Okay, Rangers, because you flunked your final exam at Maven University yesterday, nobody gets an A on the report cards. Here goes:
WILL CUYLLE: B-PLUS: He reached the 20-goal plateau, hit every foe in sight and deserves first-line status.
ARTEMI PANARIN: B: He was an effective lamplighter and I'll stop right there. Point is, he could have given more, most especially on the backcheck.
JONNY BRODZINSKI: B: Energy – plus a surprise scoring touch – lifted him into the honored circle. Too bad he's not ten years younger.
ADAM EDSTROM: B: A late season injury derailed a neat, yet quiet, season. He should be a second liner next season.
ADAM FOX: B-MINUS: Sorry, pal, but your Norris Trophy has faded out of my rear view mirror. You look like you're always playing hurt. You're part of the core that's turned rotten.
J.T. MILLER: B-MINUS: At first I thought we had the second coming of Mark Messier. Then I looked again. His erratic inspiration was far from enough. Ditto for production!
BRETT BERARD: B-MINUS: He's a comer in spite of a small physique. If only Lavvy had played him more, he'd be a full B.
BRADEN SCHNEIDER B: On a leaky defense this comer did his best on the club's weak underbelly, Schnei was one of the better blue liners. Which, by the way, isn't saying a whole heckuva lot.
IGOR SHESTERKIN: C : He got what he wanted; the big goalie dough. Then he proceeded to play like a 26-29-0-5 2.91 & .901 backup. Fact; He was a major cause of the club's failure and his salary demand did 0 to help club morale.
JONATHAN QUICK: C: While he had a better won-lost percentage than his buddy, He needed to give more than he gave in the stretch.
MATT REMPE: C: When The Skating Giraffe isn't being suspended, he's a useful antagonist but Pistol Pete never gave him real confidence.
MIKA ZIBANEJAD: C-MINUS: My associates would give him less but he revved up his scoring enough in the stretch to earn a lousy grade anyhow.
ALEXIS LAFRENIERE: C-MINUS: Big Al took the big dough and then went into horrific hibernation. Bigger disappointments do not exist.
BRENNAN OTHMANN: C-MINUS: Another buildup to a letdown – just like Laffy. He should be better next season. Should!
WILL BORGEN: C-MINUS: The mid-season import looked good for a couple of months after which we found out why The Kraken kicked him out of Seattle.
K'ANDRE MILLER: C-MINUS: See Lafreniere and Othmann. The sooner they trade K, the better they'll be.
CHRIS KREIDER: D: For a while, the New Englander was king of the hill but that reign ended in October. If he's still tradeable – doubtful – figure him to wind up in Boston.
SAM CARRICK: C: He arrived as a fourth-line center and will depart same. There were flashes of good play and drive but a "C" is a "C," as in Carrick.
