New York Rangers Have a Ryan McDonagh Problem

The New York Rangers clinched a playoff spot on Tuesday night, effectively rendering the remainder of their schedule meaningless. What does that mean for star players like Ryan McDonagh?

The New York Rangers have a Ryan McDonagh problem, and no, it is not that he is too good. The problem lies in Alain Vigneault’s fundamental misunderstanding of the lack of importance in the end of the season games this year.

Vigneault insisted on playing McDonagh his usual heavy minutes to this point. The Rangers’ captain played 25:34 against the San Jose Sharks on Tuesday night. While the Rangers already all but officially locked up the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference, New York refused to do themselves any favors for their post-season attempted run.

Consider this: if the Rangers wish to make any kind of a run, Ryan McDonagh will have to be on top of his game. The top pair defenseman played an average of 86 games per season in the past four years, including playoff games. Few players in the entire league have seen the ice more than the Rangers’ captain in that span.

Thus, it would make perfect sense to give McDonagh rest when the games mean nothing, right? If you ask Alain Vigneault, apparently not. Despite the fact that the Rangers’ playoff spot has been all but locked up, McDonagh has continued to play top pair minutes against the best players on opposing teams.

While there is no doubt the Rangers are a better team with their defensive leader on the ice, currently the team has nothing to play for. This has been the case for the past few games, but Alain Vigneault refused to acknowledge that fact. Rather than giving Adam Clendening a closer look or Brendan Smith an expanded role, Vigneault stuck with his usual lineup.

That meant the player who played the most minutes per game of any Ranger this season in addition to playing 86 games per year kept on playing. No reprieve when the playoff format and schedule opened the door. No rest when the Rangers stockpiled their defense and must determine who deserves playing time in the playoffs.

Instead, heavy minutes for a player who needs a break. Luckily for the Rangers, McDonagh has not suffered an injury during this stretch. Yet McDonagh suffered injuries late in the 2015-16 and 2013-14 season. Even the minor possibility of the Rangers’ prized defenseman getting hurt should be enough logic to diminish his minutes.

Perhaps Alain Vigneault simply wanted to see his team clinch a playoff spot before lowering McDonagh’s minutes. Though the move should have come sooner, at least there’s logic there. However, if McDonagh takes the ice for 25 minutes on Friday night, a serious problem exists in Rangertown.

The Rangers finally possess the opportunity to rest their most overworked player. Much like they turned down the opportunity to rest players and face the Florida Panthers in the first round of last year’s playoffs, they refuse to do themselves any favors.

Next: Predicting the Rangers' Playoff Future

McDonagh does not need to be benched altogether, but playing him over 20 minutes a night is criminal. Let the captain hand the ship over to his teammates for the meaningless games remaining. Then unleash the beast when the playoffs begin.

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