The NHL season is just a few weeks away from the finish line and it doesn't look like the New York Rangers will be playing in the postseason. The Rangers enter tonight's game with the Philadelphia Flyers with a 23-17-6 record, good for 52 points, but in fifth place with the odds stacked significantly against them to get inside the top four spots necessary to reach the postseason.
During a normal year, the Rangers would be in the mix as well, but the issue is that they are six points behind the Boston Bruins in the standings, who still have two games in hand thanks to COVID postponements. Boston also has a significantly easier schedule down the stretch than the Rangers, a slate that includes six games against the struggling Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils, giving them plenty of opportunities to stack up points and make it very hard for the Rangers to catch up short of going undefeated the rest of the way.
Failing to make the postseason is a disappointment for the Rangers, but there are signs of significant progress for this young team. The Rangers have played much better down the stretch, going 11-4-2 over the last month, a run that has largely coincided with Artemi Panarin's return from a self-imposed absence to deal with personal issues.
A lot of the Rangers' young players have also improved their play significantly as the season has progressed. Adam Fox has continued to develop into a star while K'Andre Miller has proved worthy of first pair minutes alongside Jacob Trouba, who has looked much steadier with an upgraded partner compared to last season. Kaapo Kakko, Alexis LaFreniere, and Filip Chytil have also played well with more responsibility while Vitali Kravtsov has fit in seamlessly after coming over from the KHL at midseason.
The Rangers have also figured out an ideal goaltending rotation as Igor Shesterkin has established himself as the team's top option for the post-Henrik Lundqvist era. Add in a strong bounceback from Mika Zibanejad, who started the season slowly after a bout with COVID-19 in training camp, as well as another good season from Ryan Strome and the Rangers have plenty to be thrilled with entering the offseason.
There are, of course, key areas the Rangers will need to address next season. Depth down the middle is one of the biggest concerns as the Rangers will need to figure out if they can add another top center to pair with Zibanejad, which should start the Jack Eichel rumors early. The Rangers also have to manage their salary cap situation, signing the appropriate extensions for players like Zibanejad while also maintaining the flexibility to add the key pieces necessary to build a Stanley Cup contender.
While it is a disappointment for the Rangers to not get their players true playoff experience, the good news is that a lot of their young core has taken a big leap forward entering this season. The Rangers have a very wide window to build a championship roster so this season should be a net positive for that effort. Expectations will definitely be raised at Madison Square Garden next season.