5 Reasons Why the New York Rangers Will Win the Stanley Cup

The New York Rangers have been a mainstay in the NHL since their inception in 1926, and they have won the Stanley Cup four times during that time span. Since last season’s playoffs ended, they have made some big changes to their roster, including adding Keith Yandle from the Arizona Coyotes and Dan Boyle from the San Jose Sharks to improve their defense corps and signing forward Jimmy Vesey from Harvard University to boost their offense. The Rangers are poised to win another Stanley Cup this year based on these five reasons why they will win it all in 2016.

1) Lundqvist

The New York Rangers' goaltender Henrik Lundqvist has been called one of the best goalies in hockey. While that is certainly debatable, what's not up for debate is how important Lundqvist's play will be to New York's success. During last year's playoffs, when he was healthy, Lundqvist had a record of 9-7 with a 2.45 goals against average and .921 save percentage; in last year's playoffs, Lundqvist allowed just 27 goals total. If he keeps that level of play up during these playoffs (and his numbers so far suggest he will), it would make a huge difference for New York going forward as they attempt to get back to their third-straight Stanley Cup Finals appearance. To win the Stanley Cup, you need goaltending. The New York Rangers have it—but only if Lundqvist plays like himself over these next few weeks. It'll take more than great goaltending to win hockey's biggest prize—but there are few teams better positioned than New York at that position. And perhaps most importantly: you can't win without great goaltending and solid defensive play, two things New York definitely has thanks to two players who were once traded for each other: Cam Talbot and Martin St.

2) Nash, Stepan, Kreider

As much as talent and skill matter in hockey, so does chemistry. When you have it, you can go far, but when you don’t, it can be hard to win games. Looking at one of my favorite teams from last year (the Los Angeles Kings), I learned that there is no I in team. This was a lesson that resonated with me when looking at different NHL teams. Sure some players like Sidney Crosby or Alex Ovechkin are great all on their own; but ultimately success will depend on how well they work together. The New York Rangers look poised for another run after acquiring Mats Zuccarello and Derick Brassard during free agency. These two guys know each other very well having played together for three years in Ottawa. They also had good chemistry playing alongside Derek Stepan while representing Team USA at various international competitions including last year’s World Championships where they won gold. Having these three guys play alongside each other could make them even more dangerous than before and give them an edge over other teams going into next season.

3) Boyle, Hunwick, Staal

The NHL Trade Deadline is almost here, which means GMs across North America are busy fielding calls from general managers hoping to bolster their rosters for a playoff run. In some cases, that might mean acquiring a game-changing player; in others, it might mean parting ways with veteran talent and building for next season. The New York Rangers have been busy exploring both options: Ryan McDonagh has been traded to Tampa Bay, Michael Grabner has landed in Philadelphia, and Rick Nash will probably be playing elsewhere before March 1st hits. There’s no doubt that these moves will hurt the team’s chances of winning another Stanley Cup—but they also bring up an interesting question: can they still win without these players? We say yes. Here’s why... 1) Henrik Lundqvist is one of hockey’s best goalies—and he's not going anywhere. While McDonagh was solid on defense, it was Lundqvist who stole games last year, earning him the nickname King Henrik. He'll continue to play at an elite level as long as he's on skates (no offense to Chris Kreider). 2) Kevin Shattenkirk is already one of hockey’s best defenseman and he just got here. The trade deadline isn't until February 26th, so there's a good chance we'll see more big names switch teams by then—and Shattenkirk should be one of them.

4) Smith

The acquisition of two-time Norris Trophy winner Kevin Shattenkirk gives a strong indication that they're ready to win it all. As mentioned earlier, there's plenty of talent on offense with Rick Nash, Mats Zuccarello and others. The goaltending is solid as well. With Henrik Lundqvist in net, it's just a matter of when not if they bring home another championship. Some question marks surround their defense but losing Derek Stepan may actually benefit them in that regard. With less experience and high-profile players to replace him with (i.e., Shattenkirk), playing time should be more evenly distributed throughout the lineup. This could result in better play from everyone involved. And while they did lose some depth up front, they added some great pieces like Michael Grabner and Brandon Pirri. If Alain Vigneault can get everyone to play together like he did last year with his Pacific Division squad, then watch out for these guys come playoff time. They've got all the tools necessary to make a run at Lord Stanley's Cup again and will be tough to beat once they get there.

5) Dan Girardi

The least-known member of what is arguably hockey’s top defensive unit is Dan Girardi. Nicknamed The Sheriff, Girardi anchors a defense that allows an average of only two goals per game (and just 15 power play goals) despite facing off against teams like Pittsburgh and Washington, who boast high-powered offenses. As a finalist for Team Canada in 2014, Girardi should have no problem shutting down some of hockey’s biggest stars as he does in every NHL game. To read more about Girardi's remarkable season, click here . Rangers fans shouldn't get too cocky: With their record-setting win streak, it’s easy to see why fans are excited about their team's chances at a championship—but don't forget that last year's Eastern Conference champions haven't made it past round one since 1994. Despite its current success, New York has been struggling recently on home ice; over its last six games at Madison Square Garden, it’s gone 3–3–0. This could be trouble come playoff time if they face an equally or even better-seeded team with a strong road record such as Montreal or Boston—and could result in yet another early exit from postseason play.