In a series for The Hockey News, we’ll look at how the New York Islanders compare to the other seven teams in the Metropolitan Division heading into the 2024-25 season. Next up are the New York Rangers.
New York Rangers
Main additions: Forward Reilly Smith, defenders Chad Ruhwedel
Main matches: Forwards Alex Wennberg, Barclay Goodrow and Jack Roslovic, and defenseman Erik Gustafsson
Islanders vs. Islanders Record NYR: 1-1-2
We’ll start by looking at the forwards, where both teams have made some achievements that are more substantial than flashy.
The Rangers signed Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Chris Kreider and Vincent Trocheck, maintaining a top-six unit in hockey.
They acquired forward Reilly Smith from the Pittsburgh Penguins, a player who had his share of success against the Islanders.
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In 26 regular season games, he had seven goals and 12 assists, and that’s not enough for the eight-point playoff series against them in 2016.
The rest of their additions on that front have been minor, with Alex Wennberg, Barclay Goodrow and Jack Roslovic leaving the team.
Their most substantial changes on the blue line are Chad Ruhwedel and Casey Fitzgerald, who have signed two-way deals, but little else will change on that front. Erik Gustafsson is now with the Detroit Red Wings, but this is the biggest departure for the Rangers defense.
The Rangers still count on Adam Fox, Ryan Lindgren and Braden Schneider as their top contributors, but they still have a Jacob Trouba dilemma to resolve. Goaltending also remains untouched, as Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick will return between the pipes.
Comparing their squad now with the Islanders’ squad, it will be a team that can make some adjustments to the elite of the Metropolitan Division.
Looking at the forwards, Bo Horvat has given the Rangers a hard time this year, scoring four goals and one assist in four games.
Brock Nelson has also dominated the Blueshirts this season, scoring three red flags and four helpers for seven points.
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Although Mathew Barzal and Kyle Palmieri remained quiet in their games against their cross-town rivals, this is where Duclair’s move could pay dividends.
Duclair scored 24 goals last season compared to Smith’s 13, and with Maxim Tsyplakov joining the team from the KHL, that scoring depth could be important in matching the Rangers’ firepower.
Like the Rangers, the Islanders remain largely unchanged on defense. Ryan Pulock and Adam Pelech remain, but the Islanders’ main player was Noah Dobson, who had five helpers in the four games against the Rangers.
Scott Mayfield, Alexander Romanov and the returning Mike Reilly will round out the unit, and while Mayfield had a nightmare season, being fully healthy will be an X-factor.
In terms of goalkeeping, when everything is going right, every game will be a close battle.
Ilya Sorokin had a down year for the Islanders, and that carried over into this season against the Rangers as well, going 0-1-2 with an 884 SV% and 4.23 GAA. However, a Sorokin revival will make matchups with Shesterkin as good as they’ve always been, despite the latter’s occasional struggles against the Islanders.
With the first meeting just under three months away, neither team will look much different heading into next season.
However, with some sweeping changes and names to watch before November 3rd, the New York rivalry will likely remain a must-watch for hockey fans when the two teams meet.
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