Six questions regarding the Rangers as they prepare to open training camp

It still felt like summer this past weekend, but don't be fooled.

Hockey is just around the corner.

Training camps will open across the NHL this week, with the New York Rangers expected to hold their first full skate Thursday. That's when the reigning Presidents' Trophy winners will officially take aim at ending a Stanley Cup drought that eclipsed 30 years in June.

Team president Chris Drury didn't make any seismic changes this summer, leaving second-year head coach Peter Laviolette to deploy a very similar-looking roster to the one that produced the league's best record last season. Whereas last year's camp was about implementing a new system and learning a new coaching staff, the 2024-25 squad should be able to hit the ground (or ice) running. And while stacking regular-season wins is the first order of business, this group will ultimately be judged by how they finish.

Rookie camp: Early impressions of Berard, Edström, Othmann and more prospects

But before we look too far ahead, we should examine what these Blueshirts need to accomplish at this camp. They have three weeks to prepare for a new season, which will begin Oct. 9 in Pittsburgh, with these six questions at the top of our minds in the meantime:

Where do things stand with the captain?

There may be some lingering awkwardness after word got out that the Rangers were shopping defenseman Jacob Trouba over the summer, but I wouldn’t expect them to bubble to the surface. Trouba has worked hard to build a strong locker room culture, and I bet he’ll downplay the significance of trade rumors for the sake of the team.

I also wouldn’t expect him to pout if he begins camp on the bottom pair. A reduced five-on-five role may be the best thing for him at this point, with a better chance for success if he’s not shouldering the burden of the toughest matchups. Braden Schneider looked ready for that challenge at the end of last season and deserves a top-four opportunity entering 2024-25, with Trouba sure to be supportive of a young player he’s taken under his wing.

Don’t be shocked if Trouba earns his spot back, either. We don’t know exactly how much his late-season ankle injury affected him in the playoffs, but it certainly didn’t help. He’s presumably healthy now and will be motivated to silence the critics who reached a fever pitch last spring.

Will Mika Zibanejad have a bounce-back season?

If the Rangers are going to accomplish their Stanley Cup goal, they’ll need this answer to be affirmative.

Zibanejad averaged one five-on-five goal for every 10.1 games played last season, easily the worst mark in his eight years with the Blueshirts. It gets even worse if you factor in the playoffs, when the 31-year-old Swede scored just once at 5v5 in 16 games.

His playoff totals ended up looking solid, ranking second on the team with 16 points (three goals and 13 assists). But only five of those points came at 5v5, including just one in six games against the eventual champion Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final.

The drop-off was especially surprising after Zibanejad registered a career-high 91 points (39 goals and 52 assists) while being voted team MVP the year prior. Was 2023-24 just an off year? Or was it the beginning of an offensive decline?

To be fair, those who watch Zibanejad regularly understand that his game shouldn’t strictly by judged by points. He takes on the toughest defensive matchups and penalty-killing minutes – where, by the way, his six shorthanded points were tied for fifth in the NHL last season. But it’s also fair to conclude that this roster won’t reach its full potential if No. 93 doesn’t rediscover the scoring touch that earned him No. 1 center status in the first place.

That’s especially true as the competition stiffens in the playoffs, where the likes of Aleksander Barkov, Sidney Crosby and Brayden Point have given Zibanejad trouble over the years. It'll be even tougher sledding if he's ever matched up against the best from the Western Conference, most notably Connor McDavid and reigning Hart Trophy winner Nathan MacKinnon.

Every recent champion had a play-driving center at the top of their lineup, and with Zibanejad locked up for another four years at $8.5 million per season, the Rangers are banking on him to be that guy.

Who plays 1RW?

This question directly relates to the previous one.

It’s probably no coincidence that Zibanejad’s numbers dipped during a season in which he played with at least seven different right wingers. The Rangers have had a revolving door in their 1RW spot for three years and counting, dating back to the lopsided 2021 trade that sent Pavel Buchnevich to St. Louis. They attempted to solve the problem by dealing for Jack Roslovic in March, but it never clicked for more than brief flashes.

The search continued this summer, with veteran Reilly Smith acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins after the top free agents all landed elsewhere. Expect him to get the first crack at the 1RW job once camp begins.

Smith has six seasons of 50 points or more on his resume, including the 2022-23 campaign when he was a top-six winger for a Cup-winning Vegas squad. But he’s 33 now and coming off a subpar season that made him expendable for the Pens.

