The changes to the New York Rangers over the last few months has overhauled the defense. What do these changes to the defense mean for Rangers’ defensive prospect Sean Day?
In the 2016 NHL draft, the New York Rangers took a gamble on Sean Day and selected him in the third round. Sean Day is the definition of a “boom or bust” player. Day has a high ceiling but he also has a low floor.
Where Sean Day fits in the Rangers’ future has become murkier during 2017. The Rangers’ front office has done a tremendous job fixing glaring holes (*cough* the defense *cough*) in the organization.
The outlook on the state of the New York Rangers’ defense has changed drastically in the last few months. The Rangers replaced aging defenseman Dan Girardi with Kevin Shattenkirk. They re-signed shut-down defenseman, Brendan Smith, as well.
The Rangers beefed up their defensive prospect depth by signing Alexei Bereglazov and Neal Pionk. Both players have good upside, are close to being NHL ready, and will challenge for a roster spot during training camp.
Sean Day will also be competing for a roster spot come training camp, though it is unlikely that he will make the team out of camp. This begs the questions: what should the Rangers do with Sean Day and how does he fit into the Rangers’ future?
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What to do with Sean Day
As mentioned previously, Sean Day is unlikely to make the NHL roster this season. That leaves him and the Rangers with the choice to have him play in the OHL or the AHL in 2017-18.
Sean Day was able to improve his play last season with the Windsor Spitfires. I believe that leaving Day in the OHL for one more season would be great for his development. With the likely departure of Mikhail Sergachev from the Spitfires, that would leave Sean Day to be “the guy” for them.
One of the biggest knocks on Sean Day’s game is his Hockey IQ. Teaching a player to be “smarter” isn’t always the easiest thing to do, which is why he is a project pick. There plenty of work that will have to be done with him. The Rangers having more defensive prospects who are closer to the NHL means that they do not have to rush Day.
The Rangers having more defensive prospects who are closer to the NHL means that they do not have to rush Day. This gives them the luxury to take their time developing him. Instead of having to rush him to the big leagues, they can allow him to master and adjust to the game at every level.
It should go without saying that if Sean Day is dominating the OHL then the Rangers should look to get him up to Hartford to see what he can do against tougher competition in a sheltered role.
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Where Day fits in the Rangers’ plans
Sean Day isn’t the Rangers’ closest defensive prospect to the NHL. He isn’t the second closest or even the third closest. This and him being a project pick make it hard to predict what happens to him.
Ultimately, the Rangers’ shouldn’t be banking on him being the next Ryan McDonagh. This isn’t to say that he can’t become that great, but that is asking a lot of any player.
Instead, the Rangers should be expecting him to a player they will have to take their time with. Day can become a seriously dominant defenseman in the NHL with his physical tools if his development goes right.
This shouldn’t make the Rangers shy away from moving him if the right offer comes around, however. Day’s timetable to reach the NHL and his low floor makes it a solid sacrifice if it comes down to it, especially when Henrik Lundqvist’s age is taken into consideration.
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The Rangers have their work cut out for them with Sean Day. He still has many areas to grow in. But the potential is all there and if they are willing to take their time with him and let him grow as a player, he could be an incredibly solid defenseman for the Rangers in a few years.