It’s always fun to pick a team to root for in the postseason. On a more granular level, there’s a lot of players Rangers fans should watch this postseason, whether for good or bad reasons. Even though the Rangers didn’t make the playoffs, it’s still worth watching these players for different reasons. This could be because a player might be a Ranger in the future, because it’s a type of player the Rangers should look to draft, or just because we love to torture ourselves watching former Rangers.
Porter Martone
I am starting off with Martone because he represents a great scenario for the Rangers next season. Martone joined a bad Philadelphia Flyers team with a top five pick and the moment he joined the NHL team, he started contributing. Not only has Martone been contributing, but you could argue he’s been a top three forward on the Flyers.
Additionally, Martone has been trusted by the coaching staff. Hopefully Mike Sullivan is watching the tape, as Martone’s emergence has been huge for the Flyers, and the trust put in him as been huge for his growth. Maybe he learns and starts inserting kids into key roles as rookies.
Connor McDavid
Is it likely Connor McDavid ever plays a game for the Rangers? No. Is it possible? Yes. The best case scenario for the Rangers if they want any chance at McDavid is that he is eliminated early from this year’s playoffs. Next season, the Oilers would have to struggle as well, setting McDavid up for a choice: keep trying with a team that hasn’t been able to do it, or get a massive payday elsewhere.
In the latter scenario, maybe the Rangers could be that team. We won’t get to that point unless the Oilers struggle.
Alex Tuch
Consider me someone who is terrified of a potential Rangers pursuit of Alex Tuch. He’s a good player, but he’s not the kind of guy you pay $10M a year for into his late thirties. Tuch does seem exactly like the kind of player Chris Drury would pay up for. A strong postseason for Tuch would only increase his next payday, and it also feels as if it would increase Drury’s interest.
Of the players Rangers fans should watch, Tuch might be the most important. Many are calling for the Rangers to sign him, but that is one bad contract waiting to happen.
Ryan McDonagh
Okay, this one is cheating a little bit, I just want to get on a soapbox about McDonagh. McDonagh should go down as one of the most underappreciated Rangers in team history. All he did was come through in the clutch, play through injuries, and lead the Rangers as a leader in the locker room and soon to be captain to the Stanley Cup Final. Many forget that if the Rangers won that Cup, he was a prime candidate to win the Conn Smythe.
I do believe over time McDonagh has been retroactively appreciated more, but truly McDonagh should be revered by fans and given the same treatment that other folk hero Rangers are. I don’t want the Tampa Bay Lightning to win another Stanley Cup, but if they do, I’ll be thrilled for McDonagh.
Mats Zuccarello and Chris Kreider
Of all the players Rangers fans should watch, we should always be rooting for these two. I hope they both find their ways to the Stanley Cup Final and win it, but are always remembered as Rangers.