The Rangers believe he’ll be a good fit with Zibanejad and Chris Kreider, with underlying numbers that suggest he’s still an effective option. (Smith’s 53.84% xGF ranked fourth among Pittsburgh’s regulars, according to Evolving Hockey.)

Plan B would likely involve Kaapo Kakko, and while he’s repeatedly flamed out in the 1RW role, there's always a chance the former No. 2 overall pick finally puts it all together. Otherwise, they’d have to turn to a limited veteran in Jimmy Vesey or unproven prospect such as Brett Berard or Brennan Othmann.

And if none of those guys pan out? Don’t be surprised to see RW at the top of Drury’s trade-deadline wish list for the fourth consecutive year. (Even though at that point it would be hard to argue against breaking up Kreider and Zibanejad altogether.)

Is Zac Jones ready for a full-time role?

The Rangers sure seem to think so. They allowed Erik Gustafsson to walk in free agency and declined to sign a replacement, a clear indication that the left-handed spot on the bottom D pair now belongs to Jones.

It took a few years to get there, but the 23-year-old held up well while filling in for injured regulars at the end of last season, inspiring confidence that he’s ready to play every night. The remaining depth, namely Ben Harpur, Connor Mackey, Matthew Robertson and Brandon Scanlin, don’t feel like threats to beat him out for a place in the lineup.

The hope is that Jones’ puck-moving skills will aid a D corps that’s had trouble breaking out of its own zone in recent seasons and his quick feet will add mobility. The 5-foot-10, 176-pounder will need to excel in those areas to overcome concerns about size, strength and defending the high-danger areas.

The Rangers have traditionally preferred big-bodied, rugged defensemen in those bottom-pair roles, but this signals an open-minded approach that could pay off.

Is there any room for surprises?

Never say never, but this camp feels like it will be light on position battles and roster openings.

At least 11 of the expected 13 forward slots are accounted for, with Matt Rempe’s absence from rookie camp suggesting the 22-year-old has a distinct edge for spot No. 12. Meanwhile, veteran Jonny Brodzinski is the favorite to fill the 13th and final opening after appearing in a career-high 57 NHL games last season.

Adam Edström made a strong push over the weekend, with three goals in two rookie games against prospects from the Philadelphia Flyers. He could challenge Rempe for a fourth-line role if he carries that momentum into NHL camp, but early signs are pointing in the other direction.

It’s an even longer shot for Berard or Othmann to make the opening-night cut, barring an injury to a top-nine forward. But the highest-ranked forward prospects in camp should play in at least a couple preseason games and get a chance to open some eyes. It wouldn’t be a surprise to see either (or both) at some point this season.

There’s less intrigue on defense and in goal, with Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick locked in at the latter position. Five of the six regular defensemen from last season are back, as well, with Jones ascending into the vacant spot. The only competition will surround which extra D-man the Rangers carry, with veteran Chad Ruhwedel trying to fend off a crowded AHL group that includes Harpur, Mackey, Robertson, Scanlin and Victor Mancini.

How will this core respond to playoff disappointment?

Many believed Drury would pursue substantial changes after this group looked overmatched against the eventual champion Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Final. But after being priced out on the top free agents and underwhelmed by a relatively unappealing trade market, the Rangers are taking their chances with a very similar cast of characters.

It should be noted that their lack of offseason activity will allow for added salary cap flexibility at the trade deadline. New York is projected to accrue more than $6 million in available space by March 7, so what we see on opening night will surely be altered by the time spring arrives. And make no mistake – a core that won the Presidents’ Trophy is still plenty good enough to hold down the fort and secure a playoff berth.

This is exactly what returning players advocated for. Trouba told reporters “It’s all here” when asked what the Rangers need to take the next step, a sentiment echoed by several of his teammates. They believe they have the pieces in place to win the Cup and openly expressed their desire for another crack at it. Now we'll see if they can dig deep and find another level.

There are recent examples of good teams that spent years coming up short before finally breaking through. Take the Washington Capitals, who were bounced from the playoffs nine times in 10 years, including back-to-back Presidents’ Trophy seasons in 2015-16 and 2016-17, leading up to their 2018 title. In fact, they were the first of four teams in seven-year period who followed up Presidents’ Trophy letdowns by winning the Cup within two years, with Tampa Bay (2020), Colorado (2022) and Florida (2024) also accomplishing the feat.

Could these Rangers be next? We’ll find out in about nine months.

Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers beat reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Read more of his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: 6 questions as NY Rangers prepare to open training camp