Following disappointing campaigns for the Vancouver Canucks and New York Rangers, their chances of returning to the post-season all depend on the makeup of the rest of their respective divisions.
The Canucks had a brutal dropoff in play last season, going from the top team in the Pacific Division in 2023-24 to fifth spot in the Pacific last year.
Nonetheless, Vancouver has essentially doubled down on its core of talent this summer, and in this writer’s point of view, Vancouver has a solid shot at being a playoff team and challenging for home-ice advantage.
In many respects, the New York Rangers have experienced a similar journey in the past two seasons as the Canucks have. The Rangers were the best team in the Metropolitan Division – and the league – in 2023-24, only to fall to fifth in the Metro last season.
While the Blueshirts did make some major changes – adding veteran defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov and new coach Mike Sullivan, while parting ways with left winger Chris Kreider, D-man K’Andre Miller and coach Peter Laviolette – they also essentially have the same core.
However, the road ahead for the Rangers this season is considerably more difficult than it is for the Canucks. Unlike Vancouver, the Rangers are playing in a division where each team is aiming to take a step toward the Stanley Cup playoffs.
The Canucks will be battling with some sub-par-to-mediocre Pacific teams – namely, the Calgary Flames, San Jose Sharks, and Seattle Kraken.
On the other hand, the Rangers are going to square off against three playoff locks in the Metro – the Carolina Hurricanes, Washington Capitals and New Jersey Devils. After that, five other teams will be fighting for fourth place – the Rangers, Columbus Blue Jackets, New York Islanders, Pittsburgh Penguins and Philadelphia Flyers.
We’re already on record as picking the Blue Jackets to earn a playoff spot last year. And if that turns out to be accurate, the Rangers will be looking at fifth place at best in the Metro, and hoping to put together a record that bumps the fourth-place team in the Atlantic Division out of the playoffs. Neither of those two things will be easy, which is why it’s going to be harder for the Rangers to return to the post-season than it will be for the Canucks.
We’re not suggesting the Rangers are certain to miss the playoffs. Nor are we arguing the Canucks are guaranteed to make it. However, playing in a weaker division affects the bottom line for teams. Ultimately, the Rangers are playing in a more competitive division than Vancouver is. That’s not an opinion. That’s reality.
More things have to go right for the Rangers to return to the playoffs than they do for the Canucks to be a post-season team this year. If the stars don’t line up to the benefit of the Rangers, there are going to be some serious changes in Manhattan next summer. So yes, the Rangers have a tougher road back to respectability than Vancouver does.
The Canucks are going to have their own set of challenges this season, but the Rangers have a steeper hill to climb. Time will tell whether either or both teams were up to that challenge.
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