After a disastrous first-round exit to the eventual Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins, fans knew that the 2016-17 version of the New York Rangers would look different than it has in recent seasons.
The biggest emphasis of upgrades was centered around the defense.
While Ryan McDonagh continued his tremendous play, Keith Yandle had one of his best professional seasons to date, Kevin Klein flew under the radar, and Brady Skjei excelled in his rookie season, Dan Girardi, Marc Staal, and Dan Boyle all received their fair share of criticism.