We are starting to see some of the growing pains that were promised with the New York Rangers currently 2-3-0 on the year. There may be some options worth considering.
After winning their opening two games of the year, the New York Rangers have dropped their last three including back-to-back 5-2 hammerings at the hands of the New Jersey Devils and the Washington Capitals this week.
We all knew that this roster as it is currently constituted was going to endure some harsh growing pains in 2019-20, and those have already started just over two weeks into the season.
Now, you could argue that some of the Rangers’ struggles have been because of the bizarre scheduling that they have had to deal with to start the year, although there are clear flaws on this team that are beginning to rear their ugly head.
It is also clear that Head Coach David Quinn is still trying to find his best lineup given all the tinkering that has been done in the last two games, including promoting Brett Howden to the second line and bumping Brendan Smith up to the third line.
The defensive pairs have also been juggled about an awful lot and Tony DeAngelo was benched for the third period of the loss to the Washington Capitals on Friday.
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There are two deficiencies that scream out when watching this young team in action; a severe lack of experience and toughness.
Granted, we’ve been aware of those flaws dating back to preseason but experience and toughness are two valuable commodities in any team sport, let alone hockey.
So, what is the solution? Dip into the free agency market and bring forward Brian Boyle and defenseman Adam McQuaid back to Madison Square Garden.
Before I delve in and explain why, I’m well aware that there will be a significant chunk of the Rangers fanbase that will be launching their laptops or tablets out of the window at the mere mention of bringing veterans on to a rebuilding team.
But there is method to my madness. Both Boyle and McQuaid are still searching for a new home so could be tempted to take a pay cut in order to come and play for the Rangers again.
It doesn’t have to be a big commitment, either. Sign both players to a one-year deal with the intention of filling the room with some vital leadership and helping to nurture these crop of talented and high-end prospects in what is a developmental year.
In my opinion, the positives far outweigh the negatives when it comes to a reunion with Boyle and McQuaid, not least when you consider that both players know what comes with pulling on the jersey of this storied franchise.
Let’s start with Boyle. I wrote a piece in the summer about why bringing the veteran center back to The Big Apple would make sense, and my opinion hasn’t changed.
Boyle is an absolute warrior on and off the ice, he is a glue guy in the locker room and he would be perfect for the likes of Lias Andersson, Brett Howden and Kaapo Kakko to lean on.
Plus, bringing Boyle in and plugging him in on the fourth line would allow David Quinn to properly get the best out of Andersson’s talents by promoting him to the second line and giving him considerable minutes in which to make an impression.
Boyle can log considerable ice time, he has a career winning percentage of 50.2% in the faceoff circle, he can lay the body on, help with puck possession, play hard in the corners and he is still capable of producing secondary scoring and dropping the gloves if needed to give his team a jolt of energy.
All the hallmarks of a fourth line grinder, basically.
And then you have Adam McQuaid who was with the Rangers last year before being dealt to the Columbus Blue Jackets at the Trade Deadline.
We all know what McQuaid brings to the table and, while he’s more of a banged up but reliable SUV than a flashy Rolls Royce, he will get the job done and he’ll bring it every single night.
Through 36 games with the Blueshirts in 2018-19, McQuaid averaged 17:28 minutes of ice time per night, blocked 76 shots, dished out 99 hits and put up two goals and three assists for five points with a plus/minus rating of +3.
He’s tough as nails, he can swallow pucks for fun and he will also drop the gloves and stick up for his teammates when the occasion calls for it.
The likes of Adam Fox or Libor Hajek, and maybe even Tony DeAngelo, would benefit hugely from having a warrior-like presence in McQuaid alongside them, a born winner who won’t take a shift off.
But, what goes under the radar perhaps is the fact that McQuaid is a right shot and would add some balance to the defensive pairings.
You could pair him with Brady Skjei with the duo having developed good chemistry during their time together last year, or you could put him with a rookie in Fox or Hajek and allow Skjei and Jacob Trouba to be the top defensive pairing.
With $4,723,741 currently in cap space, the New York Rangers could afford to sign both Brian Boyle and Adam McQuaid to team friendly one-year deals.
It would inject a much-needed influx of experience and veteran leadership into the locker room, while it would also help to balance out this lineup on the ice and address this team’s lack of toughness.
In my opinion at least, it is a no-brainer and would help to steady the ship while the New York Rangers find their way in what could be the final phase of the rebuild.