Fresh off blowing a 3-1 lead to the Devils, the Rangers have the Minnesota Wild and the return of Ryan Reaves. Reaves may not have been a net-positive on the ice, but he was brought in for a specific purpose last season, and he filled that role well. The Rangers don’t have the locker room chemistry and vibes without Reaves. He was an integral part of uniting a fractured locker room, and for that, he was an important cog in the Rangers run last season.
On the ice, the Wild and Rangers are in similar spots.