Will Cuylle has carved out an unexpected place near the top of the NHL stat sheet, and it’s been a big part of why the Rangers have opened the season so strong.
Through 11 games, New York sits at 7-3-1 with 15 points and is tied with the Carolina Hurricanes for first in the Metropolitan Division. There are plenty of reasons for that start, but Cuylle has become one of the clearest ones.
He has chipped in three goals and three assists for six points, yet the biggest jolt has come from the way he’s playing physically. He is tied with Kiefer Sherwood for the most hits in the NHL with 49.
That kind of production may feel like a surprise around the league, but Rangers fans have been waiting for this version of Cuylle. They’ve long seen him as the sort of power forward who can bring more than one thing to the table: a forward who can score when needed and deliver a heavy hit when the moment calls for it. That’s the player he’s starting to look like now.
The Rangers have viewed Cuylle for years as a potential middle-six winger who could stretch a lineup. He has the offensive tools to help deepen the attack, and he also brings enough physicality and defensive reliability to fit on a shutdown third line. That sort of versatility matters in today’s game because it gives a coach real options with the lineup.
The issue has always been whether Cuylle could hold that level when his role expanded. He showed promise in his first full NHL season and flashed enough to keep the belief alive, but there were stretches when more responsibility seemed to bring more trouble. Bigger minutes and tougher matchups often led to a step back, which left him with a reputation for not quite handling the biggest assignments.
This season, though, things look different. With Noah Laba and Eeli Tolvanen beside him on the third line, Cuylle has found a setup that lets him thrive.
He’s become the focal point of that unit, and the line has been effective, posting 2.5 xGoals For per 60 Minutes. Being the most productive player on a working line is the kind of thing that gets noticed, and it should only push Cuylle further into the spotlight.
He may not be the top-six scoring winger the Rangers once hoped for, but he has found a role that suits him. If this keeps going, he’s setting himself up for one of his best seasons yet.
In Other News...
Rangers Suddenly Have A Tye Kartye Decision They Didn't Expect
Tye Kartye arrived in New York as a waiver claim from Seattle, the kind of low-risk pickup teams make to deepen a roster and see if a hard-working winger can carve out a niche. Instead, the undrafted left winger has quickly turned into much more than depth, earning trust with the Rangers for the way he competes, handles his defensive responsibilities and helps steady the kind of line that can tilt a game.
What makes the situation interesting is how quickly Kartye has moved from hopeful addition to someone the staff has to keep in a meaningful role. His fit with the clubs top offensive players has already changed the conversation around what the Rangers thought they were getting, and now the bigger question is whether this early stretch is a real sign of staying power or simply the latest surprise in a season that is still taking shape. [Read more 🡒]
Sean Durzi Solves One Rangers Need While Exposing Another
Sean Durzi has already given the Rangers what they hoped to get when they brought him in over the summer: a steadier blue line and a presence that seems to fit naturally in the room. The comparison to Vincent Trocheck is obvious enough for anyone around the team. Both are similar in build, both play with a similar edge, and both come with the kind of workmanlike reputation that tends to travel well in New York. Durzi has also brought a little of the same personality and energy that made Trocheck so useful to the Rangers beyond the stat sheet.
What the move has also done, though, is shine a brighter light on the other side of the ledger. Trochecks departure left a hole down the middle, and the Rangers are feeling the effects in their center depth as the season goes along. Durzis past injury history is part of the broader picture too, because the Rangers know the upside is real but the margin for error is thin when a player has had to battle through health issues before. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Hot Start Still Hasnt Solved One Bigger Problem
The Rangers strong start has done plenty to build optimism in New York, but it has not yet changed the way star players view the organization when bigger decisions come up. Dylan Larkin has reportedly widened his trade wishlist from three teams to 10, and the club on Broadway still is not on it, a reminder that early-season momentum does not automatically make a team a destination for elite talent.
The latest list apparently does include several familiar Eastern Conference names, with the Hurricanes, Devils and Capitals among the teams Larkin is open to. For the Rangers, that leaves a familiar kind of frustration: they can look like a contender on the ice and still find themselves on the outside when the leagues top names start narrowing their options. [Read more 🡒]