Yesterday, Gerard Gallant was finally candid about what his thoughts for the NY Rangers perfect lines were, and how he was getting there. It was a rare moment of clarity for fans frustrated with some specific lineup choices that we all seem to agree aren’t the best at the moment. Naturally, this is all a process, albeit a frustrating one at times. Vitali Kravtsov and Barclay Goodrow are at the heart of the frustrations, but it looks like we may see changes soon.
Sounds there could be some in-game movement, depending on the situation, and eventually more of a permanent change.
As for Goodrow, GG said, "All he does is do a good job for me. And trust me, I know what he is."
Another hint that BG on the top line may be temporary.#NYR
— Vince Z. Mercogliano (@vzmercogliano) December 16, 2022
Per Vince Mercogliano, Gallant apparently has some kind of idea what the Rangers perfect lines look like, but he’s not there yet. What exactly is stopping him from getting there is still a mystery, since Kravtsov had been a healthy scratch for a while until the other night. It’s hard to identify what it is when he barely plays, so we are operating on assumptions, and that assumption is they want more north-south play and less east-west play. That’s just an educated guess though.
Goodrow, on the other hand, is all north-south, which adds to the inference that this is what might be at the crux of the issue for Kravtsov. That said, Goodrow hasn’t been the answer. While he provides north-south play, he doesn’t do much else and may be part of the reason why the Rangers don’t have as many rush chances in the top-six. Goodrow is a good forechecker and has a role on the team, but that role is not an offensive player who forces turnovers in the neutral zone and transition to offense at the drop of a hat. It never has been.
Some more educated guessing on these Rangers perfect lines, but I’m guessing Kravtsov slides into the top-six permanently at some point, assuming he’s still with the Rangers after the trade deadline. That leaves the kid line as the second line, and the current iteration of the shutdown line stays intact. The fourth line likely shifts to Goodrow-Johnny Brodzinski-Julien Gauthier, with Sammy Blais rotating in here and there as a forechecking line that’s a pain to play against. The fourth line can also chip in offensively here and there.
Given production, expectations, current roles, and development, that might actually be the ideal situation for the Rangers at even strength. We also saw the kids on PP2, notably with Kravtsov as the bumper, can move the puck well and create their own chances. It’s a hard sell to give them more time over PP1, but it may be doable in the interest of reducing ice time for the top guys.
The Rangers perfect lines are set in Gallant’s mind, and he does admit they aren’t rolling with them yet. Development and growth aren’t linear paths, so he’s clearly waiting on something from Kravtsov to get there. Given the statements from Gallant, it makes you wonder when we will see those lines. It may be soon, assuming Kravtsov continues to develop.
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