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What do we make of the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils?

By jc |
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA - JUNE 21: (L-R) Kaapo Kakko, second overall pick by the New York Rangers, Jack Hughes, first overall pick by the New Jersey Devils, and Kirby Dach, third overall pick by the Chicago Blackhawks, hold up their fingers of their pick order in front of the stage during the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft at Rogers Arena on June 21, 2019 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images)
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA - JUNE 21: (L-R) Kaapo Kakko, second overall pick by the New York Rangers, Jack Hughes, first overall pick by the New Jersey Devils, and Kirby Dach, third overall pick by the Chicago Blackhawks, hold up their fingers of their pick order in front of the stage during the first round of the 2019 NHL Draft at Rogers Arena on June 21, 2019 in Vancouver, Canada. (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/NHLI via Getty Images)

The New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils start the new NHL season with questions marks. How will they do during the 2019-20 season?

Who says the preseason can’t be fun? The New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils renew their rivalry next week in the preseason with a quick home and home series. The teams will meet in New York on Wednesday night and then New Jersey on Friday.

No teams had offseasons quite like the Rangers and Devils. Both teams lucked out in the draft lottery and came away with franchise players. The Devils took Jack Hughes with the first pick, and the Rangers grabbed Kaapo Kakko with the second.

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In addition, the two teams added impact players through trades and free agency. The Rangers signed Artemi Panarin to an $81.5 million contract and acquired Jacob Trouba in a trade with Winnipeg. New Jersey elevated its teams with trades for P.K. Subban and Nikita Gusev.

With these active offseasons, the Rangers and Devils are the NHL’s two biggest mysteries as we head into the new season.

Both teams struggled to produce much offensively last year. The Devils finished with 222 goals, which was the fewest in the Metropolitan division. Meanwhile, the Rangers weren’t too far ahead with only 228 goals.

Hughes and Kakko are elite talents who will start the season in the NHL. Can they make an impact right away? Hughes projects to be a franchise center, but he still needs to grow into his body before he’s ready to consistently contribute. Kakko is more NHL-ready, but this season will be his first experience in North America.

Panarin’s presence will be a big boost for the Rangers. He scored at least 27 goals in all four of his NHL seasons, and he ended last year with a career-high in points. Panarin should slide in nicely alongside Mika Zibanejad on New York’s first line. Still, it remains to be seen if this will be enough to turn the team’s fortunes.

New Jersey’s biggest acquisition might just be a healthy Taylor Hall. Hall won the Hart Trophy as MVP two years ago, but he struggled with injuries last year. He only played in 33 games but Hall managed to score 37 points in those games, so his impact on the Devils goes without question.

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Without question, he is the biggest wildcard for the Devils this season. If Hall is healthy, New Jersey can actually have an above-average forward group. If he’s not, then the offense will suffer, regardless of how quickly Hughes develops.

Hall, of course, enters this season with free agency on the horizon. He only has one year left on his contract, so he’s set to be an unrestricted free agent next year. We’ll see if this affects his play at all this season.

What about the goalies? Henrik Lundqvist started strong for the Rangers last year, but he faded in the second half of the season. Lundqvist remains confident in his abilities, but it might be tough to have a bounceback year at age 37.

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Corey Schneider also has a lot to prove. He only played in 66 games over the last two seasons because of injuries. Schneider must stay healthy to provide the Devils with consistency in net.

The Rangers and Devils start the new seasons with a lot of uncertainty, but both teams have a clear path to the playoffs. Kakko and Panarin can jumpstart New York’s offense, and Lundqvist can be a rock in goal. For the Devils, Hall and Schneider can have injury-free seasons, and Hughes can make an immediate impact.

Nonetheless, there are nightmare scenarios for each team. Kakko can struggle to adapt to the NHL, and Panarin and Trouba can wilt under heavy expectations. Plus, age may finally catch up to Lundqvist.

The Devils face a scarier scenario. Hughes can have major growing pains in his first season, and this could convince Hall to bolt in free agency next year.

Expect the Rangers and Devils to finish somewhere in between these dream and nightmare scenarios. The teams start slow because of an early-season adjustment period. Hughes and Kakko need time to develop, and veterans like Panarin and Subban must get comfortable in new roles.

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Both teams will eventually hit their stride toward the midway point of the season. This, however, won’t be enough to solidify a playoff spot unless they make more additions around the trade deadline.

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