The New York Rangers look to be entering the 2024-25 season with the majority of their roster still in place from the team that got knocked out in the Eastern Conference Final against the eventual-Stanley-Cup-champion Florida Panthers. This means they are going to need to rely on their younger players once again to take another step in their development in order to help the team take the next step in getting a Stanley Cup back to New York. These younger players are Alexis Lafreniere, Filip Chytil and Kaapo Kakko.
Lafreniere finally had his breakout last season playing on a line with Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck, scoring 28 goals and 57 points in 82 regular season games and following it up with an amazing playoff performance, scoring eight goals and 14 points in 16 games. Now, going into next season, the hope is that Chytil and Kakko can follow what Lafreniere did and have breakout seasons of their own. If they don’t, their futures with the Rangers could be up in air and moving on from them could become a strong possibility.
Kakko Needs to Step Up His Game
The 2019 second-overall pick has failed to live up to his potential in his five seasons with the Rangers so far. His best season was 2022-23, when he scored 18 goals and 40 points in 82 games. Many felt he would follow it up with another good season but that wasn’t the case. He played in only 61 games due to injury and scored only 13 goals and 19 points. He followed it up with a disappointing playoff performance, scoring just one goal and two points in 15 games. He was made a healthy scratch in the Eastern Conference Final due to his poor play. This offseason, he signed a one-year deal worth $2.4 million and is now entering a make or break season. If he end up playing poorly once again, he could be traded by the 2025 Trade Deadline or by this time next offseason.
There is still a chance he could be traded this summer, but as the offseason goes along and the days go by, it seems more likely that he will start the season as a Ranger. He may have to start on the third line, as Lafreniere and newly-acquired Reilly Smith look to be above him on the depth chart. While that might not be great for his offensive game, he needs to make the most of what is given to him to start the season. He needs to start shooting the puck more and while he is very good along the boards and protecting the puck, it doesn’t matter if it doesn’t end up with a scoring chance for either him or his teammate. Kakko has to realize that this is his last chance and just like Lafreniere last season, he will have to prove the doubters wrong.
Chytil Returns Healthy and Motivated
You can argue that Chytil already had a breakout season for the Rangers. The 2022-23 season saw him finally become a strong offensive threat as he scored 22 goals and 45 points in 74 games. This earned him a four-year contract and many hoped that he would build off of that success going into the 2023-24 season. However, his regular season was over after just 10 games due to a concussion he suffered and the setbacks he faced during recovery. He shockingly made a return to play in the playoffs, but was not effective with zero points in six games. Now, with an offseason to recover and prepare, many hope this season can be the one where Chytil builds off of what he has done in the past.
Chytil will likely slot into the third-line center role after the departure of Alex Wennberg. He was the second line center to start last season, but after his injury, Trocheck took over that role and his line became one of the best in the NHL. If both him and Kakko are on the same line to start the season, they may be able to use each other as motivation to have great seasons. They played great together when they were part of “The Kid Line” and now, they can use that chemistry to help them become better players than they were last season. For Chytil specifically, he needs to show he can overcome his injuries and return to being an impact player.
They Need to Follow in Lafreniere’s Footsteps
At this time last offseason, there was so much speculation about what Lafreniere’s future with the Rangers could look like. There were trade rumors and many thought that last season was a make or break for him as a Ranger. He proved his doubters wrong and showed exactly why he was picked first overall in 2020 and that he’s going to be an impact player in this league for many years to come. Now, the Rangers need to see the same from Chytil and Kakko. With the team looking mostly the same, they are going to be relied on to provide the depth scoring and to be effective middle-six players that could jump up higher in the lineup if needed.
The Rangers, at this time next offseason, are going to be in a cap crunch. They have Lafreniere, K’Andre Miller and Igor Shesterkin all looking for new contracts and it’s going to be a challenge to fit them all even with the salary cap now $88 million. If neither Chytil or Kakko show improvement this season, both of them could be out the door to free up cap space and make room for other players coming up in the Rangers’ system. However, if they show they can be better players, they will find themselves as part of the future in New York, the best-case scenario. These will be two of the most interesting Rangers to watch going into next season.
