The Rangers are coming off a tremendous Presidents' Trophy winning campaign, but they are still looking to fulfill the ultimate goal of taking home the fifth Stanley Cup in franchise history.
New York didn't make too many high-profile additions in free agency this offseason, but they'll still have a little bit of a different look when they hit the ice for Opening Night.
With training camp right around a month away, here's a look at how things stand at left wing...
Starters: Chris Kreider, Artemi Panarin, Will Cuylle, Jimmy Vesey
Next up: Brennan Othmann, Brett Berard
Key additions/losses: None
Top performer in 2023: Panarin was a man on a mission, finishing fifth in Hart Trophy voting
What Rangers LW's have going for them?
With Panarin and Kreider leading the charge, left wing is probably one of the strongest positions in the organization this season.
Panarin is coming off one of the best showings of his NHL career in which he carried the Blueshirts’ offense on his back night in and night out throughout the course of the regular season.
Kreider remains a consistent performer known for his power-play net-front prowess, dominating in the playoffs and putting together 39 goals and a career-high 36 assists during the regular season.
Vesey is very versatile so he could be bumped over to the right side if either of the young wingers who are banging on the door are able to put together a strong showing in training camp or preseason.
Cuylle could slot in on either the third or fourth line after putting together a strong rookie season.
No matter how things end up shaking out, this is a deep group with tons of young talent waiting in the wing for their opportunity.
Key concern/Player who must step up: Panarin
This is more about the postseason than the regular season.
As I said above, Panarin was the best player on the ice night in and night out last year, but he simply disappeared during the playoffs and that played a major factor in the Rangers being eliminated by the Florida Panthers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
After scoring a team and career-high 49 times during the regular season, he found the back of the net just five times when it mattered the most, leading to fans quickly pushing his historic showing to the side.
That, of course, comes just one season after he was largely invisible during the seven game first round exit at the hands of the crosstown rival New Jersey Devils.
If Panarin wants to silence the doubters and change the narrative around his tenure with the Rangers, he’ll have to carry this team to the promised land and get things done when it really counts.