Lineup optimization is always a point of contention for the New York Rangers. Once the team is healthy there will be decisions to be made with the bottom-six forwards. It is up to head coach Alain Vigneault to prove he can get the most out of his roster.
Part of the New York Rangers recent success has included help from their bottom-six forwards. As is the case with any team, a winning roster needs contributions from the entire lineup. Players such as Boo Nieves, Jesper Fast, and Paul Carey have been difference makers in past weeks.
Mika Zibanejad’s return to the lineup forced head coach Alain Vigneault to mix up his line combinations once again. Without ail, he is proving that fielding his best lineup is not one of his coaching strengths.
Having the ability to roll four lines is important, particularly for the Rangers. Alain Vigneault’s system typically values depth over top-end talent. Their ability to create opportunities often comes by capitalizing on opponents mistakes with a sustained four-line attack.
However, the blending of talents of the bottom-six forwards has hindered these opportunities. For quite some time, the Rangers’ third and fourth lines have lacked consistency or true role definition. The decisions at hand should be much simpler given the number of weapons at Vigneault’s disposal.
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The players
Up and down the lineup, the Rangers have useful pieces. Most importantly, they have multiple options at seemingly every position. However, down the middle, there has been a rotating carousel of bottom-six centers.
The usual cast includes some combination of David Desharnais, Boo Nieves, Paul Carey, and J.T. Miller. Miller is easily the most skilled player of that group. However, his versatility to play as a winger often moves him around the lineup.
On the wings, the Rangers have a plethora of options with several different skill sets. Jesper Fast, Michael Grabner, and Jimmy Vesey are the true wingers. Meanwhile, Miller and Carey play wherever and whenever their name is called.
In several games, Vigneault has strayed from this group by placing superior players in the bottom-six. Pavel Buchnevich and Chris Kreider have both seen minutes with less than appropriate linemates.
The Rangers must continue their quest up the Metropolitan Division standings. To do this, the seven aforementioned must be optimized as the bottom-six forwards.
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Optimal lines
The Rangers have the most success when they have a strong forechecking presence from their final six forwards. A prime example is the work of the trio of Boo Nieves, Jesper Fast, and Paul Carey. Their dependability on the defensive side of the puck coupled with puck retrieving ability made for a valuable combination.
Creating a fourth line that handles heavy defensive minutes would leave an opening for a line capable of carrying the play in the offensive zone. Michael Grabner has established himself as a legitimate scoring threat since joining the New York Rangers and has experience playing alongside J.T. Miller. Put Jimmy Vesey on the other wing and the Rangers have a dependable line capable of causing chaos at both ends of the ice.
Moving one of the defensive wingers off of the fourth line affords Vigneault even more options. A trio of Fast, Miller, and Vesey is capable of providing defensive responsibility and finishing prowess. Meanwhile, Nieves, Grabner, and Carey are some of the team’s fastest skaters.
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Late season changes
David Desharnais is seemingly the odd man out in these scenarios. However, Nieves is undergoing his first season in the NHL and will likely need a breather at some point down the stretch. Similarly, Paul Carey has been nothing more than a journeyman to this point in his career and would be a candidate for replacement if his on-ice product falters.
That is also assuming GM Jeff Gorton and upper management don’t exploit the trade market at some point before the March 1st trade deadline.
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Alain Vigneault is given a pass for the next couple of weeks with Jesper Fast nursing a quad injury. Upon his return, it’s back to the drawing board for him and his staff. The Rangers’ playoff chances, and Vigneault’s job, likely depend on it.