Kevin Shattenkirk played 19 regular season game for the Capitals, scoring 2 goals and 12 assists to go along with 46 shots on goal and an average ice time of 20:12 per game.

When he was acquired by the Capitals, GM Brian Maclellan said "Kevin is a skilled, puck moving defenseman who we think will help our team at even strength and on the power play."

Former Caps winger Justin Williams said, '"He's not just an offensive guy that's going to shy away when it gets tough. Yes, he's good offensively. But he doesn't back down, and that's what I like."

Capitals goalie Braden Holtby said that Shattenkirk is a patient, smart player and right after he was acquired said "e played with two different D partners he has never played with before and he looks like they've played together all year."

Larry Brooks reports that the Rangers are one of the final two or three teams in the mix for Harvard UFA center Alex Kerfoot. (NY Post)

Kerfoot, 23, was Jimmy Vesey's center at Harvard and is expected to make a decision by tomorrow.

He was originally a 5th round pick of the Devils in 2012 but opted not to sign with them and is now a free agent.

In The Hockey News Pool Guide, they list Michael Grabner as someone who might not be able to replicate his numbers from last season.

Grabner scored 27 goals in the regular season, with 13 assists, and 4 goals and 2 assists in the playoffs.

They wrote "his 27 goals were buoyed by a career-high shooting percentage of 16.7%, and Grabner his his damage from the third line. He doesn't play enough to sustain that production. He also scored one goal in his final 23 games of 2016-17.

They added that Grabner, "carries more red flags than a U.N. convention. He scored 27 goals while playing just 14 minutes a game. He posted a career-high shooting percentage of 16.7%. His luck will regress significantly. He's a shoo-in bust pick."

Alain Vigneault said that it's a "definite" possibility that the Rangers acquire a third-line center prior to the start of the season. (NHL.com)

Vigneault said that "it could be in the cards." (NHL.com)

He has previously said that he would like to keep JT Miller on the wing and that could leave David Desharnais, Lias Andersson and Boo Nieves competing for a spots at center.

As part of their season preview, NHL.com has the Rangers top-five prospects listed as (NHL.com):

• Lias Andersson, Anthony DeAngelo, Alexei Bereglazov, Neal Pionk and Sean Day.

They project Andersson, DeAngelo and Bereglazov to make their NHL arrival this season, Pionk in 2018-19 and Sean Day in 2019-20. (NHL.com)

On Andersson, Alain Vigneault told Rosen that he liked what he saw during development camp and Gordie Clark said that Andersson plays a North American style that drives the net, finishes checks and makes plays. (NHL.com)

Last season the Rangers had a group of four alternate captains including Marc Staal, Rick Nash, Derek Stepan and Dan Girardi.

After moving Stepan and Girardi the Rangers could have two potential openings for players to wear letters on the front of their jerseys.

Since Ryan McDonagh became captain in 2014-15, the Rangers alternate captains have been:

• 14-15: Stepan, Marty St. Louis, Staal and Girardi
• 15-16: Stepan, Staal and Girardi
• 16-17: Stepan, Staal, Girardi and Rick Nash

Alain Vigneault told Dan Rosen of NHL.com that he and his staff will see who wants to do more on the ice and off the ice, "who wants to expand his role as far as leadership and example and influence?" (NHL.com)

Anthony DeAngelo said that he knows he needs to continue to improve defensively and said that even though his offense can make up for some mistakes, in an 82 game season "you've got to be able to defend as well." (NHL.com)

He said that gap control is a big thing and that playing defense is about being in the right place at the right time and getting into lanes. (NHL.com)

In his career so far, DeAngelo has been a

While speaking about some of the defensemen he will coach this season, Lindy Ruff said that Kevin Shattenkirk is one of the "best offensive defensemen and one of the best power play defensemen" in the NHL. (NYR)

At NHL.com, Rob Vollman writes Kevin Shattenkirk has been the most "dominant" PP defenseman in the NHL and that over the last four years he has scored an average of 6.21 points per 60 minutes.

Since 2013-14 Shattenkirk ranks 9th among defensemen in points per game (.65) and 11th in overall points for a defenseman (189) at even strength but is second in total PP points with 104.

