Steven Kampfer is expected to start the season with the New York Rangers. Here’s why that’s concerning.
Our own John Williams penned a piece about why New York Rangers fans should not be concerned about Steven Kampfer’s inclusion on the opening night roster. Here at Blue Line Station we love ourselves some friendly arguments, so I’d like to paint the picture of why you should be worried about Kampfer.
Now before I go into the finer details, know that I believe that you should not have to worry about Kampfer. Kampfer is an AHL at best defenseman who would not register any consideration for the NHL roster in most organizations. He is for all intents and purposes roster filler.
However, the New York Rangers do not work the same way as every NHL organization. To the Rangers, Steven Kampfer is not roster filler. Kampfer is a player the Rangers feared losing to waivers, and one they plan on carrying on their open roster.
That in itself should cause concern. Teams do not typically carry players without the intention of using them. The infamous Frankie Corrado situation aside, few players sit in the press box on a nightly basis.
Considering that, the possibilities for Kampfer and the New York Rangers should cause concern.
Alain Vigneault Ruins Everything
While I do not mean for this to turn into an Alain Vigneault criticism article, this must be touched upon. Vigneault has shown a penchant for playing players he trusts (i.e. veterans, not prospects) throughout his tenure as Head Coach.
The main argument against worying about Kampfer is that he will go unused. However, one cannot trust Alain Vigneault not to use him. If New York was worried about losing Kampfer on waivers, they must also believe they have a talented player on their hands.
Teams do not typically let players they believe have talent sit around, so Kampfer should see some playing time. That leads me to the much more concerning point.
Who’s Out?
If Kampfer plays, someone has to take his spot in the press box. Ryan McDonagh, Kevin Shattenkirk, Brady Skjei, and Brendan Smith are locks for playing time. That leaves two lineup spots for two of Anthony DeAngelo, Nick Holden, Steven Kampfer, and Marc Staal.
In the scenario Alain Vigneault opts to rotate Holden, Kampfer, and Staal, the issue is minor. New York should be providing Holden and Staal with the playing time to boost their respective trade value, but that concern is not significant.
The major issue, however, is if Anthony DeAngelo sits for Steven Kampfer. It’s an entirely possible situation. Say DeAngelo has a poor game. Nick Holden or Marc Staal will receive one lineup spot, and the Rangers have a player they need to get into a game in Kampfer. Kampfer enters, DeAngelo departs.
Now we’re talking about benching one of the centerpieces of the Derek Stepan trade for a journeyman defenseman with little talent.
On that same note, youngsters like Ryan Graves and Neal Pionk will see Kampfer receive playing time ahead of them. That sends an awful message to the youth, as well as college free agents potentially interested in signing with the Rangers.
Next: Making sense of the Rangers roster moves
Considering the possibilities listed above, it’s difficult to shrug off Kampfer’s spot on the roster.