After evaluating every forward on the New York Rangers roster, let’s take a look at New York’s defensem*n and goalies. First, some parameters:
• Each grade is based on expectations for the given player. The bar for Adam Fox to get an A is much higher than it is for Zac Jones.
• We graded only defensem*n and goalies who appeared in 25 or more regular season games. Apologies to the likes of Louis Domingue and Connor Mackey, who deserves a shoutout for his big fight against Ottawa going into the All-Star break.
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• The players in this story are sorted by regular-season scoring. Arthur Staple did the grades for defensem*n, and Peter Baugh graded the goalies.
Here are the grades:
Defensem*n
Adam Fox
Regular season: 72 games, 73 points (17 goals, 56 assists)
Playoffs: 16 games, 8 points (0 goals, 8 assists)
Regular season grade: A
Playoff grade: B
The bar is high for Fox to record an A grade, but he met that bar this season. A career high in goals, including six power-play markers, and a third straight 70-point season, all while missing 10 games in November with a right knee injury.
He was still among the top 10 defensem*n in scoring chance plus/minus with the Rangers, generating high-danger chances at a better rate than any other defenseman on the team.
The playoffs were a disappointment fueled in large part by a reinjured right knee thanks to a leg-on-leg hit by the Capitals’ Nick Jensen in Game 4 of the first round. Fox would have none of it. “If you’re on the ice,” he said, “there’s an expectation to produce.”
It’s now 29 consecutive playoff games without a goal for Fox, going back to Game 7 of the 2022 second round. The Rangers clearly need him at whatever percentage of full health he has, and he needs to be more dominant for the Rangers to advance deep into the postseason.
Erik Gustafsson
Regular season: 76 games, 31 points (6 goals, 25 assists)
Playoffs: 16 games, 3 points (0 goals, 3 assists)
Regular season grade: B+
Playoff grade: C-
When Fox went down 10 games into the season it was certainly a worry as to who could step up on the Rangers blue line. Gustafsson, on his seventh team in five years, didn’t seem the likeliest candidate, but he was the man for a month, filling Fox’s spot in the top four and on a power play that didn’t miss a beat. Gustafsson tailed off considerably as the season went along, but those first 30 games, with 19 points for Gustfasson, were enough to more than account for his $825,000 salary.
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But the playoffs have long been an issue for Gustafsson, and this run again didn’t look good on him. Hard to see the Rangers bringing him back when they might go for a better third-pair fit. But we’ll always have November.
K’Andre Miller
Regular season: 80 games, 30 points (8 goals, 22 assists)
Playoffs: 16 games, 4 points (1 goal, 3 assists)
Regular season grade: B
Playoff grade: B-
Miller was poised for a big step forward coming off a low-key fantastic 2022-23 season, but it didn’t quite materialize under Peter Laviolette. He still led the defense corps in even-strength time on ice, and his late-season pairing with Braden Schneider gave a glimpse of what’s likely to come next season. There was a lot to like.
There are still too many instances of hesitancy or poor decision-making to fully bank on Miller as a true rising star. And in a postseason when the Rangers were primarily caved in at five-on-five, Miller — either with Jacob Trouba or Schneider — took the brunt of it. Out of all the defensem*n who have played in the playoffs, Miller’s on-ice expected goals of minus-8.58 ranks dead last. It’s not all on him, but it’s also time for Miller to start determining some on-ice outcomes rather than reacting to what others do.
Jacob Trouba
Regular season: 69 games, 22 points (3 goals, 19 assists)
Playoffs: 16 games, 7 points (1 goals, 6 assists)
Regular season grade: B-
Playoff grade: D
It was a so-so regular season for the Rangers captain, nothing really bad but also nothing particularly good on the ice — perhaps his best contribution was being the captain of a team that needed to buy in right away to Laviolette’s system and style. That’s no small thing.
In the postseason, things took a decidedly downward turn for Trouba. He did have one of the two postseason goals by defensem*n, but he was off his game in a bad, bad way in his own end, running out of position often and committing 11 penalties. Trouba said the broken ankle he suffered in March was not a factor in his postseason play, but quite honestly if he’s sticking around beyond this season, the Rangers may prefer that the ankle was an issue.
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Braden Schneider
Regular season: 82 games, 19 points (5 goals, 14 assists)
Playoffs: 16 games, 2 points (0 goals, 2 assists)
Regular season grade: B
Playoff grade: B
Another quiet, steady step forward for Schneider even though he didn’t really assume bigger minutes until the end of the regular season. Steadiness is needed from the top four with Trouba’s fall-off, and Schneider can provide that.
