Rangers’ core running out of time to chase elusive Stanley Cup entering now-or-never season

The ‘Cup or Bust’ narrative that has hung over this Rangers team for a couple years now has a different feel to it this season.

It’s not a difference in pressure or expectations or standard of play, but there is this new presence of an understanding.

The Blueshirts came awfully close to making a few major changes this offseason, and it has become clear those changes can’t be put off for much longer if the organization’s Stanley Cup drought goes any further into its third decade.

The clock has been ticking on this core.

“In all likelihood, this will probably be the last crack for this core,” said captain Jacob Trouba, who was supposed to be a casualty of one of those major moves. “I don’t think that’s a secret by any means. We’re a group that’s grown together, spent some years together here and we have something we want to accomplish.”

Attention has been focused on rookies trying to make the opening-night roster for the first time, like Matt Rempe, Adam Edstrom, Brennan Othmann and Victor Mancini.

That’s because, for the veterans and everyone else, it’s been pretty status quo.

The Rangers are expected to be a serious contender for the Stanley Cup, returning 21 players who were either lineup regulars or with the club for an extended period of time during last season’s Presidents’ Trophy-winning tour de force and Eastern Conference Final finish.

This training camp has felt more like a continuation of 2023-24 than it has a brand new campaign.

Injuries to Ryan Lindgren and Jimmy Vesey have only made it feel more so.

If it is indeed a continuation, the Rangers need to change the ending.

If this is the core the Rangers want to win with, the time may be now or never.

Thirteen current players will need new contracts next summer and that creates opportunity for significant alterations.

Nothing can last forever in a results-driven and hard-salary-cap league.

It’s meant to be an open secret.

Tick, tick, tick.

Offense

Ranking seventh in the NHL in goals (278) and goals per game (3.39), the Rangers had a robust offensive game last season.

They pretty consistently threatened on the power play and the penalty kill, both ranked third, while generally thriving offensively in late-game situations.

Artemi Panarin, Alexis Lafreniere and Vincent Trocheck are all coming off career years while skating on a line together, with the star Russian wing leading the way with a 120-point season.

They’ll remain intact while Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad try to make it work with newcomer Reilly Smith to round out the Rangers top six.

The hope is that Kaapo Kakko, and the rest of the third line, can begin producing regularly to help alleviate some of the scoring pressure on the top six.

Defense

Amid Lindgren’s upper-body injury, the defense corps will look a little different than expected to start the season.

Adam Fox, looking for a more stable campaign after he struggled to get his feel for the game back after a stint on injured reserve last year, could open the season alongside K’Andre Miller, who is looking to have a more impactful year ahead.

Braden Schneider should get top-four minutes and Trouba will look to bounce back from a tough season and summer.

Additionally, Zac Jones is primed to be in the opening-night lineup for the first time after proving he’s ready for it this preseason, while Mancini made his first big impression and presumably earned at least a call-up at some point this season.

The Rangers probably don’t want to give up as much as they did at times last year — noisy chances, as Peter Laviolette calls them.

Perhaps some of the anticipated movement with the D pairs can make for a more formidable unit.

Goaltending

Igor Shesterkin entering the season without a contract extension isn’t the end of the world, but it’s certainly something to monitor.

The star Russian netminder is such a mentally focused player, and that’s partially why there is expected to be no negotiations during the season.

Despite a couple shaky patches last season, Shesterkin still finished in a three-way tie for the fifth highest save percentage at .913 among goalies with at least 40 appearances. His 2.58 goals-against average was good for 10th.

It’s hard to imagine Jonathan Quick having as strong of a season as he did last year, but there’s also no reason why the 38-year-old can’t.

Quick played a major role in keeping the Rangers afloat while Shesterkin reset around the All-Star break.

Coaching

Entering his second year with the Rangers, Laviolette has seemingly picked up where he left off with the group last season.

Both the intensity and pace of practice are the same, as are his philosophies and approach to the team.

Laviolette led the Rangers to their first Presidents’ Trophy-winning campaign since 2014-15 last season.

As long as his message is still resonating within the room, it worked once and it should work again.

Most important offensive player

A fully healthy season from Filip Chytil is arguably one of the most important aspects of the Rangers season for a myriad of reasons.

Not only do the Rangers want to know what Chytil’s future could look like, but a scoring third-line center would be a welcome addition.

After breaking through for 45 points (22 goals) in 74 games in 2022-23, Chytil registered just six assists in 10 games before he sustained the fourth suspected concussion of his career and missed the rest of the regular season.

The Rangers were successful without him, but could be even better off with him if he delivers.

Most important defensive player

Miller said he wasn’t “too happy or too thrilled” about his individual 2023-24 season, saying he felt like he left a couple pages empty and that he could’ve done more.

A pending restricted free agent with arbitration rights next summer, Miller’s upcoming campaign will decide what his next contract looks like.

Amid Jones cracking the top six for the first time, Trouba’s down year and Lindgren’s injury, the Rangers will look to Miller and Fox to set the tone for the defense.

Key rookie

There aren’t a lot of players who can make as much of an impact on a team, a city and a league as Rempe did in just 28 total games between the regular season and postseason.

The frontrunner of potential rookies in the mix, Rempe has put his hard work this offseason on display in training camp.

His skating, body control and overall sense for the game have improved tremendously.

The spotlight on No. 73 is a bright one, and he still has to prove he can be an 82-game NHL player.

Since the Rangers will open the season in Pittsburgh likely without Vesey, and their injury luck hasn’t been the best, Edstrom could also become an important rookie.

Key coaching decision

There haven’t been too many big calls to make this training camp, but the power-play unit arrangements clearly have Laviolette’s attention.

We haven’t seen much of the usual five (Fox, Panarin, Kreider, Trocheck, Zibanejad).

Instead, several combinations have taken reps in both practice and the exhibition games.

It’s likely Laviolette sticks with what works.

If the results aren’t immediate and Lafreniere is in need of an opportunity to expand his role, however, it’ll be interesting to see how quickly Laviolette is willing to make a change.

The same applies to the de facto Kreider-Zibanejad alignment.

Prediction

With largely the same team as last season, the Rangers should make it just as far — if not further — than last season’s Eastern Conference Final finish.

Perhaps they are fueled by the possibility of it being the Last Ride together and are able to see their goal of winning the Stanley Cup through.