FRONT & CENTER
REGARDING the Rangers, just under two weeks away from Mika Zibanejad’s scheduled July 25 salary arbitration hearing:
The hole in the Rangers’ middle created by Derek Stepan’s trade to the Coyotes is not likely to be filled immediately by shifting J.T. Miller off the wing. That’s the strong impression left by coach Alain Vigneault during his conversation with The Post on Monday.
“I think J.T.’s versatility is a very important asset and he’s continuing to grow as a player in this league,” Vigneault said when told that general manager Jeff Gorton had suggested on July 1 that such a move would be a matter of when rather than if. “At some point, he might play center, but I’m not sure about starting the season that way.
“I know that Jeff and our personnel group scouted J.T. as a center and they like his skills there, and I think that J.T. has a lot to offer us in different ways. When we get together as a coaching staff the first week of August, we’ll take a look at our group, see how our puzzle shapes up and what opportunities different guys have to fill different spots.”
Stepan not only was the Rangers’ top-scoring center last season (17 goals, 38 assists, 55 points) as has been the case for much of his career, but also he has been leaned on by Vigneault in matchup situations throughout the coach’s four years in New York. So someone, whether from the inside or, more likely, as an import via trade, is going to have to fill the breach.
“We hope and believe that Hayzee and Mika both have more to give us,” Vigneault said in reference to Kevin Hayes and Zibanejad. “They’re both young players who have great upside. This is going to be a great opportunity for them to take on bigger roles and have more responsibility.”
In addition, Vigneault cited freeagent signee David Desharnais and 18-year-old, seventh-overall, first-round draft selection Lias Andersson as possible solutions to the center issue.
“I think Desharnais is going to help us. And I have to say that I really liked what I saw from Andersson at our development camp,” the coach said. “He’s got great hands and he can play. He’s going to get every opportunity. And we still have cap space where we can add to the team.”
Stepan, of course, is not the only piece of the nucleus to depart this summer. Dan Girardi, Vigneault’s go-to first-pair matchup defenseman also is gone, off to Tampa Bay following his buyout.
“I spoke to both of them and told them how much they meant to me and to the team, not only as players but as people.” Vigneault said. “Those are the kinds of people you care about. Everyone knows how important they were to our group.
“But we had decisions to make and now we move forward with a different group. That’s hockey, and I think with the moves we’re making, we still have a good team and we still have our goal set on winning the Stanley Cup.
“We’re trying to do this by retooling on the fly instead of going to rock-bottom and getting those great players at the top of the draft the way Pittsburgh and Chicago did. I think we have enough really good players here, and good young players, that we can be successful this way.”
The 2016-17 Rangers exceeded expectations, from the start of the regular season through their firstround victory over the Canadiens, in which Henrik Lundqvist decisively outplayed Carey Price. That’s what made the ensuing second-round thud against the Senators so dispiriting.
“In no way am I pointing fingers at anyone, because it’s my job to get the best out of my team and I didn’t, but for some reason some of our key guys underperformed in that series,” Vigneault said. “We needed better from them and there’s no doubt I needed to be better in pushing the right buttons.
“That was a disappointment for everybody in the organization. But I don’t believe we have to take any steps back this year. I believe we can compete at a high level. My first year here [2013-14], nobody thought we could challenge for the Cup, but we did.
“The way the league is, if you get in [the playoffs], you can be the team that has ‘it.’ We had ‘it’ in 2014. Nashville had ‘it’ this year. I look at our personnel and the changes we’ve made, and I like our team. It will be a little different, but I’m excited about it.”