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New York Rangers: An introduction to Brendan Lemieux

By Nicholas Zararis

WINNIPEG, MB - FEBRUARY 16: Brendan Lemieux #48 of the Winnipeg Jets follows the play down the ice during third period action against the Ottawa Senators at the Bell MTS Place on February 16, 2019 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The Sens defeated the Jets 4-3 in overtime. (Photo by Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images)
WINNIPEG, MB - FEBRUARY 16: Brendan Lemieux #48 of the Winnipeg Jets follows the play down the ice during third period action against the Ottawa Senators at the Bell MTS Place on February 16, 2019 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. The Sens defeated the Jets 4-3 in overtime. (Photo by Jonathan Kozub/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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As part of the New York Rangers trade of Kevin Hayes to the Winnipeg Jets, the team received forward Brendan Lemieux. Here’s some flavor on a young player that didn’t get much of a chance with the Jets.

Anytime a team is willing to give up on a young player, it should immediately set off some alarm in the back of an executive’s mind. No organization is going to willingly part with a talented prospect in a trade that it perceives as valuable. However, the New York Rangers chose to receive an under-used and still developing player in Brendan Lemieux as compensation for Kevin Hayes.

At face value, Lemieux’s numbers don’t exactly light the world on fire. The forward has played in just 53 NHL games to this point and is about to turn 23-years-old. This is typically around the point in which a player that will stick around at the NHL level develops into who they will be for their entire career. There are late bloomers, but those are the exceptions to the rule.

In his 53 games, the forward recorded 12 points, with 44 of the games and 11 of the points coming this season. However, on a loaded Winnipeg roster, the 23-year-old failed to garner much ice time and was relegated to limited action. The forward averaged 7:25 of ice time this year and started 58.9 percent of the time in the offensive zone.

The Denver native’s numbers are a tiny bit misleading because of his abnormally high shooting percentage. The NHL average for shooting percentage hovers around 9.6 percent and Lemieux is up in the stratosphere with a 24.3 shooting percentage. For context, he’s recorded 37 shots in 44 games, nine of which were goals.

This will absolutely not hold up over the long-term as no one shoots at such a high percentage. Eventually, the law of averages dictates that Lemieux will come back to Earth which means that his real offensive production will likely be in the 30 point range over the course of a full season.

Some snarl

One of the glaring indictments of the Rangers this decade was a lack of toughness. When push came to shove in the postseason, New York was an easy team to play against and other teams were able to have their way. Most notably, the bigger and stronger Los Angeles Kings were able to bully a small New York team around in the 2014 Stanley Cup Final.

Granted, the focus of the league has shifted from size to speed, but players that have an edge while being talented are invaluable. The sample size of Lemieux is extremely small, just 53 games over two years but there is a talented player in there. The biggest plus to the forward’s game is his ability to make the other team uncomfortable without being a total liability on the ice.
Granted, the focus of the league has shifted from size to speed, but players that have an edge while being talented are invaluable. The sample size of Lemieux is extremely small, just 53 games over two years but there is a talented player in there. The biggest plus to the forward’s game is his ability to make the other team uncomfortable without being a total liability on the ice. /

When Lemieux is on the ice for his team, he’s a constant presence around the net front. Some players like to stick to the periphery and shoot from the outside, Lemieux is not one of them.

The indictment against players like Lemieux is their struggles at driving possession. Granted, he’s still young and developing as a player, but there is a clear difference between the quality of shots that the Jets surrendered with and without him on the ice.

The solid blue coloring on the ice are areas of the ice in which the other team was able to create shots above the league average. As the diagram above shows, when Lemieux is on the ice, his team concedes more than the league average from the areas closest to the net, otherwise known as high danger scoring chances.

But, at the cost of some possession, Lemieux plays with a style that cannot be taught. Every quality team in the league features a pain in the neck that will drive the net, agitate the other team’s stars and fight if need be. Although he still needs further seasoning, Lemieux is the evolutionary heir of the old school enforcer.

Lemieux can obviously throw the hands and knows how to channel a certain style of hockey. As the son of former NHL player and four-time Stanley Cup champion Claude, Brendan has the perfect role model to follow.

Next. What future Rangers make the team next year. dark

Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton said that Lemieux would get some time right away and get an opportunity to make a significant impact down the stretch. The forward is expected to arrive in New York on Tuesday to practice and could dress on Wednesday against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

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