As the season moves into the home stretch, the New York Rangers are fighting for their playoff lives. Clearly a flawed team, the Rangers shocked many with their run in February –and extended period of solid play extending back to December– that put them in this position. Yet after three straight losses, it’s clear there is something missing.
Since the trade deadline, the Rangers have looked a little off in four of their five games, three of them being losses. The St. Louis game was a return to form, although it still ended in a loss. This recent stretch of five games has illustrated two clear holes that need addressing before the Blueshirts can be considered true contenders.
Left Defense
The Rangers traded their best left defenseman at the deadline, sending Brady Skjei to Carolina for a 1st round pick. Brendan Smith took Skjei’s role alongside Jacob Trouba.
Whatever you thought of Skjei, he and Trouba were finally looking like a decent pairing that could log some big minutes. They weren’t the prettiest, but they certainly did their jobs. It’s also safe to say that Smith is not Skjei.
As it stands today, Ryan Lindgren is currently the only viable option on left defense going forward. I would be surprised if Smith is even a Ranger next year, and Marc Staal hasn’t been a viable option for some time. If there’s one giant hole on the team, it’s this one.
Middle-Six Scoring
When Pavel Buchnevich and later Chris Kreider went down with injuries, the Blueshirts’ inability to score came into full view. The Rangers were already riding one balanced line (KZB) and Artemi Panarin carrying two other players around with him.
When the Rangers were without a top six forward, it was a combination of Brett Howden, Filip Chytil at wing, and Phil Di Giuseppe that tried to fill that gap. Chytil has had prior success in the top-six, but as a center and not a wing. Di Giuseppe has been serviceable, but it’s a significant downgrade. Howden was an unmitigated disaster.
That’s where development is so important in a rebuild. Eventually that second line is going to need to be something other than the Panarin show. Eventually the third line is going to have to score on its own. Not only is this a necessity for scoring depth, but it helps mask injuries that are bound to happen. Sooner or later Chytil, Kaapo Kakko, and Vitali Kravtsov are going to have to shoulder that load.
This season is a resounding success for the Rangers and their rebuild. It’s the next steps, filling these holes, that take center stage to keep them moving in the right direction.
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