New York Rangers: Relax, no one is safe from being benched

Early on this season, it’s clear that the New York Rangers’ head coach, David Quinn, won’t hesitate to bench anyone on the team.

Even though the New York Rangers made it clear in the Winter of the 2017-2018 season, some still have not grasped the idea of a rebuild. As a collective, the team has a decent amount of talent, but in terms of approach and mentality, it is clear that this season is more or less an extended preseason.

While it may be disappointing that the team is not going to compete this year, the greater context of the situation cannot be lost. The organization from top to bottom is committed to doing this rebuild the right way and not trying to rush things. Sure, it’d have been nice for the team to go out and swing an Erik Karlsson trade. But, based on the situation it would not have made any sense.

That’s why the concern over the lineup construction is so misplaced. The Rangers are about to enter week three of the NHL season, so it’s safe to say that the rebuild isn’t done yet. Furthermore, this a head coach still getting used to his players. It’s hard to develop a cohesive strategy based on five weeks of sample size.

It’s frustrating that the Rangers have played poorly early on, there was some hope that the forward talent could compensate for the porous defense. However, the group has failed to convert chances even though they’ve created a lot. This leads me to believe that the team will have a goal-scoring explosion soon.

The rumor mill

When it comes to the lineup selection, the coaching staff has scratched a handful of players based on the “effort level,” regardless of track record. Heck, Quinn benched defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk after a game in which he didn’t play at his top level. In year’s past, the simple fact that Shattenkirk was a veteran would keep from being a healthy scratch.

So, the fact that Pavel Buchnevich is expected to be healthy scratched against the Colorado Avalanche tonight based on his play against Edmonton this past Saturday. The forward has three points in the team’s five games which includes a pair of goals.

The idea going into the season for Buchnevich was a breakout year. At age 23, this is the age in which a player starts to enter their professional prime. In terms of the Rangers’ long-term plan, the Russian figures to be a piece for the team going forward. Thus far in his NHL career, there were flashes of a quality top six player, so his development is important.

It is not the end of the world if Buchnevich sits for a single October game in a rebuilding season. The team is not benching the forward indefinitely for no reason. It won’t be pretty seeing Cody McLeod dressing over the Russian, however, this is part of the growing process.

There is no special treatment on Quinn’s team. If a player is ever dogging it or not playing up to their ability, they will be watching the game from the press box. We’ll check back in on Wednesday night against the Washington Capitals to see if the Mcleod experiment becomes a cause for concern.

It’d be nice if Buchnevich was the next Evgeny Kuznetsov, but even if that is the case, it is going to take more time. Player development is not a linear process and a former college coach is the right man for the job. The forward will get where everyone thinks he can eventually, just give rebuilding a chance.