Predicting Three Unlikely Postseason Heroes For The New York Rangers

The New York Rangers have relied heavily on their top six forwards, now it is time for unlikely postseason heroes to emerge. After falling to the struggling Philadelphia Flyers 4-1 on Thursday, New York now has their back temporarily against the wall. Consequently, they are now in a position where they cannot drop any more games. With games remaining against the New York Islanders and Ottawa Senators, there is simply no time for letting up.

Up until Thursday, the Rangers had not dropped consecutive games since doing so on March 2 and 4 against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers. The feeling around the fanbase is that the Blueshirts are getting cold at the worst time possible. Yes, the race for the Metropolitan Division title is now tighter than ever with the Carolina Hurricanes having a game in hand. Yet, it is a stretch that can be snapped with one decent performance on Saturday afternoon against the Islanders.

With the postseason on the horizon, it is time to nominate some Rangers postseason heroes. Everyone is expecting Adam Fox and the top six to shine the brightest. Artemi Panarin is due for a solid postseason after last year’s debacle. Here are three players who could sneakily make a ton of noise over the next few weeks.

Unlikely Rangers Postseason Heroes

Kaapo Kakko

The stage is now set for the former second-overall pick to silence his haters. Every team destined for a deep playoff run needs a solid third line. Losing Filip Chytil early on in the season was the equivalent of a Mike Tyson body shot. Therefore, General Manager Chris Drury sought out a third-line centre to solidify the bottom six. Alexander Wennberg was acquired from the Seattle Kraken in hopes of jumpstarting a few players on this roster, including one Kaapo Kakko.

Potentially, this might be “make or break time” for the Turku, Finland native. Many people have argued the fact that Kakko can have a fresh start elsewhere if he is to get dealt in the near future. Others are continuing to be patient and that his home is still in New York. Articles in the past have highlighted the strengths of Kakko’s game. He is still one of the strongest puck-handlers on the team. If allowed to shoot, he can still bury one past a goaltender.