New York Rangers and Pavel Buchnevich’s Creativity

New York Rangers Head Coach Must Get Creative

If you’ve ever seen the 30 for 30 “Of Miracles and Men,” you know that the Russians did not believe in dump and chase hockey. They wanted their players to be creative, to keep the puck on their stick and control the game. Sadly, no NHL coach has embraced that way of thinking, and it has led to many creative players leaving the NHL.

In the NHL, if you try to make a play and fail, you get glued to the bench. NHL coaches suck the creativity right out of players. They’d rather have a million “honest players” instead of guys with high skill that make risky plays with the puck.

Hopefully, with the New York Rangers top prospect, Pavel Buchnevich, who signed an entry-level contract with the team yesterday, Alain Vigneault won’t follow the precedents other coaches have used in handling elite offensive players.

Buchnevich, 21, was the Rangers third-round pick in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft. Buchnevich has been in the KHL for the last three seasons, accumulating 77 points. His talent is off the charts. This is how Hockey’s Future described him:

“Buchnevich has excellent speed with a very good set of hands. A very interesting prospect with an impressive ceiling, he is small but makes things happen with his speed and skills. Buchnevich can take needless penalties though at inopportune moments and needs to be more responsible defensively to be successful in North America. A very good playmaker with excellent vision, Buchnevich has the potential to be a first line player in the NHL.”

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The good news is that Buchnevich’s talent should guarantee him a role in the top-nine next year. The bad news is that Vigneault, as we have seen in the past with Kevin Hayes and J.T. Miller, has a short leash for players he deems as untrustworthy.

Buchnevich was wary of coming to the Rangers last year. The Rangers’ brass believed he was NHL-ready but, according to SNY, Buchnevich decided to stay for one particular reason:

“6/19/15 | 7:06AM: Pavel Buchnevich said that he decided to stay in Russia because the Rangers are a very strong team and making the team would be “very difficult.” (Sport Business)”

Vigneault and Young Players, Water and Oil

While it’s true the New York Rangers were stacked at forward heading into last season, one has to wonder if Buchnevich saw how Vigneault treated youngsters and decided it would be best to get healthy minutes instead of being scratched and/or relegated to third- or fourth-line minutes.

Just look at the effect Vigneault’s actions had on Hayes this year. He was a shell of the player we saw last season, mostly because he was looking over his shoulder, worried that one mistake would cost him a spot in the lineup.

The New York Rangers can’t, at any cost, allow Vigneault to suck the creativity out of Buchnevich. The league has changed; “honest players” like Tanner Glass are a dying breed, and the teams that refuse to adapt to the times are dying like the dinosaurs.

Turnovers are going to happen; they’re inevitable. But the coaches who glue players to the bench after a turnover aren’t doing anyone any favors. They’re hurting the player by making him fearful of making plays with the puck, and they’re hurting the team by putting talented players on the bench.

The best coaches are the ones who, after a player makes a mistake or coughs up the puck, allow them to keep playing and learn from their mistakes. Look at how Pittsburgh Penguins forward, Conor Sheary described his head coach, Mike Sullivan:

“He expects a lot defensively from all of his players,” Sheary said. “But he also gives you the freedom to play offense. He likes his team to play fast and with pace.”

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Now compare that quote by Sheary to this column from the Vancouver Sun after Vigneault was fired from the Canucks in 2013:

“Clearly, young players who were committed to defense first (like Tanev and Hansen) would be in the good books of Vigneault, while those with creative offensive instincts (Hodgson and Kassian) would be forever shackled.”

That is exactly the kind of thing Vigneault can’t do with Buchnevich, especially given his scouting report. Vigneault isn’t on the hot seat right now, but if he continues to suck the creative juices out of offensively gifted players—the Millers’, Hayes’ and Buchnevichs’ of the world—he should be.

The Rangers’ defense and overall team defense is what led to their downfall.But the curious decisions of Vigneault—continuing to play Glass, benching and calling out Hayes, not sitting Dan Girardi, etc.—are what stand out the most. They are mistakes he can’t afford to make again, especially with a player like Buchnevich.