When they continue a four-game road trip by visiting the Edmonton Oilers later tonight, the New York Rangers will face two of the game’s best players.

Even if he’s out of the gate slowly, Connor McDavid (3-11-14) can erupt at any moment. The Oilers superstar is coming off his first two-goal game of the season in a 6-3 win over the Utah Mammoth. Leon Draisaitl enters tonight on a six-game point streak (4-5-9) that includes half a dozen points in the last three games.  Both would easily lead the Rangers in scoring.

The Rangers have an anemic offense that ranks near the bottom of the league. They’ve only scored 24 goals in their first 11 games for a paltry 2.18 average, with only the Calgary Flames worse. A team that had no trouble putting up five goals in a 5-1 blowout win over the Rangers to start the Western swing on Oct. 26. It was the only Calgary victory in regulation this season.

When it comes to this year’s roster, who remains without key center Vincent Trocheck (LTIR) for the time being, the Rangers are a very difficult team to watch. While they’ve certainly improved defensively under coach Mike Sullivan, with their 2.36 goals allowed per game ranking second, they’re severely lacking finishers.

Not even Artemi Panarin has gotten going yet. He remains stuck on two goals and five assists. Without a two-goal, four-point effort in a win versus the Montreal Canadiens on Oct. 18, he only has three helpers in the other 10 games. The lack of production from the normally reliable Panarin is troublesome. Without Trocheck, he hasn’t found a way to make a difference while playing mostly with Mika Zibanejad, whose breakaway goal was enough to earn the Rangers a 2-0 shutout over the shorthanded Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday in J.T. Miller’s return. Jonathan Quick stopped all 23 shots for the 64th shutout of his career.

The point totals for the leading Rangers’ forwards are pitiful. A quick glance at it shows how lackluster they’ve been.

1. Panarin 2 goals, 5 assists, 7 points.

2. Zibanejad 4 goals, 2 assists, 6 points.

3. Miller 2 goals, 4 assists, 6 points.

4. Alexis Lafreniere 1 goal, 3 assists, 4 points.

5. Will Cuylle 1 goal, 2 assists, 3 points.

Sullivan has tried different combinations. With Cuylle struggling, he had him with rookie Noah Laba and Brennan Othmann on the third line versus Calgary. Cuylle was able to send in Laba for his first career goal. Laba was the one constant in an otherwise dreadful loss. He’s continued to impress since making the team. A young player with size and speed, Laba has three points and a plus-2 rating in all 11 games.

Without any consistency from the Rangers’ best players, they have had to rely heavily on their goalies. Until he allowed a combined 11 goals in the previous two starts in back-to-back defeats to the San Jose Sharks and Flames, Igor Shesterkin had only given up seven goals in his first six appearances. Similar to last season, there were some defensive breakdowns against the Sharks and Flames. Despite that, Shesterkin still brings a 2.25 goals-against-average and .916 save percentage into Edmonton on Thursday night. Astonishingly, he’s only won two games so far.

Perhaps Sullivan sensed that his meal ticket could use a breather. He went with Quick against a Canucks team that was missing several regulars, including injury plagued captain Quinn Hughes. It turned out to be a wise decision. The Canucks didn’t muster enough to beat Quick, who’s won two of three starts, giving up four goals on 68 shots.

If there’s an area that needs to improve, it’s the power play. Similar to last year, they’re not helping. Having gone just 4-for-28, they’re tied for 28th in the NHL with a 14.3 conversion rate. Without Trocheck, Lafreniere has continued to play on the number one unit that features leading scorer Adam Fox (3-6-9), Panarin, Zibanejad, and Miller. There’s no real net front presence anymore. Gone are the days when old reliable Chris Kreider could tip in a point shot for a power-play goal. Zibanejad’s scored twice from the left circle. Fox has the other tally. Cuylle converted one on the second unit.

Even though they have performed better at five-on-five, the lack of offense is an eyesore. The failure of Lafreniere to make a difference in his sixth year is mind-numbing. He hasn’t scored since the second game on Oct. 9. His minus-9 rating is the worst on the team. Lafreniere still struggles on defensive assignments. Even when he’s been giving an honest effort, he’s had shots deflect off him for goals much to the chagrin of Shesterkin. For a former consensus top pick who scouts loved, it’s remarkable how inept he is defensively. There doesn’t seem to be a lot of determination, either. Something we didn’t see in his 2023-24 breakout season.

