With a shade over 20% of the 2022-23 campaign in the books, now is a good time to take stock of where the Rangers are at. Having made minimal additions in free agency and opting for an internal replacements for their additions from the previous trade deadline, there was reason to believe see similar results to last season’s squad.
For those in need of a reminder, the 2021-22 Rangers were a very bad team at even strength for most of the season. The deadline acquisitions of Andrew Copp, Frank Vatrano, and Tyler Motte helped shore up the team’s forward depth and resulted in better play down the stretch, but by in large the team was carried by Igor Shesterkin’s Vezina-trophy winning goaltending and strong special teams play.