New York Rangers: 2 Bounce-Back Candidates for Next Season

Each year, we see players around the NHL bounce back from rough seasons. The 2024-25 campaign should offer more of the same, so in this latest series for NHL Trade Rumors, we will take a look at a few bounce-back candidates from every NHL club.

In this first edition of the series, we will take a look at the New York Rangers.

Kaapo Kakko: The 2023-24 season was a tough year for Kaapo Kakko. The expectation was that the 2019 second-overall pick would finally take that next step after putting together a career year in 2022-23. Instead, he took a step back offensively and dealt with injury trouble. Yet, while it was a disappointing season for the young forward, he has the potential to turn things back around heading into next season. When noting that he had 40 points in 82 games in 2022-23, he has the potential to be an offensive force for the Blueshirts again.

Reilly Smith: The Rangers acquired Reilly Smith from the Pittsburgh Penguins earlier this offseason. Smith had been the subject of trade rumors throughout the season, as he could not find his fit with the Penguins. He also had struggled offensively in 2023-24, but that could change next season. He is expected to have a top-six role with the Rangers, and he could thrive playing with their top players.