Corey Pronman recently ranked Lias Andersson 47th on his list of the top 100 prospects. (ESPN Insider)

In ranking him 47th, Pronman wrote that Andersson doesn't dazzle with "high-end dekes, but there is a lot of skill" in his game. (ESPN Insider)

He said that Andersson has a quick shot, makes quick decisions, is tough, strong and can "kill penalties adequately."(ESPN Insider)

The 2017-18 Sports Forecaster magazine has the Rangers finishing first in the Metro Division, winning the Presidents' Trophy, the Jack Adams for Alain Vigneault but not reaching the Stanley Cup Final.

They project a Stanley Cup final of Nashville over Toronto.

The Hockey News recently projected the Rangers to finish in the Wild Card again.

Ryan McDonagh and Brady Skjei have been working out together 5 days a week in advance of training camp beginning next month. (NYR)

Skjei said that they spent the first part of the summer getting stronger and are now working on their speed and conditioning. (NYR)

Their trainer Dan Meinz said that he is in contact with the Rangers strength and conditioning team about the key areas that the players need to focus on this summer. (NYR)

Lias Andersson did not play for Frolunda against his former team HV71 in an exhibition game because the Rangers don't want him to risk injury. (JMini)

Frolunda defeated HV71 8-1. (Aftonbladet)

Andersson said that the Rangers want him to be as fresh as he can be when he comes to New York in September for training camp, and probably the Traverse City tournament. (Aftonbladet)

Andersson is expected to play for Frolunda in the Champions League when those games start next week. (GP)

The Hockey News has released their Pool Guide for this coming season and have the Rangers player scoring:

• Mats Zuccarello: 63 (20 goals, 43 assists)
• Mika Zibanejad: 53 (22 goals, 31 assists)
• JT Miller: 52 (22 goals, 30 assists)
• Kevin Shattenkirk: 49 (10 goals, 39 assists)
• Chris Kreider: 48 (23 goals, 25 assists)
• Kevin Hayes: 48 (17 goals, 31 assists)
• Rick Nash: 38 (20 goals, 18 assists)
• Jimmy Vesey: 36 (18 goals, 18 assists)
• Pavel Buchnevich: 35
• Ryan McDonagh: 32 (7 goals, 25 assists)
• Brady Skjei: 31 (4 goals, 27 assists)

Alain Vigneault said that he has only seen Anthony DeAngelo once but all of the people he has spoken with say that DeAngelo is "legit" and ready to "tale the next step." (NHL.com)

Vigneault said that he has spoken about DeAngelo with Rangers GM Jeff Gorton, with the team's scouts as well as Newell Brown, his former assistant in Vancouver, who was with DeAngelo in Arizona last year. (NHL.com)

He said that everyone he has spoken with says that DeAngelo will help the Rangers play their "quick north/south transition game" and on the PP. (NHL.com)

Corey Pronman ranks the Rangers farm system 29th out of 31 teams, saying that while they added talent during the 2017 draft those players were added to a shallow group that now "brings the system just a notch above awful." (ESPN Insider)

The Rangers were ranked 28th, out of 30, by Pronman last year.

Pronman graded the Rangers 2017 Draft as a "B" and said that "for a very light farm system coming into the weekend, things changed for the better."

Henrik Lundqvist was on the ice today working on his footwork on the ice and posted the following video.

Lundqvist was on the ice this week with his former team in Sweden, Frolunda.

8:55AM: Mats Zuccarello said that it's "sad" to see players like Derek Stepan and Dan Girardi that have been important players and good friends leave the team but that "this is a business." (VG)

Carl Hagelin, who is in Norway to play in Zuccarello's charity game, said that Zuccarello continues to assume more responsibility and "he will have a good year this year." (VG)

Hagelin also described the differences between his teams with the Rangers and his current team in Pittsburgh by saying that the Penguins have Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin and that they create opportunities every time they are on the ice. (VG)

He followed up by saying "we did not have that with the Rangers." (VG)

Bill Lindsay said on the NHL Network that Jimmy Vesey needs to be better this season and to expect "bigger and better things" from him. (NHL.com)

Vesey had 16 goals and 11 assists last season with 11 goals and 8 assists in the first 48 games and then 5 goals and 3 assists in the final 32 games.

