Fantasy: 5 players to target on the New York Rangers
With your fantasy draft just around the corner, theScore's Ian McLaren and Darren Kritzer take a look at 5 players you should consider drafting this season.
Top Targets
Henrik Lundqvist
The man they call The King is the Rangers' unquestioned best player/fantasy option and is showing no signs of slowing down at age 32.
Lundqvist remains an elite-level fantasy goaltender, and should once again push for 35 wins, multiple shutouts and a save percentage in the vicinity of his .920 career average.
Coming in third in theScore's goalie composite rankings, it can and should be argued that no goalie other than Tuukka Rask should be drafted ahead of Lundqvist, period.
Martin St. Louis
St. Louis struggled in his first 19 regular season games with the Rangers, scoring one goal and adding seven assists. His game picked up in the postseason (eight goals, seven assists in 25 games), and he should feel even more comfortable with his new teammates after a full training camp.
While the diminutive veteran probably won't rise to the 0.96 points per game pace he displayed since taking off as a member of the Tampa Bay Lightning back in 2000, a 60-point season would have been enough to make him the Rangers' leading scorer in 2013-14.
A player with his skill remains new York's most dangerous and viable fantasy option, even at age 39.
Rick Nash
Nash came under fire for registering only three goals in 25 playoff games last season, but some fail to mention he led the team with 83 shots on goal and saw his shooting percentage drop from his career average of 12.4 percent to just 3.6 percent.
The fact is, over the past seven regular season campaigns, only four players have scored more than Nash's 135 even-strength goals, and only two have recorded more shots on goal (as per Stats.HockeyAnalysis.com). Hindered by a concussion early on last year, Nash managed 26 goals in 65 games, good for 32 over the course of a full season.
If healthy, Nash should near his career average of 35 goals per 82 games, with upwards of 250 shots on goal.
Proceed With Caution
Ryan McDonagh
McDonagh set career highs in goals (14), assists (29) and shots on goal (177) in 2013-14, and followed that up by leading the team in scoring in the playoffs with four goals and 13 assists in 25 games.
The 25-year-old recorded a 50.91 Corsi For rating at even strength while starting only 47.84 percent of his shifts in the offensive zone, which bodes well for future success.
While a repeat performance should cement his status as a high-level fantasy defenseman, owners should tread light in the event that McDonagh's numbers tail off a touch.
Take A Flier On
Chris Kreider
Fantasy managers were on high alert when Kreider burst onto the scene in the 2012 playoffs, but his regular season production hasn't quite matched the hype - yet.
Kreider did score 17 goals in 66 games with 136 shots on goal and a 54.64 Corsi For rating at even strength, and appears in line for even more offensive responsibility (i.e. power play time) this season. As such, a true breakout is quite likely, with a 25-goal, 55-point season on the horizon.