For the last 22 years (12 with The Hockey News) Dobber and the team have reviewed each team from a fantasy-hockey standpoint and graded them.

The 23rd annual review will appear here on DobberHockey throughout the summer. This is not a review of the likely performance on the ice or in the standings, but in the realm of fantasy hockey both for the season ahead as well as the foreseeable future. Offensively, will the team perform? Are there plenty of depth options worthy of owning in keeper leagues? What about over the next two or three years? These questions are what we take into consideration when looking at the depth chart and the player potential on that depth chart.

Enjoy!

Gone – Peter Laviolette, Nicolas Aube-Kubel, Chris Kreider, K'Andre Miller, Zac Jones, Arthur Kaliyev

Incoming – Mike Sullivan, Vladislav Gavrikov, Taylor Raddysh, Scott Morrow, Carey Terrance, Justin Dowling

Impact of changes – The Rangers are hoping that this is a bit of an offseason of addition by subtraction, as they have removed core pieces like Kreider and Miller, to be replaced with Gavrikov, and some internal succession at forward. The growth of those forwards will be a key to whether we look back on this offseason as a success or not. This adds a level of variability, but also provides for some opportunities for younger players to breakout and surprise, while playing alongside some established stars.

The hope is that the internal growth, and the targeted support players added, will better insulate an aging core that still has the star power to contend in the East. However, the odds are that the step back last year is likely more of an indication of an overall team direction rather than just a blip on the radar. Shedding more NHL players in the offseason without changing the core is unlikely to bring the Rangers back to the tier of being a true contender.

However, we do have to note that bringing in Mike Sullivan will provide some kind of shake up to the team, and we have seen Sullivan find success with veteran teams before. There is some hope for the Rangers to be better than last season, but it's unlikely they are a team in the top-third of the league, either for fantasy or by overall record.

Ready for Full Time –

Gabe Perreault is the big name coming up for the Rangers, having scored exceptionally well at the NCAA level, though he didn't pick up a point in his five NHL games at the end of last season. If he can stick in a top-six role opposite either Artemi Panarin or J.T. Miller, then the points should come, especially after the first few weeks once he has his feet wet. The adjustment from college straight to the NHL can be a big one though, especially when considering the length of the NHL season. Often the young players that make that jump do see a dip in the second half, as they don't have the endurance built up to keep the high level of play going for such long stretches.

Scott Morrow is the other main name to note, and he looks like a good bet to stick with the Rangers for the season. Morrow also dominated college hockey, but has a full AHL season under his belt now too. His adjustment will hopefully be smoother, and there is a spot on the second power play that is his for the taking. Adam Fox is blocking the path to high-level fantasy production for the next few years.

Fantasy Outlook:

At forward the Rangers have quite a few options, starting with Panarin, who should be a safe bet for at least 90 points. He doesn't bring many peripherals, but he doesn't have to in order to be effective. The rest of the top power play unit is all worth rostering, while a later breakout from Alexis Lafreniere would really help the team jump up a grade or two overall. The forward depth after that leaves a lot to be desired though.

On defence, it will be interesting to see how Gavrikov meshes with Fox, as Fox's numbers were always better with Ryan Lindgren (now in Seattle) by his side. Keep an eye on that pairing in early days, because if Fox doesn't mesh well, then he could be in for a bit of a down year. Aside from that, the absence of K'Andre Miller leaves a big hole, which should be filled on the offensive end by Morrow, but leaves some extra minutes to be filled by Braeden Schneider and others. Of the group, only Fox and Morrow have any fantasy scoring upside.

In net, the team will go as far as Igor Shesterkin takes them. Hopefully Gavrikov makes an impact on Shesterkin like he had in front of Darcy Kuemper in LA. If he does, the Shesterkin has a chance to live up to the gargantuan of his that kicks in this year. Before last season, Shesterkin had never had a year with a save percentage under .913. Odds are that he brings last year's .904 mark back up to at least .910, which would have tied him for sixth last season of goalies who played at least 35 games (Shesterkin played 61). Anything above that, and he's a top-five goalie in any fantasy format. Behind him, Jonathan Quick is still hanging around as a serviceable backup, but shouldn't be more than just an occasional streaming option.

Grade – B (last year was A)