The Filip Chytil injury fallout will shake up the NY Rangers lines

The severity of Filip Chytil’s injury last night has yet to be announced, but it did seem rather rough on the broadcast. Chytil was visibly shaken and needed guidance to get to the locker room. The injury couldn’t have come at a worse time, as the Rangers are rolling and the kid line was one of the reasons why. So what is the Chytil injury fallout, and how will it impact the lines if the Rangers are without their current 2C for an extended period of time?

Top nine shakeup as a result of the Chytil injury fallout

Naturally, the Rangers will have a shakeup in their top nine as a result of the Chytil injury fallout, at least while Chytil is out. The only other center currently on the roster is Barclay Goodrow, so expect him to move back to center, most likely on the third line with Chris Kreider and Jimmy Vesey. Naturally, that means Vincent Trocheck moves up to 2C with Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko.

From a production and role standpoint, there shouldn’t be much of a drop off with these moves. This is the “less is more” approach, and Trocheck can slide back into the 2C role while Goodrow moves back to 3C in more of a shutdown role. If anything, this makes Goodrow more effective in his on-ice impacts without the third line missing a beat.

Trocheck may have some adjusting to do, playing with Lafreniere and Kakko. But hopefully his skill set–which is more of a forechecking, pain to play against, offensively minded player–will be better suited with the kids. His ability to get to and drive the net should separate defenders from Kakko and Lafreniere, giving them more room to work with in the areas just outside home plate in front of the net.

Optimistically, Trocheck will be in front for rebounds and deflections, something the kid line was lacking. They didn’t necessarily need this presence, as they were still producing. It may represent a temporary shift in how the line generates offense as well.

The opening at 1RW has only one logical choice

With Goodrow moving back to center as part of the Chytil injury fallout, and assuming Gallant chooses a less is more approach to the line changes needed, then Vitali Kravtsov is the most logical choice to move up to the 1RW spot vacated by Goodrow. He’s talented, he’s producing, and he’s doing a lot of the little things right that both Mika Zibanejad and Artemi Panarin need to help drive on-ice possession.

An interesting thing about Kravtsov is that he isn’t just a scorer. He’s solid in all three zones, as we’ve seen already since his return to the lineup. He gets in on the forecheck, he back checks, and he’s good at the subtle reads and movements that open up ice and passing lanes for others.

Neither Zibanejad nor Panarin are noted play drivers, leaning on linemates to do that work while they find the open space for chances. That’s perfectly fine, especially given their production and effectiveness on the ice. That’s been the rub with Goodrow on that line, as he’s not really a noted offensive player to help complement what the line needs. Even Gallant has seen that line as temporary, if his quotes over the weekend are to be taken at face value.

Enter Kravtsov, who, on paper, should be able to do some of the things Kakko and/or Kreider do when with Zibanejad. As noted, Kravtsov does some of the little things on the ice that the duo needs to not only score off the rush, but generate sustained offensive pressure outside a one-and-done scenario. It also helps that Kravtsov has the tools and awareness to create and join rushes as they happen.

Gallant seemingly had a plan to get Kravtsov into the top nine, and the Chytil injury fallout may accelerate his plans. Given how Kravtsov has played, this might be a good thing.

Fourth line “reunited”

Sammy Blais and Julien Gauthier appeared to be preparing for a rotation on the fourth line until the Chytil injury fallout. Now with Chytil potentially out, Blais and Gauthier will be back with Johnny Brodzinski on the fourth line. Blais has looked better in recent games, as has the entire team. So perhaps this line turns into that forechecking, cycling, pain to play against line.

Even if the Rangers may have a plan to tread water, the Chytil injury fallout does mean the Rangers may be without their 2C for an extended period of time. There’s still no news, and unfortunately no news is usually bad news when it comes to head injuries. Hopefully good news is coming.