Complete Preview and Predictions for the New York Rangers in 2016-17

One year after winning the Presidents' Trophy and two seasons after reaching the Stanley Cup Final, the New York Rangers are looking to rejoin the NHL elite after a dip in their performance in 2015-16.

The Rangers dropped from first to third in the Metropolitan Division last season, finishing the year with 101 points. They ranked a respectable seventh in scoring but dropped to an uncharacteristic 15th in goals against.

Special teams also took a hit: Their power play was a middle-of-the-pack 14th overall, but the penalty kill was a troubling fifth worst in the league.

Also troubling was New York's five-game ouster by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the first round of the playoffs. Unlike past years, goaltender Henrik Lundqvist was no longer able to single-handedly save the day. The Rangers were the first team of the postseason to succumb to a Pittsburgh juggernaut built on speed and depth.

In an effort to reverse their downward trend, the Rangers made plenty of lineup changes during the offseason. With an eye toward fuelling their rebirth with an infusion of youth, here's their outlook for the 2016-17 season.

Key Roster Changes

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Key Departures

• Derick Brassard (C)
• Dominic Moore (C)
• Eric Staal (C)
• Viktor Stalberg (LW)
• Keith Yandle (D)
• Dan Boyle (D)

Key Additions

• Mika Zibanejad (C)
• Brandon Pirri (C)
• Josh Jooris (C)
• Jimmy Vesey (LW)
• Nathan Gerbe (LW)
• Michael Grabner (RW)
• Nick Holden (D)
• Adam Clendening (D)

Overview

The Rangers' offseason changes were a result of salary-cap issues and a desire to make changes after the disappointing end to 2015-16.

The team couldn't afford to re-sign offensive defenseman Keith Yandle, who signed a $44.45 million contract with the Florida Panthers. Trade-deadline acquisition Eric Staal also moved on in free agency, as did Viktor Stalberg and Dominic Moore.

Dan Boyle, 40, is expected to officially announce his retirement after 17 NHL seasons, according to Darren Dreger of TSN.

New York's big offseason trade was a one-for-one swap of centers with the Ottawa Senators. Derick Brassard, 29, leaves the Rangers after four seasons where he tallied 174 points in 254 games. He's replaced by Mika Zibanejad, 23, who has 151 points in his 281-game NHL career to date.

The trade makes the Rangers bigger, younger and saves the team $2.375 million in cap space this season, according Andrew Gross of The Record.

That cap space was used, in part, to sign highly coveted Hobey Baker winner Jimmy Vesey when he became an unrestricted free agent after completing his four years of NCAA eligibility at Harvard.

According to General Fanager, the Rangers have $1.6 million in available cap space as of October 4.

Projected 2015-16 Depth Chart

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Forwards

1. Rick Nash, Derek Stepan, Mats Zuccarello
2. Chris Kreider, Mika Zibanejad, J.T. Miller
3. Jimmy Vesey, Kevin Hayes, Pavel Buchnevich
4. Jesper Fast, Josh Jooris, Michael Grabner
5. Tanner Glass, Oscar Lindberg

Defense

1. Ryan McDonagh, Dan Girardi
2. Marc Staal, Kevin Klein
3. Nick Holden, Dylan McIlrath
4. Adam Clendening

Goal

1. Henrik Lundqvist
2. Antti Raanta

Biggest Storylines to Watch

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Lundqvist's Level

Now, 34, Henrik Lundqvist has become one of the NHL's elder statesmen in net but has yet to lift the Stanley Cup.

Age is becoming a concern as the one-time workhorse is becoming injured more easily. Lundqvist also played well below his usual level in the 2016 playoffs—finishing just two of the five games he started and giving up 15 goals in 205 minutes for an .867 save percentage and 4.39 goals-against average.

Lundqvist acquitted himself well at the World Cup of Hockey in September. The question now is whether he'll be able to keep delivering the sparkling saves that have made him King of Broadway for the last 11 seasons.

Contributions from Youth

Mika Zibanejad and Jimmy Vesey add an immediate injection of skilled youth into the Rangers lineup. Russian forward Pavel Buchnevich, 21, has also been a pleasant surprise in camp and has a real shot at cracking the lineup—likely displacing one of this summer's budget free-agent signings.

On the blue line, big Dylan McIlrath, 24, should finally become an everyday blueliner, and 23-year-old Adam Clendening has impressed at camp with his offensive touch. Brady Skjei, 22, won't need to clear waivers to be assigned to the AHL, but he also looks close to cracking the big club.

Will Special Teams Improve?

The Rangers' power play has been a sore spot for years, but their penalty killing has traditionally been a strength. During the 2014-15 Presidents' Trophy season, the Rangers were sixth best in the league while shorthanded with an 84.3 percent kill rate, but that dropped to a 26th-best 78.2 percent rate last season.

In a division that includes power-play powerhouses like the Washington Capitals and Pittsburgh Penguins, the Rangers will need to deliver a better penalty kill—and score a few power-play goals of their own—if they hope to secure another guaranteed playoff spot this season.

Best- and Worst-Case Scenarios

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Best-Case Scenario

The Rangers are just one season removed from being Presidents' Trophy winners. Their forward group is fast, skilled and youthful, which should bode well in today's NHL.

If Mika Zibanejad fulfills the promise he has shown in training camp and Jimmy Vesey lives up to his hype, New York will improve on an offense that was ranked seventh in the NHL last season and will win games by outscoring its opponents.

Worst-Case Scenario

The Rangers should score some goals this season, but will they be able to keep pucks out of their own net?

Combine an aging Lundqvist with a defense that lost Keith Yandle and saw Dan Girardi and Marc Staal struggle with consistency in 2015-16. Madison Square Garden may no longer be the defensive fortress we've come to know over the past 10 years.

If youngsters McIlrath, Skjei and Clendening don't take big steps forward this season, the normally airtight Rangers could find themselves among the lower tier of the NHL's defensive teams in 2016-17.

Final Prediction

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The Metropolitan Division is home to hockey's best teams. The Pittsburgh Penguins enter the season as Stanley Cup champions, and the Washington Capitals hold the Presidents' Trophy after a dominant season in 2015-16.

Suddenly, the Rangers are underdogs among the elite. They'll also be faced with a challenge from below by the New York Islanders, while the Philadelphia Flyers and Carolina Hurricanes should also show improvement.

Unless Lundqvist suddenly returns to All-Star form, expect to see the Rangers battling for an Eastern Conference wild-card berth during the stretch run next spring.

All stats courtesy of NHL.com.