Nils Lundkvist might benefit from a scratch

This is likely going to be an unpopular opinion, however Nils Lundkvist might benefit from a healthy scratch. This isn’t to say he should be permanently scratched – and anyone telling you otherwise is fooling themselves. However to say that Lundkvist (and Patrik Nemeth) are struggling would be an understatement.

Nemeth does have a history of producing solid defensive numbers, which is why the Rangers committed three years to him. Lundkvist, on the other hand, is still adjusting to the North American ice. Both are struggling, but it’s clear that Lundkvist’s strengths aren’t up to par yet in the NHL. He is slower with decision making, and his first passes haven’t been crisp or accurate. It is a product of the smaller ice surface and having less time to make decisions.

This is where a game or two watching from above might help. I know it is taboo in some circles to have a kid sit for a game, but there is a benefit to it in the long term. Sometimes just seeing things from a different angle helps things click. Understanding the routes his teammates take on breakouts from above will help his decision making, thus buying him an extra half second to make those first passes.

Lundkvist is still a better option than either Jarred Tinordi or Libor Hajek, and that shouldn’t be lost in this. The Rangers will be taking a short term downgrade to hopefully jumpstart Lundkvist to his ceiling. Also not lost in this is that Nemeth is also struggling, both with Lundkvist and without.

The other option, outside of a scratch, is to shake up the defense pairs. But given how good the top four has been, and K’Andre Miller/Jacob Trouba deserve a lot of credit, that may not be an option right now. If shaking up the pairs isn’t an option, then a one game healthy scratch for Nils Lundkvist may be the best option. At least for now.