Commentary

Rangers thriving despite injuries

New York may regress, but adversity may also make them Cup contenders

Originally Published: February 10, 2011
By Robert Vollman | Hockey Prospectus

Every season the injury bug bites a handful of franchises far too frequently, usually ruining any chance they may have had to be competitive. This season one of its favorite targets has been the New York Rangers. Somehow the resilient team has leveraged its well-stocked farm system and carefully chosen collection of role players not only to stay afloat, but to thrive.

Using GVT we can quantify the exact toll injuries have taken on the Broadway Blueshirts, figure out exactly how they've managed to excel and see if we can expect it to continue.

Rangers Recap

Hockey Prospectus 2010-11 raised more than a few eyebrows this summer when we confidently projected that the Rangers would be the NHL's most improved team. Everyone already knew that New York was a tough team, regularly among the league leaders in hits, and one of those shot-blocking, defensive teams whose consistently elite goaltending kept it in practically every game. But beyond the great Marian Gaborik, did the Rangers have enough puck-handling offensive talent to be legitimate contenders? Clearly, the answer is a resounding yes.


To read more about how the Rangers have overcome injuries and whether they are a legitimate Stanley Cup Contender, you must be an ESPN Insider.

SPONSORED HEADLINES

MORE NHL HEADLINES

MOST SENT STORIES ON ESPN.COM