With it now being 2024, it’s been a decade since the New York Rangers last went to the Stanley Cup Final. They lost the series 4-1, with the last game ending in overtime. The Rangers have gotten to two Eastern Conference Finals since 2014 but have not been able to make it back to the Final. With this year’s Rangers team being one of the top teams in the league, it seems this season might be the one where they could make a run to the finals again.
While this team is very good, there are holes in the team that need to be filled. For this, we are going to look back at the 2014 team and choose three players that would help the Rangers make another run to the Stanley Cup Final this season.
Derick Brassard
One of the key players from the 2014 team who had an amazing playoff performance was Derick Brassard. Since the Rangers are without Filip Chytil for the foreseeable future, Brassard would be a perfect fit to replace him as the Rangers need another middle-six center. During the 2013-14 season, he put up 18 goals and 45 points in 81 games played. He followed it up with six goals and 12 points in 23 playoff games.
Brassard was the center on the Rangers’ best line that year, playing with Mats Zuccarello and Benoit Pouliot. This was considered the third line at the time, but they were playing better than the top two lines and were always a factor every game.
On the 2024 Rangers, Brassard would once again be the third-line center. A line consisting of him, Will Cuylle and Jimmy Vesey could be a new version of what the Rangers had back in 2014. He would provide more scoring and be a better option on the second power-play unit than what the Rangers are currently rolling with due to injuries. Adding a key playoff performer like Brassard would instantly make this team more dangerous.
Mats Zuccarello
The Rangers are currently lacking someone to play on the top-line right wing. One player from 2014 who would be a perfect fit is the previously mentioned Zuccarello. During the 2013-14 season, he scored 19 goals and 59 points in 77 games played. He added five goals and 13 points in 25 games played on the run to the Final. He was a key member of the third line in 2014, and if he were added to this year’s team, he would be welcomed back by the fans, as many still miss him and wish that he could have remained on the team longer than he did.
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Zuccarello from 2014 would be a perfect fit on the 2024 Rangers’ top-line because he already has chemistry playing with Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad. They were a great line together before Zuccarello got traded in 2019. He would add scoring and speed, and he’s not afraid to get to the dirty areas and make plays happen. He may be a small player, but he has the biggest heart and would be the perfect fit for what the Rangers are looking for today.
Ryan McDonagh
While the Rangers of today do have a very good defensive core, adding 2014 Ryan McDonagh to a top pair with Adam Fox would make the defense that much better. The 2013-14 season was a breakout year for him, as he scored 14 goals and 43 points in 77 games played while adding four goals and 17 points in 25 games during the playoffs. He was the Rangers’ number one defenseman, and his performance and leadership earned him the captaincy the following season.
2014 McDonagh on a top pair with 2024 Fox would be an incredible sight to see. It would make the Rangers’ defense even deeper, and they would have plenty of options on how the next two pairs would look. McDonagh would add solid defensive play, but he could also chip in offensively if needed to. He was a defensive stalwart for the 2014 Rangers and would be an amazing addition to this year’s team.
There are plenty of other players you could choose from that team, such as Rick Nash, Brad Richards or Marty St. Louis, but the three players mentioned are players who would most add to the team in areas where they need it. Brassard and Zuccarello would add to the lacking forward depth, and McDonagh would help stabilize a defense that has been up and down this season. It’s fun to look back at the 2014 team, but now, the hope is the 2024 squad can get the job done.