Photo: Paul J. Bereswill
The Rangers will be making their final round of cuts by Friday, and it is expected that the roster will be down to 23 players by that point. While the only apparently certainty is that Jayson Megna will be cut, there are plenty of other options for the Rangers. They can make a trade or two to free up cap space and roster space for kids. They can also subject some players to waivers.
But beyond who makes it, there are other roster decisions to be made. By my count, only six forward roles and five defensemen roles have been set. That means there are a lot of areas that need to be addressed before opening night.
Who rounds out the top six?
We know that Rick Nash, Derick Brassard, Mats Zuccarello, Chris Kreider, and Derek Stepan will be in the top six. Does J.T. Miller get that final spot? What about Kevin Hayes? Perhaps Viktor Stalberg, who had a strong camp, gets a shot there first. There are a few options for AV here.
What is Hayes’ final position?
Hayes was tried out at wing for a few games, but his natural position is center. The Rangers are loaded at center, with Oscar Lindberg, Dominic Moore, and Jarret Stoll also playing the position. Center to wing isn’t a tough transition for a player with a hockey IQ like Hayes. But of Hayes’ 45 points last year, 40 were primary points (goals or primary assists). That’s the definition of a playmaker. Do they really want to move him to wing?
Where will Lindberg play?
Lindberg played both wings and center in the preseason, and excelled everywhere in the lineup. That is some incredible flexibility. If Hayes is moved to wing, can Lindberg provide that spark offensively on the third line? We know he’s solid defensively to handle fourth line responsibilities, at the very least.
What is the makeup of the fourth line?
As we saw in the 2013-2014 campaign, a fourth line that can handle 65% DZ starts opens up the scoring for the other three lines. A potential fourth line of Lindberg-Moore-Fast is not only incredible in their own end, but can chip in ten goals each. That trio has the potential to be one of the best fourth lines in the league, if given the opportunity.
What about Emerson Etem?
Remember how long it took this team to figure it out in 2013? Those were ugly games, and it’s no surprise that Etem is struggling to adjust as well. Etem will not be subjected to waivers, nor will he even clear waivers. Will he get a chance in a sheltered role, with two strong forwards who can cover for him? Or will he get fourth line duties?
Who will play with Keith Yandle?
Kevin Klein is the incumbent, but he was pretty bad in camp and outplayed by both Dylan McIlrath and Raphael Diaz. None will clear waivers, especially with Boston in desperate need of a defenseman. Do the Rangers want McIlrath to sit in the press box? Can he do Klein’s job at $2.3 million less?
What about special teams?
Carl Hagelin is gone. Martin St. Louis is gone. Someone will need to replace them on the penalty kill and powerplay, respectively. Who steps up?
The excitement of the final cuts is apparent, but there’s more to the roster decisions than the cuts, cap, and kids. Practice next week is going to give us tremendous insight into how AV foresees the first month of the season.
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