Can the Largely Unchanged Rangers Win It All in 2025?

The Rangers finished first overall this past season, but they need a Cup soon or the core could change.

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Shannon Skanes
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[Thunderbirds]

The whole team needs to show up in the playoffs, not just Shesterkin.

[rorystruthers]

As a rangers fan, maybe. But maybe as in they have as good a chance as any other team. They’re in that nebulous space of if a few things go their way they win and if they have some bad luck they’re out. Throw in the randomness of hockey and it’s anyones guess. Basically they’re definitely contenders.

I do think this core can pull it off, especially if Laf stays on his track (which it seems like he will) and if Mika shows up when he needs to (which it seems like is just up to him at this point).

Only real red flags are Trouba, not really solving the 1rw issue, and if Chytil can stay healthy.

[JustBrowsing]

I had the weirdest dream, Shannon. I was in your car, presenting your board from the backseat, while you were giving me instructions on how and what to do, all while your vehicle was in self drive mode. I was a bit concerned how you trusted the car to drive us 100%, but you were sat in the front passenger seat looking back at me all the time seemingly unfazed by any "risk".

Anyways, the Rangers will be a good team and make the playoffs, but they'll have a hard time making the Stanley Cup final. Zibs is a bit too streaky and needs to score 5on5. Chytil needs to stay healthy. Kakko needs to catch me off guard and have a surprisingly good season. Others need to maintain a very high level and not drop back in play or production. Then maybe they can win...

[alexandergustafsson]

It depends on how much Laffy, Gabe can make up for the regression in the long-term older core. But being a Rags fan since 1993 I learned the value of patience lol

[illydeewilliams]

Answer's no, but I'm gonna watch the video anyway.

[Scantronimus]

Can’t spell “Rangers” without ‘anger’.

[DanielNYR]

Thanks THG for everything you do.

Rangers are mostly unchanged. Kakko and Lindgren have a huge prove-it year ahead of them. Trouba is gone after this year, if not the trade deadline. It's hard not to focus on the year AFTER this season, when the contracts for Lindgren, Kakko, and Trouba expire, leaving about 14M in cap space.

But there is this upcoming season to think about, and we're pretty locked in to our lineup. I've been the biggest Kakko fan there could be since we drafted him but he hasn't nearly met expectations. That being said, this team can put him in the bottom 6 and still compete in the playoffs. If Igor, Panarin, and Fox do what they do, we have the best in the league at every position except center.

I was 3 years old in 94, but I do hope that when Sam Rosen said This One Will Last A Liftetime that it didn't apply to mine.. because I want to remember one.

[christechnica]

The top six forwards missed very few games. If they can do that again I'm bullish on their chances. There are some really dynamic scorers on this roster.

[bhagmeister]

As a life-long NYR fan, I do believe they can win the cup but they’ll need more size and speed.

[redrangers]

Panarin is gonna have to show up in the playoffs for this to work for the rangers

[TheLegendD]

Missing Ranger hockey, love the content

[ajsnapp]

As long as Adam fox's knee stays healthy, the power play works through the playoffs and we have a better outcome. They should have sat Trouba and broken ankle in the playoffs too.

[ShibaInu]

Rangers can win the Stanley Cup soon. You forgot to mention Jones, who is in the Fox mold (put up better numbers than Fox at age 18-20). JOnes will be the offensive D'man on 3rd pairing with Trouba.

Look for excellent moves at trade deadline and for Rangers to play solid until then.

[TheFaustianMan]

Shannon I am a life long Rangers fan. I bleed blue. And I cannot see this team winning a cup anytime soon. I am glad you do, because you know more about overall hockey than I do, where my speciality is The Rangers. The Rangers have always been a novelty act. The Las Vegas residency of washed up talent. Until Messier. The Messiah. I ask this of all my friends who are Ranger fans: On this current team (curious you didn't mention Rempe lol) who can you see hoisting the cup? Panarin? No. Kreider? No. Mika? No. Trouba? No. They usually go all the way down the line to Shesh. The freaking GOALIE! That's the problem, the team is rudderless. Without leadership. Did you see Chris K never answer any of the intimidation Florida put on him? They would bump him during commercial breaks, and he didn't care. Laviolete is a corporate guy. He's not winning a cup anytime soon. And now we're counting on an older core, with no big changes. I think Einstein said something about that. We've also lost our Prodigy goalie coach. This was supposed to be the year, but they just gave up. These are the "deep flaws" we true fans know and talk about, but are never addressed because we're winning. And when we lose, we don't do any self reflection, because "it's a loss put it behind you and move on to the next one." The teams that win cups are mean son of a bitches. Brutal. They'll get to the playoffs again, and just give up once again. It doesn't matter to them. They're already adored by the biggest city in America. They're millionaires. They get an early summer vacation. It's like in Major League II when he starts talking about how he can't be throwing heat, because he has a "career". Thanks for making this vid.

[TRONMAGNUM]

LGR!! I hope so. Reilly Smith needs to have a career year and be a true 1RW for us. Kakko needs to finally go over the hump and give us 50pts. Trouba needs to be serviceable. Chytil needs to stay healthy. If all those things happen then yes the cup will come back to NYC!!!

[peterman]

It's so hard to win a Stanley Cup in NY.

That said, if Kakko does what Laffy did last year, maybe.

[brendanl]

I'm a 50 year Ranger fan, one Cup in the last 84 years. I still keep coming back for more, but at this point, I think I'd have to say, I'll believe it when I see it.

[jon-pauljeandron]

They need all guys to step up in order for this

[clydeblair]

Forget percentages, TIMELY GOALS AND SAVES.

[rickymarwet]

Regression year ahead😢. To many, "this player needs to step up", to many, "this player needs to be healthy", to many "this player needs to want to play in rangers😂