The New York Rangers have a lot of important veterans on their team, but they also need to continue to develop their skilled, young players. Last season, center Filip Chytil, winger Kaapo Kakko, and defenseman K’Andre Miller all showed improvement, which made a big difference for the team. This season, Kakko is poised to continue improving, as is defenseman Braden Schneider.
Kaapo Kakko
The Rangers drafted Kakko second overall in 2019 with hopes that he would become a star. As a rookie, he struggled with the speed and physicality he faced in the NHL but showed his skill at times, including a beautiful goal against the Edmonton Oilers and an overtime goal against the Pittsburgh Penguins. He finished with 10 goals and 13 assists in 66 games but struggled defensively and had a few long-scoring droughts.
Kakko got stronger and dramatically improved defensively in each of his next two seasons but continued to go through long scoring slumps. He also had a lot of different injuries that forced him to miss time and prevented him from finding a rhythm. He played just 91 games combined in 2020-21 and 2021-22.
Last season, Kakko continued his strong defensive play, but he also stayed healthy, playing in all 82 games. He was a dependable player in all situations and became a valuable penalty-killer. He set career highs in goals (18) and assists (22), even though he spent the majority of the season playing on the third line and rarely got ice time on the power play. He had just three assists and no goals on the man advantage.
Related: Kaapo Kakko Rewarding Rangers’ Patience
With star right wing Vladimir Tarasenko signing with the Ottawa Senators in free agency and star right wing Patrick Kane unlikely to re-sign with the Rangers, Kakko should move into a top-six role this season. He is very strong on the puck, trustworthy defensively, and he was able to get to the front of the net more often last season. He also deserves more consistent ice time on the power play. If he stays healthy, he certainly has a shot at finishing with 20-25 goals and 25-30 assists.
Braden Schneider
The Rangers drafted Braden Schneider 19th overall in the 2020 NHL Draft. He began the 2021-22 season with the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League (AHL,) and he played well defensively while totaling nine assists in 24 games. His strong play earned him a call-up to the NHL, and as a rookie, the 6-foot-3 defenseman played with physicality while also chipping in offensively. He earned a spot on the team’s third defense pair and finished the season with two goals and nine assists in 43 games.
Last season, Schneider remained on the Rangers’ third defense pair and ended up playing with a lot of different defense partners, including Zac Jones, Ben Harpur, and Niko Mikkola. Though he did not play poorly, he was often cautious with the puck and did not look to get involved offensively too often. He ended up with five goals and 13 assists in 81 games.
Schneider has a combination of size and speed, and at just 21 years old, he has already established himself as a steady defenseman. The next step will be getting more confident with the puck and looking to produce more offensively. Fellow young Rangers defenseman Miller broke through in his third NHL season in 2022-23 and finished with nine goals and 34 assists. Now Schneider will look to break through in his third season in the NHL in 2023-24.
For the Rangers Moving Forward
Though the Rangers have some veteran stars, the development of their young players is integral to both the upcoming season and the team’s future. Kakko and Schneider are already good players, and both appear ready to take the next step in their development this season. If they are able to do so, it will go a long way toward helping the team make the playoffs.
