Expectations for the 2020-2021 New York Rangers, part 2 – Defense

Has Jacob Trouba found his dance partner?

Not the ideal top pairing, but pairing Brendan Smith with Jacob Trouba is the best possible option based on the current roster. Neither player had a great year with the Rangers last season. But, together for the final nine games of the season, the pairing was the team’s most effective in terms of fewest goals against.

#8 – Jacob Trouba

Trouba came to the Rangers after a career year with the Winnipeg Jets, where he posted 50 points. He played nearly 23 minutes a night with more than two minutes of time on the power play (PP), notching 18 points with the man advantage. With the Rangers, Trouba saw a reduced role on the PP and more time against the oppositions top offensive threats. With nearly 55% of his starts occurring in the defensive zone for a team that won only 45% of its defensive zone draws, Trouba was deployed into a defense first position far more often than not.

In Winnipeg the season prior, Trouba saw nearly the same amount of offensive zone draws as defensive, which, in part, can account for the additional 11 even strength assists he recorded over his first season in Rangers blue. Moving into the next season, it would be the hope that the new defensive structure would allow Trouba to flex his offensive muscles more than he could this past season.

With both Adam Fox and Tony DeAngelo manning the primary PP minutes, it would be folly to expect Trouba to reach the 50 point plateau again. However, with less time spent in his own zone, a return to form at even strength is a reasonable expectation. Adding an additional 12 even strength points would bring Trouba’s totals to nearly 40 points on the season. With the right partner who can play a more conservative at-home style, Trouba should be more than capable of having a bounce back year.

#42 – Brendan Smith

Smith’s journey with the New York Rangers has run the gamut. He went from a standout playoff performer to demoted to the AHL. Then he re-branded and became a versatile tool for a new coach and ended up on the top defensive pair by the end of this past season. Smith finds himself in the position to remain Trouba’s left side partner at the start of the season, in part because of how well they played at the end of the 2019-20 and also by being the last best option available.

Smith played much of the year on the wing as part of the fourth line. He saw limited minutes, but produced about as well, if not better, than any of the other fourth line regulars. He also played defense regularly on the PK as part of Coach Quinn’s plan to ease the youngsters into their roles. That Libor Hajek did not get back into the line-up after the Brady Skjei trade, or during the Stanley Cup Qualifier speaks a lot about how both Smith and Hajek are viewed by the coaching staff.

Smith may not be the ideal option for the top pairing, but he is a better option than either DeAngelo switching sides or Jack Johnson moving up. The fact remains that Smith is still one of the more physical players on the team and can play the stay at home style that Trouba requires. Together, for now, they can be an effective shutdown defensive pair while providing number eight with a partner that helps unlock his offensive potential.