Strengths
Goaltending
Even though Lundqvist is getting older, the New York Rangers biggest strength is still their goaltending. Though it’s more due to the rest of their roster being relatively weak than their goaltending being strong.
Lundqvist is still an above-average goalie despite his age. He’s the exception to the rule of Father Time getting the best of goalies after age 35. 26 goalies played at least 2,500 minutes during all situations. Lundqvist ranked 11th among them in goals saved above average. He’s no longer an elite goalie, but he’s still an extremely capable one.
Georgiov posted strong numbers in 10 games, but that’s a mighty small sample size. Mazanec will be there in case he’s not ready to be an NHL backup. If their goaltending is truly a strength, the Rangers might be able to surprise some people.
Youth
The rebuild is underway on Broadway. Thus, the Rangers should ice a fairly young lineup. That’s a pretty significant change from the Alain Vigneault era. Andersson and Chytil were first-round picks from 2017. Both got a cup of coffee in the NHL last season and should start in the NHL this season.
Pionk got destroyed last season, but let’s be fair, he shouldn’t have been playing over 20 minutes a night. He should flourish in a more appropriate role, though it’s worth questioning if the Rangers can afford to put him in that role.