Standing stronger
Rangers might finally be able to rely on system, not stars
REGARDING the Rangers, two weeks away from playing for real in Buffalo on Oct. 12. 1. It is accurate that the club’s upside will be determined in large part by the growth of Filip Chytil, Kaapo Kakko, Alexis Lafreniere and K’Andre Miller. The veterans are relatively known products, though Chris Kreider scoring 88 goals at ages 30 and 31 representing a 69.2 percent increase over his previous two-season best (52 combined at ages 27 and 28) proves that old pups can learn new tricks.
But that is only accurate as it applies to individual output. Because the Blueshirts’ ultimate upside lies in the on-ice structure that is currently being installed by head coach Peter Laviolette and his staff. Structure should cut down on odd-man rushes against. It should create more puck possession. It should preserve and protect Igor Shesterkin.
It should allow the Rangers to be greater than the sum of their parts. And that’s the idea.
This is a hard-working camp. It is a learning camp. The Rangers report to class every day. They work on their assignments in their lab on the ice. There are likely to be early-season growing pains — when Alain Vigneault replaced John Tortorella behind the bench, the 2013-14 Rangers were outscored 25-9 while going 1-4 in their first five games — but structure should bind the team.
It has been a long, long time since the Rangers could fall back on their system.
2. The Rangers aren’t going to make the mistake of forcing either Will Cuylle or Brennan Othmann into the lineup the way they did so many years ago with Manny Malhotra.
Come to think of it, Malhotra was the Original Polarizing Teenage Blueshirt, decades ahead of Lias Andersson and Alexis Lafreniere.
But while recognizing — and endorsing — the hierarchy’s mentality, it would surely give a boost to the lineup if either Cuylle or Othmann (a longer shot) could earn a spot at left wing on the third line with, say, Vincent Trocheck and Blake Wheeler.
I don’t want Cuylle to be groomed for a fourth-line enforcer role. It’s topnine or AHL Hartford. The same, obviously, applies to Othmann.
If either starts here and then needs remedial work in the AHL, well, starting his pro career at age 18 with two games with the Rangers didn’t hold back Chytil.
3. The injuries to Mika Zibanejad, Artemi Panarin and Chytil in the first week of training camp, even if they are all ultimately deemed insignificant, serve as a reminder of, A) just how fortunate/healthy the Blueshirts have been the last couple of seasons; and, B) more to the immediate point, just how the club’s cap situation is so precarious.
To the first point: Over the last two years, Zibanejad, Jacob Trouba and Miller did not miss a game because of health reasons; Kreider and Adam Fox missed three apiece, Panarin missed seven (two for COVID) and Lafreniere missed two (both for COVID). Trocheck did not miss any in his first season as a Ranger last year.
To the second point, the Rangers are hardly in a unique predicament. According to Cap Friendly, after LTI relief kicks in at the start of the season, more than a quarter of the league will enter the year with no space with another quarter starting with under $900,000. Many of those teams will carry 22-man rosters that is one under the max.
With full health and barring an unforeseen development, the Rangers have one open roster spot up front. If Alex Belzile makes the team, the Blueshirts would enter the season with $728,417 in space on a 22-man roster (13F, 7D, 2G). If Cuylle makes it, cap space shrinks to $675,084. If it’s Othmann, the cap space would be $640,084.
As cap space compounds during the season, the Rangers would project to have between $2.976 million and $3.387 million at the deadline depending upon the identity of the 13th forward. Again, though, this is based on a 22-man roster.
One player going on IR would likely be manageable. But if the Rangers run into multiple injuries at the same time, they could immediately be placed in an emergency situation in which they could be forced to play a man short for a game while their cap reserve is blown to smithereens. Once again, every nickel is going to matter.
The Blueshirts could use a continuation of good fortune.
4. Now tell me again how the Rangers are going to sign Patrick Kane?
5. You know what stands out about the next class of prospects at camp that includes forwards Cuylle, Othmann, Adam Sykora and Brett Berard?
That none of them is finesse-oriented.
6. If Ross Johnston has been able to spend six seasons on the Islanders roster while playing a career total of 134 NHL games, surely there is a future on Broadway for Matt Rempe.