NHL RANGERS' FANS WON'T LIKE SOME OF THESE PREDICTIONS

 I KNOW, I know … the Washington Capitals, if for no other reason than because of their proximity, should be our NHL team. Sorry! … As much as we like the Caps … and Philadelphia Flyers for that matter … because old habits die hard … the New York Rangers are No. 1 (subject to change, of course) as long as No. 6 ZACHARY JONES, son of Glen Allen’s ROB and KARI JONES, plays for the Broadway Blueshirts … of my youth growing up on the lower Lower East Side in the 40s and early 50s … when they weren’t very good and it didn’t matter … well, too much anyway … as long as favorites such as CHUCK 

RAYNER, ANDY BATHGATE and EDGAR LAPRADE

 were in the lineup.

… which is another typical, long-winded lead-in to the 2024-

25 season. Exhibition schedule got under way Saturday 

night (Sept. 21), with the regular season start Oct. 9 … 

Everyone is doing it, so why not make a prediction, or two 

or more (all but guaranteeing none will come true.)?

1 – Rangers will be hard-pressed to qualify for Stanley Cup 

playoffs. They return virtually same team that won 

Governors’ Cup (for best regular-season record) … and 

favored by some – if not many -- to win it all for the first 

time in 30 years. Sorry, RangerNation, but you know (or 

should) that this was the anti-Murphy’s Law team … 

meaning whatever could go right did go right … that is, until 

the playoffs when the grind caught up with such over-

worked players like ADAM FOX, MIKA ZIBANEJAD

 and ARTEMI PANARIN… and tough guy JACOB 

TROUBA lost favor by playing with injuries that made him 

a liability. Add to that was an $8 million contract that 

allowed the NY captain to refuse a trade to Detroit … which 

makes Trouba’s continued presence a potential problem that 

could erode his credibility in the locker room … Then there 

is PETER LAVIOLETTE whose track record as coach 

should set off alarms. To wit, this is his NHL stop and his 

teams always do better in season No. 1. This will be No. 2 in 

New York … which never has been known for patience … 

otherwise, how to explain Laviolette’s predecessor who was 

fired after two seasons of 100 points or more … In fact, 

perhaps the best known of all Big Apple know-it-alls already 

has gone on record that Laviolette should be let go if the 

Rangers don’t win the Cup. Talk about pressure!

2 – It is not reasonable to expect goaltender IGOR 

SHESTERKINto keep bailing out a shaky defense … 

especially now that he’s involved in contract negotiations 

that could/should make him the highest paid, all-time, at his 

position … a distraction that will be used – fairly or unfairly, 

take your pick – every time the 29-year-old Russian proves 

he’s human and lets in a goal.

3 – ALEXIS LAFRENIERE, former top draft choice who 

finally started playing like it, will revert to former form and 

be traded ... sooner better than later.

4 – MATT REMPE could/should become one of the team’s 

two breakout players … emphasis on player … The 6-8 ½ -

foot rookie became an instant fans’ favorite … emphasis on

 fans’ … by demonstrating true grit, spending more time in 

the penalty box than on the ice … fighting then fighting 

some more … Trouble was, he got hit more by an 

assortment of the league’s tough guys than he hit them. With 

that in mind, the likable Rempe worked on technique with 

former NHL tough guy GEORGES LARAQUE, who 

pronounced his pupil ready to inflict some real damage 

when he drops his gloves … Rempe reported to training 

camp lighter and – we’re told – quicker, in other words, 

prepared to be more than just an enforcer … which was a 

good thing because Laviolette told reporters there was no 

guarantee the second-year pro would make the roster … 

regardless of his popularity with RangerNation.

5 – The other NY breakout player? Z Jones, who else? This 

could be wishful thinking … nevertheless, it says here Jones 

should have played a regular shift a year ago … instead of 

being a healthy scratch in 51 of the 82 regular-season games 

then did not dress for any of the Rangers’ games in three 

rounds of the playoffs … Just about every time he did play, 

whether it was a 10-game stretch in December for the 

injured Fox, or 13 more in March and early April when

 RYAN LINDGREN and ERIK GUSTAFSSON were 

sidelined, Z Jones got high praise from Laviolette … as well 

as why doesn’t he play more?reaction from the NY faithful 

… At least for the first time the Rangers haven’t hired a 

bigger – if not as well-rounded – veteran defenseman to take 

the left side of the No. 3 unit ahead of Jones … This will be 

his fourth full season since signing with New York following 

an NCAA championship with UMass … having spent two 

years with AHL Hartford where Jones clearly was the best 

defenseman. He signed a two-year contract extension prior 

to last season … and couldn’t be shipped back to the 

Rangers’ top farm without going through waivers … which 

management knew he wouldn’t clear … Now, if we are 

right, Jones could make a lot of money on his next deal 

which must be struck prior to 2025-26 … He’s currently 

playing for $815,000, a few bucks above the league 

minimum.

Until next time ...