundqvist performed at his usual elite level when he got back into the lineup, but now that Talbot has moved on to the Edmonton Oilers, Raanta will have big shoes to fill.

Raanta had a rocky second season with the Chicago Blackhawks last year, ultimately losing his backup job to Scott Darling down the stretch and into the playoffs.

Contributions from Youth

The Rangers have had more success than most elite NHL teams in developing young players. Derek Stepan, 25, and Chris Kreider, 24, are now dependable mainstays up front, and rookie Kevin Hayes was a pleasant surprise when he chipped in with 17 goals and 45 points last season.

The Blueshirts would love to see their next crop of youth—J.T. Miller (22), Jesper Fast (23) and Etem (23)—chip in to compensate for the 38 goals that St. Louis and Hagelin contributed last season.

Can Rick Nash Stay Hot?

Speaking of goals, Rick Nash drove the Rangers offense last season with a career-high 42 goals, rediscovering the elite scoring form that eluded him in the previous season.

Nash has broken the 40-goal plateau two other times in his career. Both times, a sharp scoring drop-off followed in the ensuing season. 

Expect to hear the criticism of Nash ramp up again if his production slips.

Best- and Worst-Case Scenarios

Phelan M. Ebenhack/Associated Press

Best-Case Scenario

The Rangers are the defending Presidents' Trophy winners and made mostly minor changes to their lineup in the offseason. Lundqvist remains one of the best goalies in the world, and the defense, led by Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi, is topnotch.

If the young players up front take a step forward, New York will push for a second straight season at the top of the NHL standings—and take another run at the elusive Stanley Cup.

Worst-Case Scenario

Without Talbot on hand, another injury to Lundqvist would be devastating. If the young forwards don't click offensively and Nash goes into another one of his slumps, goals will be hard to come by.

By staying stagnant, the Rangers could feel pressure in the Metropolitan Division from the improving Washington Capitals, Pittsburgh Penguins, New York Islanders and Columbus Blue Jackets. If everything goes right for those four teams, they could push the Rangers out of playoff contention.

Final Prediction

Winslow Townson/Associated Press

The Rangers will feel the pressure from the improving teams around them. Their interdivisional games will get tougher, and opposing teams will challenge them in the standings.

By season's end, they'll have to hand over the Presidents' Trophy—possibly to those determined Ducks out in Anaheim.

Look for the Rangers to fend off most of their Metropolitan challengers. They'll finish the year in second place in their division, then gear up again to see if they can get all the way to the Stanley Cup Final.