New York Rangers: Will McDonagh and Shattenkirk last the season together?

The New York Rangers top pairing to start the season is likely to be Ryan McDonagh and Kevin Shattenkirk. But given Alain Vigneault’s history with offensive defensemen, will he keep this pairing together all season long?

Everything seems to be going extremely well for the New York Rangers’ defensive corps. The Rangers have gone from one of the worst defenses in the league to one of the best during this offseason.

No longer is the top pairing anchored by a defenseman whose brave and self-sacrificing play style has left him ineffective in today’s NHL. No longer do the Rangers have defensemen who are unable to move the puck. The days of being hemmed in their own zone for minutes upon minutes are over.

The Rangers have tremendously skilled players on every defensive pairing. They have the right players to play in Alian Vigneault’s system — an up tempo offense that relies on the defense getting the puck up ice to the forwards quickly.

So it seems like everything should be perfectly fine for the Rangers. However, there is a major factor that needs to be considered: Alain Vigneault does not have a great reputation with how he has handled offensive defensemen (and offensively creative forwards) in the past.

Will Vigneault leave Shattenkirk where he belongs on the top pairing?

There is no possible way that I, or any other person, can give an accurate answer on this question. We simply will not know the answer until the season is finished.

But looking at history, the odds are not in Shattenkirk’s favor at all.

The Rangers brought in Keith Yandle to bolster the lineup during the 2014-15 season at the deadline. Yandle was not given the power play time that someone with his offensive skill set should receive. He was used as a bottom pairing defender despite him being the second best defender on the team.

Look at Adam Clendening’s treatment during last season. He isn’t an elite defenseman, but he’s a lot better than most gave him credit for. And he certainly played better than most of the defensemen on last year’s roster.

And this is just a few examples during Vigneault’s tenure with the Rangers. His history with the Canucks, which I won’t get into, is even worse.

I’m trying to be more optimistic with my outlooks on the Rangers, and I believe that Shattenkirk will remain on the top pairing throughout the season. But even still, there are reasons to be concerned that Vigneault might take him off of the top pairing.

Would it be the end of the world if Shattenkirk is taken off the top pairing?

YES OBVIOUSLY!!!!

Joking aside, like I said earlier, the New York Rangers have plenty of talented players. If Shattenkirk is replaced by Brady Skjei or Brendan Smith, it really won’t be that big of a deal because they both have top pairing upside and are great players.

The main thing the Rangers should focus on is making sure that the top four consists of McDonagh, Shattenkirk, Skjei, and Smith. Those are their four best defensemen and that top four is one of the best in the league.

Taking Shattenkirk off the top pairing really only becomes an issue if one or more of two things happen:

Shattenkirk is scratched, benched, or demoted to the third pairing.
Marc Staal or Nick Holden take his place on the top pairing.

If none of those things happen, it really won’t be that big of a deal if Shattenkirk is taken off the top pairing.

This is going to be an interesting season for the Rangers. Alain Vigneault is going to have to change his treatment of offensive defensemen. If he falls into the same traps and pitfalls that he has in previous years, he might not be back for the 2018 season.

Henrik Lundqvist isn’t in his prime anymore. He only has so much time left to win a cup and the Rangers can afford to waste any more opportunities.

Next: Five players Kevin Shattenkirk’s arrival benefits the most

How Vigneault decides to handle Kevin Shattenkirk will have a huge impact on his, and the Rangers’, future.

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