NY Rangers training camp isn’t even a week old yet, and we’ve already had a few interesting stories to watch. Peter Laviolette is wasting no time making his mark with the Rangers, for better or for worse, as the Blueshirts look to adjust to his new system. Even though it’s been just 4 days and one game, we’ve seen Laviolette tip his hand a bit at what he is planning for the Rangers.
1. One of the better things we’ve seen from line combos thus far is that Laviolette is not just going with what worked previously. Chris Kreider has been on lines without Mika Zibanejad. Artemi Panarin has been on lines without Vincent Trocheck. The Kid Line hasn’t been together at all. All three of Blake Wheeler, Alexis Lafreniere, and Kaapo Kakko have been on “top six” lines.
He’s done the same thing with the defense pairs as well. While we know the top four from the bottom pair, the makeup of that top four hasn’t been finalized. We also know that both Zac Jones and Erik Gustafsson will get time with Braden Schneider.
Everything we saw under Gerard Gallant and David Quinn can be thrown out the window, at least for now. Laviolette will tweak his system –that of a puck moving, puck possession style– to his players, and his lines to his system.
2. Before last night’s preseason kickoff, Will Cuylle’s spot and roster battle was a question mark. He hadn’t been in any of the presumed starting 12 forwards until the lineup unfolded yesterday, with him joining Filip Chytil and Alexis Lafreniere on the top line. It was expected that Jimmy Vesey would be on that line, given the lines from that morning, but Cuylle replaced Chytil, presumably so Laviolette can get a good look at him.
Cuylle is likely the only prospect outside of Zac Jones with a shot to make the roster this season. If he didn’t play with expected NHLers at all, then we would be singing a different tune. Now that he got top line minutes last night with Chytil and Laf, we know he’s in the running for a spot.
3. We knew that Laviolette would have the Rangers moving towards a system with better puck possession, support, and zone exits, and it was on display last night. It wasn’t perfect, and it won’t ever be perfect. This is a big step in the right direction for a team with as much talent as the Rangers. They weren’t playing within a system that showcased their skill. The goal is to get them to that kind of system.
The big piece is the defensemen actually joining the rush and looking to be more methodical and direct with breakout passes. All of the Rangers defensemen are capable of making that first pass, and at least three are capable of much, much more. As long as the Rangers aren’t doing a glass-and-out style, this is good.
4. Brennan Othmann likely won’t see NHL ice this season, but it’s clear the Rangers expect him to be in the running as soon as next season. A strong camp and a strong start to his AHL season may move things up if the Rangers need an injury call up. This is evident when we look at Othmann getting shifts at RW and with some regular NHLers.
Othmann can certainly force his way onto the roster on the third line, but it would require an insane camp from him. A third line with him, Chytil, and Wheeler would be a fun line to watch. But Othmann likely isn’t seeing top-six minutes this season, and he won’t be on the fourth line. Thus, it’s the AHL for him.
We might see Othmann later in the season if the situation calls for it, but right now it’s unlikely.
5. The only guys that seem set in their roles are Nick Bonino and Alex Pitlick on the fourth line. This duo has been paired together with all line iterations thus far with either Jimmy Vesey or Barclay Goodrow. They were brought in for that reason, and this shouldn’t be surprising. As of this writing, both Vesey and Goodrow will be in bottom-six roles and will likely rotate between the third and fourth lines.
For what it’s worth, this is where the Cuylle confusion started, as he was never on the third or fourth lines in any of these iterations. That seems like it will change over the next few days. This fourth line seems to be a shutdown line for now, and it makes you wonder if Cuylle is really suited for that kind of role.
My guess? Pitlick winds up as the 13F and Cuylle starts the season on the third line. Bonino will get both Vesey and Goodrow on his line.
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