By month, Vesey's numbers were:

Henrik Lundqvist is on the ice in Sweden and practicing with his former team of Frolunda. (Expressen)

Lundqvist was on the ice with his brother Joel as well as Rangers first round pick Lias Andersson. (Expressen)

Ryan McDonagh scored last night for his team in the Minnesota Summer Hockey League DaBeautyLeague.

To see the goal, click below

7/21/17 | Jimmy Vesey said that Mats Zuccarello inspires everyone with his work ethic and how "tenacious he is on the puck." (Newsday)

Brendan Smith praised Zuccarello's work ethic and said that when he is making plays and winning battles "everybody feeds off of it."

Mike Milbury said early in the series against Montreal that Zuccarello is "fun to watch" and always plays with energy.

8/7/17 | The Hockey News has released their 2017-18 yearbook and has the Rangers finishing in fourth place in the Metro Division and, again, taking the first Wild Card spot.

• Last year The Hockey News had the Rangers missing the playoffs.

They have Tampa Bay finishing as the overall number one seed in the East and hosting the lower seeded Wild Card Carolina in the playoffs.

Because of that the Rangers stay in the Metro bracket for the playoffs and they have the Penguins defeating the Rangers in the first round.

According to TSN, Chris Kreider leads the NHL in goals that have been tipped or redirected from 2014-15 to 2017.

Kreider's 19 goals is just above Joe Pavelski and Wayne Simmonds.

Travis Yost wrote that for a player who is mostly known for his speed, Kreider can score in a "variety of ways" and shows that he isn't just a "one-dimensional player." (TSN)

When Kevin Shattenkirk signed with the Rangers he mentioned a few players that he liked growing up but singled out Brian Leetch in particular.

Shattenkirk said that he tried to model his game after Leetch and take different parts of what Leetch did and put them in his own game.

Shortly after signing with the Rangers, Shattenkirk's mother told the NY Post that Leetch was the player he "adored" and that Leetch was "his guy."

Filip Chytil is playing in the Czech Republic right now and scored while also hitting the post and creating other chances. (Idnes.cz)

Chytil said that he needs to add strength and muscle before he can play in the NHL. (Idnes.cz)

He then added that he wants to play with the Rangers as soon as possible, "either this or the next season." (Idnes.cz)

As part of a series, The Hockey News is looking at how teams may look heading into the 2019-20 season based upon players currently in the organization.

They have the Rangers lineup for the 2019-20 season as:

• Chris Kreider, Mika Zibanejad, Pavel Buchnevich
• Jimmy Vesey, JT Miller, Kevin Hayes
• Matt Puempel, Lias Andersson, Jesper Fast
• Adam Tambellini, Boo Nieves, Filip Chytil

Ryan McDonagh & Kevin Shattenkirk, Brady Skjei & Brendan Smith, Neal Pionk & Anthony DeAngelo.

David Desharnais says that he thinks he can play throughout the lineup but that the "third line" is his "role." (La Presse)

He said that he thinks that he can move around as the season goes on and that it's better to start on the third line and finish higher up than the other way around. (La Presse)

Desharnais said that he knows he has to be more disciplined and work harder to be able to stay in the NHL. (La Presse)

8/7/17 | Alain Vigneault said in early April that Brady Skjei is the "new type" of defenseman in the NHL because of how he uses his skating both to carry the puck and to defend.

Vigneault added that he didn't consider Skjei to be a rookie, that he was playing big minutes and he "will be a real good player for us moving forward."

On breakup day, Vigneault said that Skjei played a "big role" and was considered to be one of the Rangers offensive defensemen.

Rangers backup goalie Ondrej Pavelec's agent Allan Walsh has tweeted out a video of Pavelec's Rangers centric mask for this season.

Click below to see the mask.

In a list compiled by the NHL Network, Henrik Lundqvist was ranked as the 8th best goalie in the NHL heading into this season.

Lundqvist is listed as the fourth goalie in the Metro Division, behind Brayden Holtby (2), Sergei Bobrovsky (3) and Matt Murray (4).

He is also ranked one spot below his former backup, Cam Talbot.

Pavel Buchenvich said that he returned to New York recently and has already been working with Ben Prentiss and skating with Chris Kreider to get ready for the season.