He did take on bigger assignments in the postseason, and his pairing with Miller seems likely to be the starting second pair next season. If that’s the case, Schneider will be moving up to be the top five-on-five pair for the Rangers and he seems ready to give that a go.
Ryan Lindgren
Regular season: 76 games, 17 points (3 goals, 14 assists)
Playoffs: 16 games, 3 points (0 goals, 3 assists)
Regular season grade: B
Playoff grade: B
Lindgren usually goes as Fox goes, but his regular season gets a boost from having a strong run in November when Fox was out. Despite his usual bumps, bruises and facial injuries, Lindgren didn’t miss much time at all this season and was effective through most of it, especially on the top-five-ranked penalty kill.
In the playoffs, there were some neat flashes of skill, as seen on Chris Kreider’s Game 6 winning goal against Carolina and Alex Wennberg’s Game 3 OT winner against Florida. There are no issues with what Lindgren brings to the table when it comes to his next contract; if he ends up not returning, it’s strictly a salary-cap issue. He’s a heart-and-soul Ranger through and through.
Zac Jones
Regular season: 31 games, 9 points (2 goals, 7 assists)
Playoffs: N/A
Regular season grade: B
Playoff grade: N/A
Jones’ underlying numbers in limited game action weren’t bad — his on-ice expected goals fell barely in the red, minus-0.54 expected goals, which ranked third among the Rangers defensem*n. Given he gets zero power-play time this seemed like it could have been enough to earn a uniform for at least a game in the postseason, but it didn’t happen. He’s got another year on his deal and certainly is in line for a roster spot, but that may not be enough for him at this point.
The big question of Igor Shesterkin’s offseason is whether the Rangers work out an extension with him. (Joel Auerbach / Getty Images)
Goalies
Igor Shesterkin
Regular season: 55 games, 36-17-2, .913 save percentage, 17.36 goals saved above expected (Evolving-Hockey)
Playoffs: 16 games, 10-6, .927 save percentage, 15.62 goals saved above expected (Evolving-Hockey)
Regular season grade: B+
Playoff grade: A+
Shesterkin had a good-not-great regular season. He had a difficult January (.863 save percentage in 10 games), which took his total numbers down a notch, but was rock solid the rest of the year. The Rangers gave him a few games off to work with goalie expert Benoit Allaire, and that proved fruitful. He had a .929 save percentage in 23 games the rest of the season.
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Though 2023-24 was not the Vezina Trophy-level season of which Shesterkin is capable, he was still among the best goalies in the NHL. He finished top-10 in the league in wins (third), games started (sixth), save percentage (seventh) and shutouts (eighth) among goalies who played at least 41 games. He was 11th in goals saved above expected.
The playoffs brought out the best in Shesterkin. There’s a chance the Rangers wouldn’t have beaten the Hurricanes without his brilliance, and the Panthers’ series might’ve been shorter than six games without him in the crease. After New York lost Game 6, Vincent Trocheck pulled the goalie in for a hug.
“He was our best player by a significant margin in playoffs,” the center said. “If there was one guy I thought needed to hear that after the loss to kind of keep his spirits up, (it was him). I just told him he was our best player, he deserved better.”
Among goalies who played in five playoff games through the first three rounds, Shesterkin was second in save percentage and first in goals saved above expected, per Evolving-Hockey.
The big question of Shesterkin’s offseason is whether the Rangers work out an extension with him. Asked if he’d thought much about the possibility of a long-term deal, he smirked.
“Sorry, I don’t speak English,” the Russian goalie said — in English.
Jonathan Quick
Regular season: 27 games, 18-6-2, .911 save percentage, 12.82 goals saved above expected (Evolving-Hockey)
Playoffs: N/A
Regular season grade: A
Playoff grade: N/A
Quick was one of the most feel-good stories of the Rangers’ season. After posting an .882 save percentage with Los Angeles and Vegas in 2022-23, he signed a one-year, $825,000 deal with the Rangers, the team for whom he grew up rooting. He proceeded to have a resurgent season backing up Shesterkin, giving Laviolette a reliable option whenever the team’s No. 1 needed a night off. Players in the dressing room raved about Quick, too.
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Quick’s strong play earned him another year in New York. He signed a one-year, $1.275 million extension during the season.
“His reputation preceded him as a great teammate and locker room guy,” Jimmy Vesey said. “He’s been as advertised for us.”
(Top photo of Adam Fox and Jacob Trouba: Rich Graessle / NHLI via Getty Images)
