New York Rangers midseason report cards: Bottom six forwards
The New York Rangers have reached their midway point in the season. Let’s examine the performances of the bottom six forwards.
The New York Rangers’ season is half over. It has been full of ups and downs all across the board. With a number of players finding success this year, its time to write up some mid season report cards.
In this article, we will be looking at the regular bottom six forwards. This includes Michael Grabner, Jesper Fast, Paul Carey, Jimmy Vesey, David Desharnais and Boo Nieves. Being a middle six “in-betweener”, Kevin Hayes will not be covered here.
These forwards have been surprisingly effective after somewhat of a slow start to the year. An effective fourth line in today’s NHL has to be able to produce offense. These forwards have excelled at both sides of the game, allowing the team’s depth to help create winning matchups.
With that said, let’s examine each player one at a time:
Michael Grabner
Michael Grabner has been at it again. He, once again, leads the team in goals with 18 through 42 games. His speed backs defenders up and creates scoring chances all on his own. Plus, at a cap hit of just $1.6 million, Grabner is the epitome of goal scoring at minimum cost.
While he has been terrific in this area of the game, there are still some concerns about his overall impact. One-third of his goals scored have been empty netters, however he would still be second on the team in goals with 12 if those were not considered.
Perhaps his biggest flaw is his inability to create offense for his linemates. With a meager four assists, Grabner has little impact outside of his own goal scoring. A truly effective player should be able to create offense for oneself, as well as making his teammates around him better.
Regardless, Grabner has once again proven to be a great bottom six player. Unless he slows down, he will undoubtedly lead the team in scoring again this season. At a $1.6 million cap hit, the Rangers could not ask for very much more.
Grade: B+
Jesper Fast
Every season, Jesper Fast surprises in his effectiveness. He is a workhorse on the fourth line; he scores, he’s an adept defender, and he grinds away against some difficult competition every night. He is a solid member of the penalty kill and goes about his business quietly yet effectively.
This year, Fast’s offense has come to the forefront a little more so than usual. He currently has seven goals and ten assists for 17 points in just 34 games. In comparison, Fast recorded 21 points in 68 games all of last season. He will surely surpass that this year and has a chance to top his career high of 30.
There isn’t much that Fast doesn’t do well. His offensive impact may have been somewhat of a question last year, but that has been answered this season. If ever there were a criticism regarding him, it has more to do with the coach playing him in situations that are not meant for him. There is little to criticize when regarding his actual role.
All in all, Fast is quite possibly the Rangers best bottom six forward. Of all of them, it always seems that he is the one they can count on consistently. While it is important not to expend too much cap into the bottom six, the Rangers should have Fast down there for the foreseeable future.
Grade: A
Paul Carey
When Paul Carey began his Rangers career, there were many questions. As a player who, at age 29, had been a career AHLer with only 32 NHL games and 2 points to his credit, people were not without reason to criticize the decision.
At the beginning of the season, these same critiques continued to arise. There wasn’t much bad to note about his game, but there wasn’t much of anything there either. He wasn’t making a negative impact, but it also seemed like a wasted roster spot that could have been given to another, younger talent.
However, in recent games, these criticisms have died down. Carey now has five goals and five assists in 30 games, with all of his points coming after November 22. He has become a solid presence on both ends of the ice and has been able to be a decent fourth line player when called upon.
However, his consistency is still in question. He is a player that took until 29 to get a consistent NHL role, and didn’t contribute much of anything for the first two months of the season. It is entirely possible he may regress back to that again. Nevertheless, his last month and a half of hockey has been solid.
Grade: C+
Jimmy Vesey
Jimmy Vesey has been an interesting case this season. He is a player with some high end skill, but not enough to be a legitimate threat as a top six player. In that sense, he has what makes a perfect Ranger bottom six forward: skill and determination.
What he has lacked as a defensive forward he makes up for in puck handling and board work. He isn’t the greatest shot suppressor or turnover creator, but he forechecks hard and chips in offense in front of the net with regularity, enough to make him a solid presence on the third line.
He currently has nine goals and seven assists for 16 points in 42 games. He may never reach the 20 goals, 40 points ceiling some still have for him, but that does not mean he is not or will not be a good player. His season is going quite smoothly after a slow start, he’s come on strong in the last ten games or so.
Players like Vesey are necessary for teams with Cup aspirations. High end skill in the bottom six, especially on entry level contracts, is essential for good cap management. While Vesey will need to be extended soon, his production doesn’t merit a large raise. He will be a great value scorer for the next few years.
Grade: B
David Desharnais
David Desharnais is interesting. As a small center, he was always much maligned in Montreal. This was in spite of some solid offensive production, including one year where he was a 60 point scorer. The Rangers were able to pick him up for a value price of $1.1 million.
Currently, Desharnais has four goals and 15 assists for 19 points in 39 games. As a result, he is eighth on the team in scoring. Not quite killing it, but not quite ineffective either. What sets Desharnais apart, and makes him a great bottom six option, is his offensive versatility.
While not a player you want in your top six, Desharnais has a skill set that has allowed him to step into that role, as well as the powerplay, a number of times this year. In spite of not being a strong defensive player, it is this versatility that has made him a good presence on this team.
Say what you will about Desharnais as a top six forward, but he has been a good player through the first half of the season. His reputation may even give him the title of underrated at this point. He is a perfect value center for a team’s bottom six and has done well for the Rangers there so far.
Grade: B
Boo Nieves
Boo Nieves may have inadvertently turned the Rangers season around. At the beginning of the year, the team gave Adam Cracknell a crack at the lineup but he didn’t stick. With the fourth line struggling to do much of anything with him on it, the Rangers decided to give Nieves a chance.
His speed and size have added a new dimension to the Rangers fourth line. While only producing one goal and eight assists in his 26 NHL games, he has exactly the style of play that suits this team best. When the Rangers play with speed and have the other team on their heels they play the best version of their game.
For their style, it is important that the Rangers have this across the board. Nieves has added that element perfectly to the team’s established identity. He may still be learning the game at the NHL level and makes mistakes here and there, but he may just be a solid fourth liner for years to come.
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The Rangers turnaround coincided with Nieves joining the lineup. While he did not directly impact that with stunning scoring ability, he was able to give the team the four line balance it needs to be its best. That alone gives Nieves a good mid season grade.
Grade: B+