The seventh installment of the forever controversial thirty-two thoughts trilogy includes the Silent P.J Jennings and his New York Rangers.

The New York Rangers turned in a very solid season:

• Record: 45 - 24 - 8 (4th in Metropolitan Division)
• Powerplay (PP): 20.62% (11th) – Above average, reliable production.
• Penalty Kill (PK): 82.67% (10th) – Very strong shorthanded unit.
• Goals For (GF): 3.21 (16th) – Middle of the pack offense.
• Goals Against (GA): 2.78 (11th) – Very respectable team defense.

Summary:
The Rangers are a well-balanced team that performs efficiently in all areas. While they don’t dominate offensively, they’re strong defensively and boast a top-10 special teams setup. This combination makes them a tough playoff opponent, though they might lack the pure firepower to consistently outgun elite teams.

Forwards: B+
This is a very deep and strong forward group:

• Nikita Kucherov and Mika Zibanejad are both offensive dynamos and drive a ton of production.
• Juraj Slafkovsky is coming into his own and could be a huge piece in a year or two.
• Joe Pavelski, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Bryan Rust are very valuable veterans but are aging.
• Marco Rossi, Connor Zary, Isac Lundestrom, and Michael Rasmussen provide excellent youth depth.
• Daniel Sprong gives a sneaky scoring punch.

Weakness: A few players like Joe Pavelski and Rust could decline soon. Depth is strong but not "superstar heavy" behind Kucherov.

Defense: A
An elite defense core:

• Cale Makar is one of the best defensemen in the league — massive asset.
• Noah Hanifin, Mattias Ekholm, Alexander Romanov all bring two-way reliability.
• TJ Brodie and Ty Emberson add strong defensive depth.

This blue line is deep, talented, and young enough to sustain success for years.

Goalies: B+
Goaltending is good but could be better:

• Jordan Binnington is streaky but capable of solid runs.
• Samuel Ersson is a nice young goalie, likely improving further.
• Jesper Wallstedt is a fantastic prospect and could become a future #1.

You’re pretty safe for now, but Binnington’s inconsistency is something to monitor.

Prospects: B-
The prospect pool is thin but has some upside:

• Jesper Wallstedt (already playing) is a fantastic goalie prospect.
• Cameron Lund and Oliver Wahlstrom have upside but need to prove more.
• Cameron Whitehead is a goalie prospect but still uncertain if he’ll be NHL caliber.

You have a few decent pieces, but lack a true blue-chip skater prospect outside of Wallstedt.

Draft Picks: C-
You don’t have much draft capital:

• 2025 Picks: Only 6th and 7th rounders.
• 2026 Picks: A 1st and 2nd, but again not a lot of extra ammunition.

Summary: You lack early picks in 2025, but having your 2026 1st and 2nd is important if you decide to retool a little.

Overall Team Grade: B+
Strengths:

• Elite defense, led by Cale Makar.
• Deep and versatile forward group.
• Wallstedt gives you a future in net.

Weaknesses:

• Aging veterans at forward.
• Uncertain goaltending in the short term.
• Very little draft capital and a weaker prospect pool.

Outlook:
This team is definitely a contender right now, but will need a few adjustments in 2–3 years to maintain it. Keeping an eye on goalie stability and injecting some youth via trade or draft would be ideal.

Here are 3 offseason moves I recommend for the New York Rangers.

1. Trade for a Younger Top-6 Forward

• Why:
  Your top scorers (Pavelski, Rust, etc.) are getting older and could decline sharply soon.
• Suggestion:
  Trade a veteran like Bryan Rust or even Joe Pavelski while they still have strong value to acquire a young Top-6 forward (early-to-mid 20s age range).
• Target Examples:
  Players like Lucas Raymond, Trevor Zegras, or Cole Perfetti would fit perfectly if available.

2. Secure a Veteran Goalie or Upgrade Over Binnington

• Why:
  Binnington is too volatile to fully trust if you want to win now, and Ersson is still developing.
• Suggestion:
  Look for a goalie upgrade or a more stable partner — someone like Jacob Markstrom, Thatcher Demko, or even Darcy Kuemper could solidify your crease.

3. Package Depth for Draft Picks or Younger Assets

• Why:
  Your depth (ex: Mattias Ekholm, Daniel Sprong) is good but could be expendable if you want future assets.
• Suggestion:
  Package a strong depth piece + a minor prospect for an additional 2025 or 2026 1st/2nd round pick, or a younger NHL-ready player.
• Target Examples:
  Teams desperate for defense or depth scoring might pay a premium if they’re pushing for a title.

Aside from never talking in the chat and only trading with the same 3 people, PJ has slowly built a juggernaut and his patience is finally paying off as he challenges for the BRHL cup this year.