The New York Rangers have seen an immediate impact from J.T. Miller after reacquiring him from the Vancouver Canucks. In his return to the Blueshirts, Miller scored two goals in his debut against the Boston Bruins on Saturday and followed it up with two assists against the Vegas Golden Knights on Sunday. While it’s hard to imagine a better way for him to reintroduce himself to Rangers fans, his arrival doesn’t solve the team’s biggest issues.
The Rangers managed to beat Vegas, but before that, they suffered three consecutive losses—5-4 to the Colorado Avalanche, 4-0 to the Carolina Hurricanes, and 6-3 to the Bruins. Offense hasn’t been their primary concern; it’s their defense that has struggled, conceding 15 goals in that three-game stretch, with only one coming on an empty net. Currently ranked 20th in the NHL in goals against per game (3.08), their defensive issues are glaring. While Miller strengthens the offense, general manager Chris Drury should be prioritizing defensive reinforcements.
Goaltender Igor Shesterkin hasn’t had his best season, posting a 2.89 GAA and a .907 save percentage in 37 games, but he hasn’t been helped by an inconsistent defensive unit. Though the addition of Will Borgen from Seattle has been a positive, the Rangers still have major concerns on the blue line. Outside of Adam Fox, K’Andre Miller, and Borgen, no other defensemen have consistently outshot their opponents at 5-on-5 play, per Natural Stat Trick. Meanwhile, the third defensive pairing—Urho Vaakanainen or Zac Jones with Braden Schneider—has allowed the highest number of shot attempts per 60 minutes on the team, according to MoneyPuck.
If the Rangers do make the playoffs, it will likely be as a wild-card team. But can their defense hold up against high-powered offenses like those of the Washington Capitals, Carolina Hurricanes, Florida Panthers, or Toronto Maple Leafs? The answer is likely no—they’ll struggle to contain those teams. A defensive upgrade is needed, but viable trade options are limited. Columbus’ Ivan Provorov was mentioned in rumors earlier this season, but with the Blue Jackets currently in a wild-card position, moving him seems unlikely.
Philadelphia’s Rasmus Ristolainen has also been linked to trade speculation, but Flyers GM Daniel Briere has made it clear he values Ristolainen and isn’t actively shopping him. Additionally, the Rangers don’t have a surplus of top-tier prospects to use as trade bait. While they do own two first-round picks over the next three drafts, acquiring a high-impact defensive defenseman will be challenging.
Head coach Peter Laviolette still has time to find solutions for the Rangers’ defensive struggles, but he’ll need to act fast. The team also needs some help in the standings, hoping other wild-card contenders falter. While acquiring Miller was a solid move, it doesn’t change the fact that the Rangers’ defensive weaknesses are glaring, and no team is going to bail them out.
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