The New York Rangers are being tested to their limits during the 2024-25 NHL season. Time and again, the Blueshirts find themselves with their back against the wall, and with no one to answer the bell but their own. After a key player suffered a serious injury, head coach Peter Laviolette announced two crucial decisions in hopes of getting their season back on track.
New York is hoping to turn their season around after winning two of its last three games, however, that may be cherry-picking since the Rangers have lost seven of the past ten outings. Since Nov. 20, New York is the worst team in the NHL standings. Regardless, the team in the Big Apple is looking to right the ship and get back in the hunt for a Stanley Cup Playoffs berth.
It won’t be an easy task, though. The Rangers have dropped to second-to-last place in the Metro Division and are several points behind in the race for the wildcard berths. The Eastern Conference is shaping up to be a battleground, with all but two teams harboring high hopes of making the postseason.
On top of the jam-packed scenario in the East, the Rangers have enough problems of their own. Goalie Igor Shesterkin was placed on IR, and shortly after star Chris Kreider was assigned to it due to an upper-body injury. Kreider will be out for at least three games, and head coach Laviolette had to make a last-minute decision ahead of the matchup against the Dallas Stars.
Head coach Peter Laviolette of New York Rangers handles the bench during the game against the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center on October 04, 2023 in Newark, New Jersey.
Forward Matt Rempe was called-up from the AHL affiliate the Hartford Wolf Pack to take Kreider’s spot during his absence. However, Rempe was assessed an eight-game suspension in late-December, missing only seven games, thus he won’t be available to play on Jan. 7 vs Dallas. Might be a blessing in disguise, though, as Rempe is expected to return to the ice during the Rangers’ heated bout with their rivals, the New Jersey Devils.
see also
NHL News: Peter Laviolette, Rangers receive bad news amid Canucks' J.T. Miller trade rumors
Rangers claim former Kings forward Arthur Kaliyev
23-year-old forward from Uzbekistan, Arthur Kaliyev, was placed on waivers by the Los Angeles Kings, prior to being claimed by the Laviolette and the Rangers. With Kaliyev’s addition, the Broadway Blueshirts add an interesting piece in a low-risk move, as Kaliyev’s is under a one-year, $825,000 contract.
Kaliyev started the season on IR due to a fractured clavicle and hasn’t played in the City of Angels this campaign. Through 188 games in his career, Kaliyev tallies 71 points (35 goals, 36 assists), along with 63 penalty minutes.
Peter Laviolette and the Rangers’ coaching staff hope the forward’s shoot-first mentality provides a much needed spark to the struggling offense in Manhattan. However, Kaliyev’s season debut will have to wait as Laviolette left him out of the lineup for the upcoming clash with the Stars at Madison Square Garden.
