Igor Shesterkin #31 of thek Rangers plays the puck during...

Igor Shesterkin #31 of thek Rangers plays the puck during the second period against the New Jersey Devils at Madison Square Garden on Thursday, Sep.29, 2022. Credit: Jim McIsaac

1. Is Shesterkin healthy enough? Is Igor Shesterkin ready to play (almost) every night? The 26-year-old Russian missed three weeks last season with a groin strain, and he’s missed time with groin injuries in each of his three NHL seasons. The Rangers need him to be healthy enough to carry a heavy workload this season.

2. Right wing search. Can they find the right guy? There is a hole at right wing on both of the top lines, next to Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad, and Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck. If he’s not on the Kid Line, Kaapo Kakko can fill one of those spots. But which one? And who will fill the other?

3. Strome's replacement? Will they make good chemistry? Panarin had a special thing going on with Ryan Strome for three seasons, but Strome’s gone now, replaced by Trocheck. Can Panarin find the same kind of chemistry with Trocheck  — who took Strome’s No. 16 — that he had with his old pal?

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