As they prep for the postseason, the Rangers 4th line rotation is going to have major ups and downs. Notably, the rotation is likely going to be with Matt Rempe and Jonny Brodzinski at 4RW. Agree or not, it’s the most likely scenario since we know Jimmy Vesey and Barclay Goodrow are going to be mainstays, for better or for worse, respectively.
That statement may irk some people, and for good reason. While Vesey has been steady and perhaps this team’s true every-man, Goodrow has been atrocious this season. All three of Rempe, Brodzinski, and Vesey have looked better all season, and it’s hard to imagine a Rangers 4th line rotation that doesn’t include Goodrow perhaps resting a game or three.
Rangers 4th line rotation won’t include Goodrow…yet
Charts from Evolving-Hockey, as per usual.
A chart does not tell a story, and in this case they are very telling and, for most people, agree with what they are seeing on the ice. Rempe has been solid in a *very* small sample, but his game misconducts and 5 minute majors are a detriment to the Rangers in the long run. Even if he’s been better than Goodrow in every facet of the game, if he’s putting the Rangers down a man for 5 minutes and leaving them with 11 forwards the rest of the game, the playoffs won’t end well.
The charts don’t have that nuance, after all, they can’t possibly account for that, but it’s still hard to ignore how bad Goodrow has been. The Rangers, however, don’t pay Goodrow for the regular season. He was brought in for his playoff experience and to be that 16 game player. He will be given a shot as a permanent member of the Rangers 4th line rotation, at least initially.
Down the stretch, it would be wise to rest Goodrow. Hopefully the rest gives him some additional jump in his step in the playoffs.
Rempe vs. Brodzinski is not a competition
Many are viewing the Rangers 4th line rotation as a Rempe vs. Brodzinski competition. But it’s just the opposite. It’s not a competition at all. It’s about matchups and, at least for the rest of the regular season, learning and teaching. As mentioned above, this won’t be much of a “competition” if Rempe continues to take 5 minute majors.
Both bring different skill sets to the lineup. Brodzinski is a bit more predictable and steady. At the very least, he can be a solid skating 4RW that, while not perfect, won’t be a net-negative in the lineup. And before you cry turnovers, you’re thinking just one turnover that cost the Rangers a goal. Every single player in the NHL has done that, even Connor McDavid. It just stands out in your mind because it was egregious and recent. It’s human nature.
Rempe, on the other hand, brings an element that not many teams have. In addition to his size, he can move well and has a pretty solid hockey IQ. But he’s a rookie, needs to learn how to control his body, and has just 55 minutes of NHL ice time to his name.
Brodzinski is the known entity, which is why Rempe is getting the game tonight in Boston and perhaps Saturday against Florida. To see what the Rangers truly have in him come playoff time, they need to see what he can do against the only two teams in the East that have more points than the Rangers. Remember, he also missed the Carolina game.
The Rangers 4th line rotation will get some answers over the next two games, assuming Rempe plays both, as they see if he can match up against teams that are also expected to make decent playoff runs. We simply don’t know for sure what he can and will bring to the lineup against these teams. At least, not yet.
Ideally though, the Rangers 4th line rotation moves Brodzinski to 4C and gives Goodrow a night off. There will come a point where Peter Laviolette needs to at least see what a Vesey-Brodzinski-Rempe 4th line can do. Who knows? Maybe that will be the best iteration and the one they use in the postseason. But we won’t know for sure until it happens.
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