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New York Rangers: Five predictions for December

By Nicholas Zararis

NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 11: The New York Rangers celebrate their 4-2 win against the Edmonton Oilers at Madison Square Garden on November 11, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - NOVEMBER 11: The New York Rangers celebrate their 4-2 win against the Edmonton Oilers at Madison Square Garden on November 11, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – SEPTEMBER 26: Vinni Lettieri
PHILADELPHIA, PA – SEPTEMBER 26: Vinni Lettieri /

The Rangers depth centers haven’t been helping win games. Vinni Lettieri is worth a shot.

Simply put, Paul Carey is not holding his own at the NHL level and David Desharnais is lost on the ice. The Rangers as a team hemorrhage shots when either is on the ice, culminating in Sunday’s win against Vancouver. Both forwards had a zero percent Corsi against the Canucks in the win.

Coach Alain Vigneault gave the fourth line offensive zone starts to protect them on Sunday. But this is not a sustainable long-term solution. Starting Carey or Desharnais in the offensive zone tells the other team they’re going to get an odd man rush going the other way.

Lettieri, down on the farm in Hartford, is posting respectable offensive numbers. The University of Minnesota product has 14 points in 20 games with the Wolf Pack. However, the upside to Lettieri is not his offensive game, it’s his motor and work ethic. With Boo Nieves still out of the lineup, it could bolster the fourth line to have a defensive-oriented forward join the group.

Adding a young and hungry forward to the fourth line could have an added side effect. If Lettieri impresses enough to supplant Desharnais in the lineup, it’ll make Desharnais work harder to get back in.

Lettieri’s call-up will get the fourth line up to par for the second half of the season.

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