New York Rangers: Projecting the defense come opening night
Of all the things that plagued the New York Rangers’ 2017-18 season, defense was among the worst.
The New York Rangers have to figure out who’s going to crack their top six on the backend. They have many options, with only two players really being untouchable: Kevin Shattenkirk and Brady Skjei.
The team decided to be proactive at the draft by selecting six defensemen. They also did well to re-sign all of their RFA defenders –Skjei’s extension is most likely on the way, too.
It’s pretty obvious that a, now healthy, Shattenkirk will be in the top two. All the Rangers need to do to finish that pairing is work out Skjei’s contract in arbitration. Once that’s done, the Rangers will have themselves a top pair.
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Second pair
Marc Staal is going to make the lineup, whether or not you agree with it. He could really slot in on either the second or the third pair, depending on the other members of the defensive corps. While I think he will start out in the second pair, eventually I suspect he will land in the bottom pair.
Now is the time where Brendan Smith is going to make his return to Broadway. Smith’s first season after signing a four-year, $17.4 million deal was a complete failure. After rumors of showing up to camp out of shape, he was eventually demoted to AHL Hartford.
While with the Wolf Pack, Smith’s season ended after just 11 games (and two assists) when he broke his hand in a fight with teammate Vinnie Lettieri. The tragedy of Brendan Smith was one of the biggest disappointments of the 2017-18 season.
I think Smith will bounce back and have a strong year for the Rangers in 2018-19. He already is a proven vet and now he has a lot to prove to his teammates, the Blueshirt Faithful and himself. It doesn’t hurt that he won’t want to be bought out of his contract come next offseason.
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Third Pair
Now here we have a log-jam of guys that could be given the bottom pairing. Ryan Lindgren, Libor Hajek, Neal Pionk and Anthony DeAngelo to name a few. Of those defensemen, Neal Pionk is my lock for that fifth defenseman slot. He’s there with the potential to move up, pending Staal’s performance.
Pionk came to the Rangers blueline this past season after putting up 17 points in 48 games in the AHL. By the time the NHL season came to a close, he almost matched that while playing 20 less games.
For that final spot in the defensive corps, and even the seventh defenseman, I think the Rangers should use it as a trial spot. They use it to give their prospects and other guys fighting for the job a shot to prove themselves. If someone catches fire, then stick with them until they give you a reason not to. Libor Hajek has a ton of potential and is my pick for that final spot for opening night.
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The Rangers will most likely not make the playoffs next season. Because of this, they need to use the season to further develop their young talent and to see who’s going to be a part of the team going forward.