What happened to the New York Rangers? The letter went out in January, the “sell off” started later that month, JT Miller went on IR, and the team…rattles off 4 wins in their last 5 games. Was the formula really in the room all along and it just took this long to figure out? It truly makes you wonder if the new top line had been together from the start, would we be talking about the playoffs? Likely not, but it’s hard not to think “what if” about this year’s Rangers.
This has seemed to become a recurring thought in these recaps, but man I just can’t get enough of the Alexis Lafreniere-Mika Zibanejad-Gabe Perreault top line right now. The three of them are laying waste to anyone who stands in their way. In the last 8 games since the Olympics, Perreault in particular has scored 4 goals, potted 5 assists, and in those 8 games had 4 multi-point nights, and he has the fewest points from that trio! He has most certainly arrived.
The natural chemistry Perreault has developed with Lafreniere may actually alter Chris Drury’s offseason plans, as Lafreniere’s name was in trade rumors as recently as the trade deadline. Laf is showing he can drive a full line, and perhaps it’s too soon to call that contract a whiff. He too has been an absolute force, scoring 6 goals in the last 6 games and potting 5 assists along the way. If he continues this run through the rest of the season, it’s going to be very hard to justify trading him.
We always talk about finding a diamond in the rough through waivers, and Tye Kartye might be that diamond. Kartye has been a revelation while paired with Noah Laba, and he gives Laba something he hasn’t had all season: A steady linemate that he can rely on. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that Kartye is producing offensively, as his skill set and play style are solid complements to Laba’s, and they’ve really taken off. Much like with the top line, we’d like to see this continue beyond a handful of games, but it looks like this duo is here to stay. Perhaps Will Cuylle or Brett Berard would be a good third on that line.
It’s funny how things work sometimes. With the Rangers in the running for a top pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, they have started winning games. The big difference, and something that appears to have given fans fits, is the production is coming from the youth, not the veterans. This is what growth and development looks like. It’s tough to complain about wins when they are coming from the future of the team. As a reminder, this isn’t the NFL where the draft is set in stone at the end of the regular season. It’s a lottery, and the Islanders won the Matt Schaefer lottery after ending the season 10th last season.
I will not complain about this bevy of young players developing in games that result in a winning environment. Winning instills confidence, and the Rangers youth sure has a lot to be proud of to this point. With 17 games remaining, there’s a lot we can still learn about these players and really start to build hope for next season.
More importantly, the Rangers are fun again. Not just as a product on the ice, but you can see a difference in how they are playing as a team lately, and it’s been led by the youth. Something clicked in this locker room, though we will need to see what happens when JT Miller eventually returns.