With the New York Rangers thin down the middle, the 23 year-old San Jose Sharks center could be a possible trade option.
When the New York Rangers traded Derek Stepan, the belief was that the team had enough depth at center to make up for his loss. After signing center David Desharnais, it was up to Mika Zibanejad, Kevin Hayes, and J.T. Miller to do the heavy lifting.
But, Miller’s shown he’s much more effective on the wing. This left a hole at center in the Rangers bottom six. The team clearly had no solution because Paul Carey, who’s spent most of his career to this point in the AHL, was plugged in. The Rangers even claimed Adam Cracknell off waivers, a veteran who has 21 goals in 208 career games played.
What was once a strength, was now a weakness. A perfect fourth line center would be none other than Chris Tierney.
The Case for Tierney
Tierney is young and was selected in the second round, 55th overall in the 2012 NHL Draft. He’s currently in his fourth season with the Sharks. Tierney is known as a growing two-way center, who plays solid defense and can kill penalties.
The Rangers penalty kill is middle of the pack and ranks 12th in the league. They also are ranked 24th in the NHL in goals allowed per game with 3.4. Tierney would fit perfectly in the Rangers system because he’s a good skater, and defensively responsible.
Sharks General Manager Doug Wilson signed Tierney to a one-year, $735,000 contract, substantially lower than most expected considering the expectations set for Tierney this season. “We believe Chris has yet to hit his prime, but has already proven that he can be a key member on our penalty kill, and the defensive side of the puck,” said Wilson.
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The deal allowed the Sharks to use cap space elsewhere while holding on to their young center-man, but can backfire on them if Tierney has a break through season. If they can’t afford his demands, Tierney would be a sought-after trade piece.
The Downside
The only issue throughout Tierney’s short NHL career is his lack of production on offense. Last season was his best to date, scoring 11 goals and 12 assists for 23 points in 80 games. In 13 games this season, he has two goals and three assists for a total of five points. In that case, would Tierney really be an upgrade for the Rangers?
Cristoval Nieves, a recent call-up from Hartford, already has three assists in his first four games. Nieves is not only a great skater, but has shown undeniable chemistry with new line-mates Jesper Fast and Michael Grabner. However, Nieves has played just five games at the NHL level. It’s yet to be seen if he can be the answer to the Rangers problems with that small a sample size.
With Nieves on the fourth line, the rest of the line-up fills out quite nicely. Zibanejad has exceeded expectations as the teams number one center, Hayes has come along nicely, and if Miller can return back to center, the Rangers will have no use for Tierney. If the Rangers would have to give a lot to get him, they might as well hang on to Desharnais.
Wait it Out
Tierney’s versatility makes him an attractive option. His tenacity would be beneficial for a silky-smooth Rangers team, especially come playoff time. When the Sharks advanced all the way to the Stanley Cup finals in 2015-2016, Tierney was a crucial part of that run. He scored five goals and four assists for nine points in 24 games. He’s been more effective in the face-off dot this year, winning 58.6% of his draws compared to the 48.5% he won last year.
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The New York Rangers could benefit from a player like Tierney, but it’s too early to tell if he’s a necessity at this point. A five game winning streak has put most trade talk to bed. If the team starts to struggle again, perhaps it makes sense. After all, they traded their best two-way center. Maybe they need one back.