With just about a month until training camp starts, the New York Rangers still have a logjam at defense. If they don’t move Nick Holden, there will be some hard questions to ask in the weeks ahead.
Few teams made as much of a shakeup as the New York Rangers during this offseason. Between a revamped defense and the trade of number one center Derek Stepan, the Rangers will enter the 2017-18 looking remarkably different.
One thing that won’t look different, at least as things stand in mid-August, is the defensive pair of Marc Staal and Nick Holden. Despite a glut of talented young defenders like Alexei Bereglazov, trade acquisition Anthony DeAngelo, and college free agent Neal Pionk, Holden remains a Ranger.
While in theory at least one of those younger defensemen should be above Holden on the depth chart, the 2017 playoffs made it clear where coach Alain Vigneault’s preferences lie. He consistently played Holden over the superior Brady Skjei and Brendan Smith, much to the detriment of the team.
While GM Jeff Gorton has done his best to remove some of Vigneault’s favorite (broken) toys like Tanner Glass and Dan Girardi, he hasn’t completely rid the roster of them. If Gorton can’t find a Holden trade in the coming weeks, the Rangers will need to figure something out.
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Rags to riches
It wasn’t too long ago that the New York Rangers were woefully undermanned on the right side of their defense. With a group consisting of Girardi, Kevin Klein, and not much else, options were limited.
When Vigneault’s prejudices were taken into account, things got even worse. Holden, a lefty, often played on the right side.
But with the additions of Kevin Shattenkirk, Smith, Pionk, DeAngelo, and Bereglazov, the Rangers now have a wealth of talent on the right. Unfortunately, most of those players fall into the same mold as players Vigneault unfairly maligned, like Adam Clendening.
The chances that Pionk or Bereglazov make the opening night roster seem slim.
Despite Bereglazov’s potential and KHL out-clause, he could be stuck in the 7th spot. Pionk is fresh from college and plays a very similar game to Clendening. Thus, it’s likely he sees a lot of the press box.
So, despite the newfound abundance of talent on the right side, it would appear that the status quo will remain next season. Barring a Holden trade, he’s slated for the top six.
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A better solution
In an ideal world, the New York Rangers will let a true talent competition decide the roster. On the right side, the top two spots are locked down. Shattenkirk and Smith will play alongside Ryan McDonagh and Brady Skjei.
For the third pair role, a training camp battle among Bereglazov, Pionk, DeAngelo, and prospects Ryan Graves and Sean Day would be ideal.
If that could push Holden over to the left side, that would be even better. He and Marc Staal could battle for the third pairing spot. That way, they can earn their minutes instead of having them handed on a silver platter.
Next: Shattenkirk narratives must end
The best roster is one built on performance, not just experience. The Rangers will be in the best possible position to ice a top-10 defensive unit in the league.