The New York Rangers have many young players spread throughout their roster. The future looks quite bright for the Blueshirts. Last season, Alexis Lafreniere took the next step and broke out into a certified star. The same could happen this year for any number of players.
With a new season right on the doorstep, it’s time to see which of the Rangers’ players will be next to break out. There are many candidates, some more likely than others. Arthur Staple and Peter Baugh of The Athletic have made their prediction, and it’s one that may come as a surprise to many fans.
Staple and Baugh predict that Will Cuylle will be the next Rangers forward to break out
Will Cuylle is entering his second season after working his way into the lineup last year. He was a welcomed addition to the roster, bringing some toughness and grit to a weaker offensive corps. He had a solid rookie season, scoring 13 goals and 21 total points through 81 games.
Staple and Baugh are predicting that Cuylle will be the next player on the Rangers to have an offensive breakout. Based on the current projected lineup for this season, it makes sense. Cuylle was able to reach 20 points last year without his proper center, Filip Chytil. With Chytil healthy, this should bring a boost to Cuylle’s offensive potential:
“With Filip Chytil healthy in the middle with Cuylle, the young winger’s five-on-five scoring opportunities should increase; Cuylle will also get some penalty-kill time,” Staple and Baugh wrote. “Scoring 20 isn’t out of the question in his second full season.”
A breakout season for Cuylle is certainly possible, but it seems that it is completely reliant on Chytil’s ability to stay healthy. And based on his recent track record, that may pose a bit of an issue. Hopefully, this young third-line will stay off the IR this season. If it does, Cuylle may be able to hit the 20-goal mark as Staple and Baugh predict- if not more.