Buchnevich worked with Prentiss, now a Rangers strength and conditioning consultant, last summer as well.

He said that with Kreider he's been skating and playing three-on-three "to have some fun."

8/10/17 | 3:58PM: Lundqvist said he has resumed skating this summer at the same time that he does every year and that things start to ramp up when he gets on the ice. (NHL.com)

He said that it's a process, like every year, to feel comfortable but that he takes things "step by step." (NHL.com)

1:09PM: Henrik Lundqvist said that he has been on the ice lately and that "everything feels good." (Expressen)

Ryan McDonagh was on NHL Tonight last night and said the following about the upcoming Rangers season:

• "It will be exciting. Pretty big turnover, a little turnover every year from one season to the next but two guys, two key guys that have been with me since the beginning of my time with New York, Girardi and Stepan, moving on to different teams. It will give us a different look as far as the veteran leader role. Guys will step up in that area but you talk about the additions, we had Brendan Smith for a little bit of our playoff run and what he brought was much needed for our blue line. You add the element of Kevin Shattenkirk and how he can play with and without the puck. He's obviously wondrous with the puck and I'm looking forward to seeing him contribute to all areas of our game."

Shattenkirk and McDonagh were both recently named as two of The Hockey News' top 50 players in the NHL right now.

McDonagh has previously talked about the excitement around adding Shattenkirk.

8/4/17 | Boo Nieves said that he knows what will be expected during training camp this season and that his goal is to make the Rangers. (NYR)

He said that he thinks he is capable of achieving that goal as long as he is healthy and playing at his best.

Nieves added, "I think there's a chance to show what I can really do at this level. I just want to prove that I belong here."

The Rangers drafted Filip Chytil with the 21st pick in June's draft and heading into the draft he was ranked:

• The Hockey News: 63
• Future Considerations: 70th
• McKeens: 42nd
• Hockey Prospect: 28
• TSN: 31

The Hockey News wrote that Chytil is a "strong, two-way pivot does all the right things. Good international play."

Chytil was a bottom-six forward as a 17-year old in the Czech league and is an "impressive skater" who can be tough to check and has the ability to create things out of nothing. (ESPN Insider)

Ondrej Pavelec said that he didn't expect to sign a contract with a new team until the middle of July and was surprised that he ended up with the Rangers on the first day of free agency. (ISport)

He said that the two sides didn't have "major discussions" and that it was "two calls and it was done." (ISport)

Pavelec said that he was giving himself until July 15th to sign with a team or he was going to think about playing in Europe, he had an offer from the KHL, or possibly retiring all together. (ISport)

In The Hockey News Yearbook's list of Top 50 players, Kevin Shattenkirk ranked 34th and Ryan McDonagh ranked 35th.

On Shattenkirk, who was not ranked on last year's list, they wrote "the biggest free agent of the summer, Shattenkirk even gave his hometown Rangers a discount. In exchange, New York gets an elite puck-mover in his prime."ere he was already the Rangers'

On McDonagh, who was ranked 50th last year, they wrote "getting an elite, right-handed "D" partner in Shattenkirk is going to unlock McDonagh in New York, where he was already the Rangers' premier defenseman.

Last season Alain Vigneault was asked about possibly being harder on JT Miller than on other players and said that when he was in Vancouver he was harder on the Sedin twins than he was on anyone else.

Vigneault said, "when you see guys that have potential you want to help them deliver that potential. There is a lot of potential there and trying to work with him, and he's trying to work with me and the coaches to try and become the best player that he can be."

Miller told Dan Rosen of NHL.com that he is happy that Vigneault has been hard on him in their time together and that he still is.

As part of their 2017-18 yearbook, The Hockey News has the Rangers Top 10 prospects listed as:

• Lias Andersson (C)
• Igor Shesterkin (G)
• Anthony DeAngelo (D)
• Adam Huska (G)
• Filip Chytil (C)
• Sean Day (D)
• Ryan Graves (D)
• Ryan Gropp (LW)
• Tyler Wall (G)
• Tim Gettinger (LW)

On Andersson, they wrote "The Rangers weren't the only team picking in the top 10 that wanted Andersson, but they struck first so they get the spoils. A fast, competitive two-way force, Andersson is a coach's dream. Excellent hockey sense, work ethic and plays 200ft game. Needs to get bigger.