Role players such as Sam Carrick and Taylor Raddysh have outperformed him. Even Sullivan favorite Conor Sheary is more consistent shift to shift. He isn’t going to help much offensively, yet continues to play in the top six. Sullivan is hoping that Cuylle can unlock Panarin and Zibanejad. Lafreniere remains with Miller and Sheary. Basically, he needs to start burying chances for that line to be successful.

In a mystifying development that’s typical of the organization’s impatience, Othmann got one game. Called up due to the upper-body injury Matt Rempe suffered in his foolish fight with Ryan Reaves that Sullivan indicated to reporters was more long-term, Othmann was a minus-1 with a shot and two hits in 12:31 of ice time in Calgary last Sunday.

The former 2021 first round pick played with Laba and Cuylle. Despite that line generating some looks, Othmann was responsible for two goals against. One came following a great scoring chance. On an odd man rush, Othmann opted to pass for an open Laba, who was at the side of the net. While it was a good idea, the pass handcuffed Laba, who was unable to handle it to score. It led directly to a Yegor Sharangovich goal in transition, with Othmann late arriving.

When he was a healthy scratch for Vancouver, with Sullivan inserting veteran Jonny Brodzinski into the lineup, the coach indicated the obvious reason why.

Why not get Othmann back in for tonight? Granted, it’s the Oilers. But how’s he ever going to learn anything if one mistake means he’s automatically in the press box? It’s ridiculous how they treat younger players. There’s a double standard. When a veteran makes a mistake, they rarely get punished.

All it does is further diminish Othmann’s value. He’s still only 22. Given how slow and boring the roster is, they can use some energy.

It’s bad enough that Fox has to carry the whole blue line due to general manager Chris Drury failing to improve the defense. Vladislav Gavrikov has been good, but he doesn’t provide offense. They’re still using Braden Schneider on the second power play. He’s a failure at this point. A third pair defenseman who gets pinned in his end due to poor decision-making. It doesn’t matter who he plays with.

Urho Vaakanainen is back in the lineup over Matthew Robertson for a second consecutive game. Even though Robertson had better defensive metrics, he came out due to a poor performance against Calgary. Was anyone good in that game? Vaakanainen adds very little. It’s almost like they’re trying to justify the predictable bad return for Jacob Trouba, who’s rediscovered himself with the Anaheim Ducks. Big shocker.

There’s nothing exciting about Rangers hockey. They have to play low event hockey to win games. That’s how bad their offense is. It falls on Drury, whose poorly constructed roster will continue to struggle to score until Trocheck returns. He’s skating. So, he’s getting closer.

Most of the excitement is playing for the Hartford Wolf Pack. That would be 20-year-old top prospect Gabe Perreault, whose goal and two assists highlighted a 4-1 win over the Charlotte Checkers on Wednesday night.

So far, so good. In seven games, Perreault has seven points (3-4-7) to lead the Wolf Pack in scoring. Brett Berard has three assists. Scott Morrow picked up his first point of the season. Jackson Dorrington has three helpers, and Carey Terrance has two goals. Dylan Roobroeck is 1-2-3.

Considering how unwatchable the Rangers are, MSG should consider airing a Wolf Pack game. That’s if they have nothing else on. Most fans want to see how the prospects are doing. They know the current roster isn’t playoff caliber.

With Panarin turning 34 today and with one foot out the door, it’s very likely that he’ll be moved before next year’s trade deadline.

As more potential 2026 free agents continue to sign extensions, with Martin Necas becoming the latest player to go off the market, you can’t build a team through free agency anymore. If that was what Drury was banking on, it’s over. He is already locked in on 30-year-olds, with Miller, Trocheck, and Zibanejad not going anywhere.

The Rangers must get younger and faster. Panarin has had a great run in Manhattan. But even at his best, he was never good enough to carry the franchise to a Stanley Cup. They can get a good return for him next March.

With reports surfacing that teams have interest, Panarin will be the number one rental target. His value should be high. Drury can’t mess it up. The future of the team depends on it.