The strategy of keeping veterans around through September

The preseason is over for the Rangers, however there are still 32 players remaining in camp for only 23 spots. There are difficult decisions to be made. What will happen to Filip Chytil and Lias Andersson? Neal Pionk and Tony DeAngelo? Ryan Graves and Boo Nieves? Marc Staal and Nick Holden?

Those last two certainly don’t fit the young and fast mold that the Rangers are trying to build. It doesn’t help that they both had terrible preseasons and were routinely outplayed by the youngest, faster, more skilled youth. Yet here we are, a day removed from the final preseason game, and they are still around.

The Rangers don’t need to be roster and cap compliant until the season starts next week. That gives the Rangers some time to sort out their roster. Kids like Chytil and Andersson aren’t necessarily impacted by Staal and Holden, but what about Pionk and DeAngelo, who were the top two defensemen in camp outside of the obvious top-four.

The longer Staal and Holden are not announced as cuts or traded away the more agita we get. After all, Alain Vigneault’s track record with playing veterans over kids is well known, and the longer Staal and Holden are here, the more we think they will potentially get top-four minutes.

Perhaps there is a strategy here, though. Waiting to maximize value –or whatever value that pair has left– is the right play here. We don’t know what kind of offers Jeff Gorton is fielding for them, or if any are even realistic. Holden should theoretically be an easy sell, but there’s no real value in trading Staal for an equally toxic asset.

There’s no need to panic just yet. Heck, I’m going to attempt to not panic even if both make their way on to the opening night roster. I’ll be concerned, as will the rest of us, but Gorton does need time to try to work his magic. Waiving them eliminates all leverage. I’m wary of what will happen, but panic won’t set in for a little while. Observe, watch, and hope.