Rangers’ Tye Kartye Has Become a Steal

This season, Kartye has played with a few different linemates as he started on the third line but has moved into the top six because of his strong play. He has once again played with physicality and toughness while helping on the penalty kill, but he has also produced offensively at even strength. He scored a beautiful goal and had an assist in a 6-3 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Oct. 26. In 14 games, he has four goals, six assists, five blocked shots, and 38 hits.

Importance This Season

The Rangers lost two of their best forwards from last season as they traded Artemi Panarin to the Kings last season and traded Vincent Trocheck to the Utah Mammoth in the offseason. They looked to improve on defense and acquired Sean Durzi in the Trocheck trade and acquired Marcus Pettersson in a trade with the Vancouver Canucks. They also made a big move as they acquired winger Pavel Dorofeyev from the Vegas Golden Knights and signed him to a seven-season, $77 million extension.

The Rangers have a lot of depth at winger this season, but Dorofeyev has slumped early on, and Kartye has the second most points of any winger on the team, after Alexis Lafreniere. Though Kartye was not expected to crack the top six, he has earned his spot on the second line by showing that he can contribute offensively, in addition to providing reliable defensive play and setting the tone physically.

A season-ending injury to star goalie Igor Shesterkin in a 3-1 loss to the Washington Capitals on Oct. 9 was a crushing blow for the Rangers, but they do look better overall than they did last season. They need their top players like Adam Fox and Mika Zibanejad to come through, but they also need role players to step up, and thus far that is what Kartye has done. The key will be avoiding any big slumps and staying consistent for the entire season.

Future with the Rangers

Picking up Kartye on waivers has been a great decision for the Rangers, and he has been one of their best wingers in the first 14 games of the season. They have been a faster and more physical team than last season, and he has played a big role in that. They are relying on him to continue playing well this season, and his strong play could earn him an extension with New York.