After the J.T. Miller deal, the Rangers are “set up” to secure a postseason berth, but there’s a catch: the 1994 Stanley Cup general manager thinks
According to Neil Smith, the New York Rangers made a “great acquisition” in J.T. Miller, who will help them secure a postseason berth in the Eastern Conference. However, the Rangers’ 1994 Stanley Cup-winning general manager does not see his old team going far in the tournament this spring.
The Rangers are definitely a “better team” now that they acquired Miller a few weeks ago, Smith said on the RINK RAP podcast, but even with the tough and gifted center in the lineup, they aren’t nearly a genuine Stanley Cup contender.
They will finish in seventh place (in the Eastern Conference), in my view. Smith stated, “If I had to make a prediction, I believe the Rangers will qualify for the playoffs in eighth place.” However, I don’t think they’re a squad that will be able to achieve a lot in the playoffs this year. Making the playoffs is what I believe they will do, but I do believe they will. I believe they are prepared to succeed.
Smith refused to back down when asked why he believed the Rangers were good enough to qualify but not good enough to go on a run, particularly if goaltender Igor Shesterkin rediscover his best form in the closing minutes.
“I fail to see it,” Smith said. Yes, Shesterkin is so excellent that he can win a round by himself. We’ve all witnessed how amazing he is when he’s playing at his best.But until it starts to compete with the great clubs in the East, I don’t see them [having consistent success].
Smith also argues that the Rangers are too much of a flashy finesse team, even with Miller. Therefore, he thinks that before the NHL Trade Deadline on March 7, current Rangers general manager Chris Drury has to “tweak what they are” even more.
That, in my opinion, begins with the J.T. Miller [deal]. However, I believe they play too much east-west and not enough north-south, which means they attempt to enter the zone and play more side-to-side rather than attack the net as much, Smith said. “To be honest, I don’t believe [Artemi] Panarin has played well in the playoffs compared to his regular season, and that’s because he doesn’t play well in the postseason. … Adam Fox is a smaller, really skilled offensive defenseman, but he’s not large, not Brian Leetch size. I’m not sure if you can live with [Mika] Zibanejad and Panarin playing the way they do.
“You’re going to need more [Vincent] Trochecks and more J.T. Millers to make it through the playoffs, in my opinion. And to be honest, I don’t think having a [Jacob] Trouba there would be a horrible thing. Trouba’s contribution to that team was that you could never predict when he would lay someone out.
Despite a dismal 4–15-0 run in November and December, the Rangers are now three points outside of the second wild card and 11th in the Eastern Conference. Although they have gained a lot of ground, they still need to overtake a number of teams in the last 27 games in order to qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the fourth straight year.
Smith thinks the Ottawa Senators can hang onto the top wild card in the East because they are talented enough and have a favorable schedule. The Rangers, Islanders, Boston Bruins, and Columbus Blue Jackets are among the teams in the running for the second wild card, which is presently held by the Detroit Red Wings.
Even if the Rangers’ on- and off-ice problems this season were caused by a number of “self-inflicted wounds” and “friendly fire,” they should still advance to the playoffs ahead of those other teams, especially now that Miller was acquired from the Vancouver Canucks.
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