Future captain? (Elsa/Getty Images)

With training camp in full swing, we had a bit of a preview into how Alain Vignault will deploy his defense pairings. Group A had Dan Boyle and Marc Staal together, essentially Boyle subbing in for the now departed Anton Stralman. John Moore was also in Group A. Group B had Dan Girardi paired with Ryan McDonagh, as per usual, and also had Kevin Klein. Both groups had kids vying for an NHL roster spot.

Leaving the kids out of this for a moment, as it is unlikely one of the kids will break camp with the big club unless there is an injury, all signs point to AV keeping McDonagh-Girardi as his top pair and Moore-Klein as his third pair. That of course leaves Staal and Boyle as the second pair. It’s what makes logical sense given the departure of Stralman, and keeps the lineup relatively balanced.

But some, including myself, have wondered how McDonagh would fair without Girardi. It’s no secret that Girardi draws mixed reviews among fans. His playoff performance against the Kings was woeful, as his footspeed was exploited on numerous occasions. But, he’s the longest tenured Ranger, rarely misses a game, and has that “warrior” factor in the sense that he’s probably made of robot parts. The fact that he’s never had a serious injury with the number of blocked shots is astounding.

But, Girardi is a bit of a tire fire when it comes to puck possession. Even more so when you look at his effect on his teammates while on the ice. His WOWY chart over the past five years is less than ideal:

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Remember with these charts, you want the bubbles to be in the lower right corner. Girardi’s are mostly in the upper left, the complete opposite of what we want to see. Basically, Girardi’s teammates drive possession better when Girardi isn’t on the ice. This isn’t to pick on Girardi, it’s just saying he may not be the best partner for McDonagh, who is clearly the teams best defenseman. You want to put your best players together to maximize their output.

In this regard, the best player to put with McDonagh may be Boyle. Boyle isn’t a whiz when it comes to possession, but he’s better than Girardi while offering at least comparable defensive skills. That leaves Girardi paired with Staal, which should bring back some memories. Moore and Klein remain untouched. Those are really options A and B when it comes to the defense. Both have their positives and negatives, and both are options that will likely be explored during camp and during preseason games.

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