Skjei's time is coming, and soon

Skjei’s time is coming, and soon

On the heels of a disastrous trip to western Canada that represents the low point of a troubling first quarter, it appears the Blueshirts have reached an impasse wherein they are in danger of taking a clear step back in the contender pecking order. The growing warts in the lineup have deteriorated the team’s quality of play and the Rangers have come crashing down to earth where it appears they’ll stay unless changes are made.

The biggest issues are defenders Marc Staal and Dan Girardi, who for so long ably handled critical roles as stalwarts in the rearguard. But there are also team-wide problems including a less effective forecheck in part due to the loss of Carl Hagelin, frustrating mental mistakes defensively up and down the lineup and nonexistent production offensively from some of the team’s most talented players.

In the past, we’d be looking ahead to possible trade deadline and free agent acquisitions that could provide a quick fix – that one missing star piece that puts the club over the top. Those players could indeed be out there – Steven Stamkos is a franchise-changing talent that could be the best player to hit the market in years and Dustin Byfuglien would immediately catapult the Rangers’ D back into the upper echelon of the league. But thanks to an extremely tight cap crunch and must-sign free agents on their own roster, the Blueshirts can’t even consider entering the bidding for that class of player.

Unlike in past years when the Rangers tossed first-round picks and dollars around like Skittles to add stars, there’s not a solution like that coming this time around after the team spent its last bullet to land Keith Yandle last March.

Instead, the team is counting on top prospects Brady Skjei and Pavel Buchnevich to provide yet another shot in the arm, this time from within the organization.

Skjei’s debut came ahead of schedule last night when he filled in for the banged up Girardi, and though coach Alain Vigneault won’t grant him a full-time job yet, that day is coming soon. The biggest piece of the solution to many of the team’s recent woes is a smooth transition from a defense led by Girardi, Staal and Ryan McDonagh, to a more youthful and agile unit with Skjei and Dylan McIlrath assuming major roles alongside McDonagh, Yandle and Kevin Klein.

Up front, Buchnevich has the look of a can’t miss scorer that could quickly become the 1B to Rick Nash that Chris Kreider was supposed to be. And with Nash, Mats Zuccarello and Derick Brassard entrenched as a deadly top trio, Buchnevich could be Martin St. Louis’ replacement as the team’s best secondary threat.

Of course it’s not up to just Skjei and Buchnevich – the Blueshirts have plenty of growing young players already on the roster. Improvement will also come from them over time, but given the existing holes in major areas, it will take additional reinforcements to keep New York at the top of the heap.

Skjei and Buchnevich have the talent to help do that, but the delicate juggling act Vigneault must play with his expensive, loyal veterans and injecting fresh blood over the next several months will define the next chapter of the Lundqvist Era.

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