Per Vince Mercogliano, new coach Gerard Gallant is unlikely to change the Rangers top four defense pairs. That means we will see Ryan Lindgren-Adam Fox and K’Andre Miller-Jacob Trouba as the top four heading into the season. Both were solid pairs, with Lindgren-Fox turning into a legitimate top pairing in the league. This isn’t a surprise, as you don’t change what isn’t broken.
One thing we were looking for was putting Lindgren with Trouba to maybe bring out the best in Trouba, given past history. But with a more committed defensive system and roles, plus Miller’s expected growth, there’s nothing to say Miller and Trouba won’t take a step forward. It will be something to watch though, as of the pairs, it’s the Miller-Trouba pairing that could struggle.
One way to alleviate that concern is by swapping assignments, giving Lindgren-Fox the top pair matchups, and letting Miller-Trouba feast on lesser competition. It wouldn’t surprise me to see Gallant go this route first before trying to shake things up.
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