from Justin Terranova of the New York Post,

“I like the fact that nobody is talking about the Rangers,” MSG Network analyst Joe Micheletti said. “When they start talking about who is going to win the division, the Eastern Conference, the Stanley Cup, they are never mentioned.”

Micheletti’s confidence is higher than most and based on a few factors: the potential he saw from young forwards Jimmy Vesey and Pavel Buchnevich in training camp and preseason, the potential for Chris Kreider and J.T. Miller to become stars this season and that Dan Girardi, Marc Staal and Rick Nash simply just cannot be as mediocre as they were last season.

“Rick Nash had the worst statistical year of his career, Dan Girardi had an injury-plagued off-year, Marc Staal same thing,” Micheletti said. “And you had all these factors and they still earned 101 points, and I just think it’s a long shot to say that these players with what we’ve seen from them in recent history are anywhere near being finished …

“The core guys who have been here a number of years came in with the attitude that ‘We didn’t play like we should have last year or accomplish what we wanted to do as a team.’ When you look at those things and you throw them all together, it has led to an enthusiastic, upbeat training camp.”

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