In the spring, THN had Shesterkin, Huska and Day as the Rangers top prospects.

Last summer they had the Rangers top prospects as Pavel Buchnevich, Brady Skjei and Brandon Halverson.

Lias Andersson scored thrice for Sweden during the World Junior Summer Showcase and added 1 assist and 11 shots on goal.

Swedish coach Tomas Monten said of Andersson, "Lias is a player that leaves everything on the ice every time. That's a big key factor for your team. We need the leadership, that kind of work ethic on the ice." (NHL)

Andersson was the captain for Team Sweden.

When the Oilers acquired David Desharnais at the trade deadline this past year, Peter Chiarelli said that Desharnais is an undersized player but strong on the puck and competitive. (Sportsnet)

Chiarelli noted that he had seen Desharnais a lot when he worked for Ottawa and Boston and said that he's a smart, experienced player who makes smart decisions without the puck. (Oilers)

Desharnais played in 18 games for the Oilers, scoring 2 goals, 2 assists, a minus one rating, 16 shots on goal, 24 shot attempts, 54.3% on faceoffs and an average of 11:21 per game.

He played in 13 playoff games for the Oilers, scoring once, adding three assists, 6 shots on goal, 47.4% on faceoffs and 9:32 per game.

When asked after the draft to describe his game, Rangers first round pick Lias Andersson said that he is a two-way center that loves to "change games and score big goals." (NHL Transcript)

He added, "I want to be a leader. So, yeah, I'll say I'm a leader."

Andersson said that he likes to pattern his game after guys like Jonathon Toews, Claude Giroux and said that he thinks he can play "a little bit tough and score big goals."

Following his 400th career win this season, Henrik Lundqvist spoke about goalie coach Benoit Allaire and said that Allaire has been the "most important person" to him during his time with the Rangers. (NYR)

Lundqvist said, "to have that consistency and someone who is so positive and so much structure in the way that he works. You get to know him over the years and he knows me really well, how I work, how I feel and it's just fun." (NYR)

He added that Allaire "knows how to push me and without question he has meant a lot to me personally and to my game and to develop it. I adjusted my game through the years and he has been a big part of that." (NYR)

7/30/17 | Kevin Shattenkirk said that he is "excited" about all of the pressure that will be placed upon him after signing with the Rangers.

He said that being from the area he understands things from the fans point of view and that he "welcomes it."

Shattenkirk said that this past season brought a lot of pressure to him as did the trade to the Capitals but he feels that he "prevailed" and came through it "pretty well."

2:10PM: Lias Andersson scored against Canada in Friday's game during the World Junior Summer Showcase.

Andersson redirected a pass from Erik Brannstorm, in front, on the PP to cut Canada's lead to 3-2.

Andersson scored twice in a game against Team USA and drew lots of praise.

Chris Kreider scored a career high 28 goals this season en route to 53 points in 75 games.

• The Hockey News Pool Guide:  23 goals, 24 assists
• Sports Forecaster: 25 goals, 25 assists
• Dobber Hockey: 24 goals, 27 assists
• Pool Pro: 21 goals, 22 assists
• McKeens: 24 goals, 22 assists
• TSN: 21 goals, 22 assists

The Hockey News wrote,"He'll be 40 and we'll be saying this will be his breakout season. Don't be surprised when he puts up the same numbers."

Kreider had a career high 186 shots on goal and a shooting percentage of 15.1%.

For a lot more on Kreider's season, click HERE.

With the Caps down 2-0 to the Penguins int he second round, Kevin Shattenkirk was a minus 7 in the playoffs.

At the time, Barry Trotz said that Shattenkirk was doing some "really good things offensively" but that he's been "mooring that third pairing for us."

Shattenkirk said before Game 3 that he knew he hadn't been playing well enough and that he had to return to having "fun" on the ice. (CSN Mid-Atlantic)

Ryan McDonagh scored on a breakaway tonight in his game during the Minnesota summer league, Da Beauty League.

5:30PM: Andersson scored his second goal of the game for Sweden and Button praised his hockey sense and ability to be in the right place at the right time.

4:50PM: Rangers first round pick Lias Andersson scored in the first period of today's game against Team USA at the World Juniors Summer Showcase.