The New York Rangers are heading into the 2024-25 NHL season with high expectations after a Presidents' Trophy-winning campaign and a playoff exit in the Eastern Conference finals. While maintaining a largely unchanged roster, they face significant pressure to finally secure the Stanley Cup, which has eluded them since 1994. Key areas of focus include whether Reilly Smith can effectively fill a right wing role and how the team will manage the situation with captain Jacob Trouba amid trade rumors. The pressure is particularly on center Mika Zibanejad, who needs to improve his performance after a lackluster playoff showing. With training camp opening soon, the team is looking to establish a solid foundation for the upcoming season while navigating salary cap constraints. Overall, the Rangers must reconcile their championship aspirations with the realities of roster stability and performance consistency.