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What the Rangers playoff roster could look like

By Scott Esposito

Artemi Panarin #10 and Mika Zibanejad #93 of the New York Rangers celebrate a 5-4 overtime victory over the Washington Capitals. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Artemi Panarin #10 and Mika Zibanejad #93 of the New York Rangers celebrate a 5-4 overtime victory over the Washington Capitals. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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Tony DeAngelo and Mika Zibanejad. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Tony DeAngelo and Mika Zibanejad. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

Training Camp

As you know, the league’s Return to Play Plan was divided into three phases. According to the plan, phase three is when teams can hold training camp, which the league said could occur as soon as “early” July.

One report said phase three won’t happen before July 10. In any case, players have reportedly requested at least three weeks of training camp, which means the qualifying round likely wouldn’t start until August.

The good news? Chris Kreider and the Rangers get more time.

The winger can be sure he’s fully recovered from the broken foot he sustained on Feb. 28 while blocking a shot in Philadelphia, while team can consult with medical staff about Kakko without having to constantly check the clock.

Be ready to pack and go

It’s hard to see the Rangers not taking any player who was on the roster for the March 11 match at Colorado along with Kreider.

Forwards (14)

Pavel Buchnevich, Filip Chytil, Phillip Di Giuseppe, Jesper Fast, Steven Fogarty, Julien Gauthier, Brett Howden, Chris Kreider, Greg McKegg, Artemi Panarin, Ryan Strome, Mika Zibanejad, Kaapo Kakko, Brendan Lemieux.

Rangers president John Davidson told reporters on a Zoom call Thursday that Kakko might not play because he has Type 1 diabetes, thus making him more vulnerable to complications if he gets the COVID-19 virus.

Meanwhile, the NHL will suspend Lemieux for his hit on Joonas Donskoi during that March 11 game. The length of the ban hasn’t been determined, but some reports suggest he could be benched for much (or all) of the qualifying round by the Department of Player Safety.

As Blue Line Station reported Thursday, this is Lemieux’s second suspension, both for hits to the head.  In November 2018 when with the Winnipeg Jets, Lemieux was suspended two games for a hit to the head of the Panthers’ Vincent Trocheck.

Lemieux’s average ice time of 12:52 per game ranked eighteenth among Rangers’ skaters this season, although the supreme agitator did lead the team with a plus 13 in the category of penalties drawn vs. taken.

Defensemen (6)

Tony DeAngelo, Adam Fox, Ryan Lindgren, Brendan Smith, Marc Staal, Jacob Trouba

Goalies (3)

Alexandar Georgiev, Henrik Lundqvist, Igor Shesterkin

Should the Rangers indeed bring these players, they will have eight slots to fill. Remember, the goalies don’t count among the 28 spots.

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