The Rangers are heading into the Stanley Cup playoffs with a full head of steam and a roster-refresh after the NHL trade deadline.
The Blue Shirts are in solid postseason position with 85 points — putting them tied for second place with the Pittsburgh Penguins, and just 3 points behind the first-place Carolina Hurricanes in the Metropolitan Division.
Both New York and Pittsburgh are tied for the 4th most points in the NHL, behind only the Colorado Avalanche, the Florida Panthers, and the Hurricanes.
If the season were to end today, the Rangers would the play Penguins in the first round of the playoffs.
The sports betting website FanDuel currently pegs the Rangers at +2400 odds to hoist the Stanley Cup this year, meaning that betters would win $24 for every $1 wagered on the team’s odds.
Yet, with 19 games remaining on the Blue Shirts’ schedule, they could potentially capture the division title by overtaking the Hurricanes. Their next matchup comes tonight, March 22, against the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center.
Just prior to the league’s Monday afternoon trade deadline, the Rangers made two significant deals that will be sure to shake up the team’s locker room — adding centers Andrew Copp from the Winnipeg Jets and Tyler Motte from the Vancouver Canucks.
[READ ALSO: Rangers make big NHL trade deadline push, acquire Andrew Copp, Tyler Motte in separate trades]
Copp, 27, has recorded 13 goals and 22 assists this season for 35 points in 56 games, while Motte, meanwhile has scored 7 goals, 8 assists, and 90 hits in 49 games, according to Tailgate Sports.
Both moves will help the team from MSG, who has dominated on defense, but scored a total of 2.94 goals-per-game, which places them in the middle of the league’s offensive leaders.
Left-winger Artemi Panarin currently leads the team in points with 72 this season, while forward Chris Kreider has topped the roster in goals scored with 41.
