Is it time to give Tarmo Reunanen a call up?

The Rangers have a relatively small issue on left defense. With Ryan Lindgren and K’Andre Miller set as the top two LD, it’s been a rotation between Jack Johnson and Libor Hajek on the third pair, with Anthony Bitetto lingering somewhere out there. All three have had good moments this season, culminating in everyone’s shock when Johnson scored last night. Even Sam Rosen couldn’t believe it. With Tarmo Reunanen in the AHL, is it time for a call up to see what he’s got?

To be blunt, the NHL trio is not getting it done over the long haul. They have moments, sure, but when it comes to being viable NHL defensemen, they are not. It also seems clear that the organization knows this, as Hajek –the one they’d love to have as a long term option– was the 9th defenseman on the depth chart.

Stats Don’t Look Good

This trio ranks as the worst three on the Rangers in every major stat category. They are bottom three in CF% on the team, and are three of the bottom four in xGF% (Miller has somehow slipped into the bottom three).

In an attempt to be fair, xGF% and CF% should also be split up into rates for and against, since pure offensive numbers can skew both a bit. All three are defensive defensemen, yet all three give up the most amount of shot attempts. This isn’t voodoo magic. We all see they aren’t exactly the best at limiting quantity of chances.

The Rangers have been much better on the quality chances allowed this year. But Hajek (last) and Bitetto (3rd to last) are not doing that overly well either, at least not compared to their teammates. Johnson, funny enough, is actually a top-three xGA/60 on the team. Go figure.

None of this should be surprising. It’s not a secret that the Rangers need an upgrade there.

Why No Call Up?

The Rangers have yet to call up Tarmo Reunanen, who has looked good in a very small sample size in Hartford so far. Reunanen is likely going to fall behind on the depth chart pretty quickly over the next year or so, so he may wind up being a decent trade chip. There’s no harm in seeing what he’s got at the NHL level. Especially considering it’s unlikely he will be as ineffective as the current trio.

Cap space isn’t an issue, as the Rangers have the cap space to make the call up now. Interestingly enough, Reunanen comes with a smaller cap hit, bonuses included, than Hajek. So the Rangers might actually save some additional money by swapping Hajek and Reunanen. Hajek doesn’t even need to clear waivers.

At this point, doesn’t it make sense to see what Reunanen has to offer at the NHL level? By most accounts, he’s looked good in Hartford, or at least as good as one can look given the team’s struggles. The best case scenario is he makes the jump seamlessly, which might be a reach. Worst case he struggles, but again it’s unlikely he’s as bad as some of the other options.

Waiting Until The Trade Deadline?

Perhaps the Rangers are just waiting things out until the trade deadline. Both Johnson and Brendan Smith (50% retained) may fetch something tangible. That would open a spot without any need to juggle the cap.

Or perhaps the Rangers don’t think Reunanen can cut it, and are putting him in a position to succeed in the AHL so he can be trade bait. That’s certainly a possibility too. With prospects Matthew Robertson and Zac Jones playing well, Reunanen may quickly find himself on the outside looking in.

Given the options on left defense, the Rangers could do far worse than giving Tarmo Reunanen a call up. In fact, they may already be doing far worse.