mackenzie skapski

Enough has already been said about the two preseason games so far, and by this point everybody’s well aware that Jacob Trouba is on the market and on the Rangers’ radar. Given all of that, I figured it’d be best to share just a few scattered thoughts that have stuck in my mind so far this preseason.

  • Kreider/Zibanejad/Buchnevich seems like it’s a lock, given their chemistry and complimentary skill sets, with Vesey/Hayes/Nash being the next obvious line combo. I personally like the idea, with the three of them bringing serious size and hands to the table, and putting Nash on the “third” line helps spread the wealth and force teams to make tough decisions defensively. This would all imply a Zucc/Stepan/Miller line, which is also a perfectly reasonable scoring line. The big question is how does the fourth line turn out, especially given the play of both Pirri and Grabner so far?

  • On the subject of Pirri – I understand that AV made some comments to the effect that he’s not really a fourth line guy, and he’s definitely not the best defensively, but if paired smartly with say Grabner and Lindberg, or even Fast, I think he could help add a scoring touch to the fourth line that we haven’t seen in some time. I’d rather not see him displace Buch or Vesey on their lines, and there’s simply no way those other guys are going anywhere, but if he has to play in the top-nine then so be it. He’s already demonstrated that he’s great at generating shots, and that’s something the Rangers are going to desperately need if their defense stays the way it is currently.
  • This seems to be the fastest the Rangers have been in a proverbial minute, with Grabner and Zibanejad being the notable standouts. The Rangers just looked like they were getting to loose pucks first these past two games, which is definitely a crucial factor in ameliorating their possession woes from last season. Factor in vets like Nash and Kreider, and these Rangers will definitely be covering a lot of ice this season.
  • Although neither have scored yet, I’m pretty pleased with both Buchnevich and Vesey’s play so far. Buch seems to be effective along the boards and very clever at finding space, while Vesey has shown already that he makes no bones about going to the difficult areas of the ice. Some patience may be required here, with the two of them likely needing some time to adjust (or not, but I guess we’ll see), but their skill sets already seem to be pretty auspicious.
  • Skapski really shined these past two games, and while it’s still to early to start choosing a bona fide successor to King Henrik’s throne, it’s definitely cool to see some of the Rangers’ goaltending depth starting to blossom. I’m excited to see what Skapski does, as well as what the future holds for the blueshirts’ goalie prospects given the teaser we’ve already seen so far.

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