Devils 2024-25 Metro Opponent Preview: Rangers

The New Jersey Devils should narrow the gap on the New York Rangers in 2024-25 after finishing well below them a season ago.

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We've covered every Metropolitan team leading into the 2024-25 NHL season...except for one. That being the New Jersey Devils' archrivals, the New York Rangers.

The Rangers were one of the best teams in the NHL last season, winning 55 games and totaling 114 points, earning them the Presidents' Trophy. They're probably due to regress from those numbers a little bit. But make no mistake, this team should be highly competitive again.

The good news is the Devils, at least on paper, should be much more competitive with the Rangers than they were a season ago. Let's preview our last Devils Metro opponent for the 2024-25 season.

Devils & Rangers Forwards Close to Equal

It was a surprisingly quiet offseason for the Rangers, with their lone acquisitions being acquiring Reilly Smith from the Pittsburgh Penguins and signing Sam Carrick in free agency.

I thought Rangers general manager Chris Drury would've been busier this offseason after the Rangers fell two wins short of winning the Eastern Conference last season. But they're essentially running back the same roster they iced in 2023-24.

Still, that's a very good roster the Rangers are returning, led by Artemi Panarin and Igor Shesterkin, the two main catalysts of the team's success in recent seasons. Panarin had a career year in 2023-24, totaling 49 goals and 120 points, while Shesterkin was again one of the top goalies in the NHL.

Panarin will probably regress a bit this season, but don't expect too much regression. He's still a good bet to get between 90-100 points, while Shesterkin will likely be in the Vezina conversation.

The Rangers are a bit top-heavy up front, but their depth could be better if Filip Chytil stays healthy. If so, a third line of Chytil, Will Cuylle and Kaapo Kakko could be a solid unit behind a top six featuring Panarin, Smith, Chris Kreider, Alexis Lafreniere, Vincent Trocheck and Mika Zibanejad.

Do the Rangers have better high-end talent than the Devils? Maybe, but the gap shouldn't be insurmountable if the Devils' top forwards stay healthy. That obviously starts with Jack Hughes, who's produced at near 100-point paces the last couple of seasons. He just hasn't hit it because he's had some injury problems.

Timo Meier needs to play like he did over the final five or six weeks of last season right out of the gate in 2024-25. We know what Jesper Bratt will be, and the same is true with Nico Hischier. Both players have point-per-game potential (even Meier, too), so the Devils' top-end talent should be able to compete with the Rangers'.