(Photo: LoHud)
Throughout the Rangers recent stretch of form (the Calgary game aside) a key aspect to the Rangers’ success has been the consistent performances from the role players. Whether it is Brian Boyle, Derek Dorsett or veteran Dom Moore, the Rangers have gotten great performances from their lesser lights.
Dom Moore in particular has been a quality player most nights. He has consistently displayed a high hockey IQ, he’s got defensive prowess, and for a team that struggles to score consistently, his 18 point season is no bad thing from your 4th line center.
Retaining Moore in the summer is a no-brainer. Given the likelihood of significant change at the center position retaining Moore gives the team some continuity at the position. With Moore, they’ll retain a player that is part of a strong penalty killing unit who is also both cheap and unlikely to upset the apple cart in the event of being handed a fringe position on the roster.
Keeping Moore in New York also doesn’t block any prospect’s path to the big leagues, as a short-term deal for Moore would be a low cost move. Perhaps most importantly, Moore could be a great example to younger players. As a veteran player who has (to put it mildly) faced plenty of adversity and has been around the league a long time, younger prospects like Oscar Lindberg or even JT Miller could learn a lot from being around people such as Moore.
When Dom Moore burst on to the scene as a rookie with his three point debut way back in 2003 people may have expected more of an offensive player to emerge. However, what Moore has carved out for himself is a nice career as a defensive forward whose calling cards are his consistency and defensive reliability. For a team that relies on their defense to keep them in games, another year of Moore would be a safe move to make for the Rangers this summer.
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