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The latest from training camp: Panarin speak, Gallant on ice time & personnel moves

By Steve Paulus

New York Rangers coach Gerard Gallant
New York Rangers coach Gerard Gallant /
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UNIONDALE, NEW YORK – APRIL 09: K’Andre Miller #79 of the New York Rangers (L) celebrates his third period goal against the New York Islanders and is joined by Jacob Trouba #8 (R) at Nassau Coliseum on April 09, 2021 in Uniondale, New York. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
UNIONDALE, NEW YORK – APRIL 09: K’Andre Miller #79 of the New York Rangers (L) celebrates his third period goal against the New York Islanders and is joined by Jacob Trouba #8 (R) at Nassau Coliseum on April 09, 2021 in Uniondale, New York. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

Trouba’s season ending injury

Jacob Trouba spoke on Saturday and the good news is that it was a sprained knee that kept him out of 10 games at the end of the season and not a concussion.  He did allude to a head injury from a heavy Matt Martin hit, but he said that his head was okay and it was because they didn’t want to risk making his knee issue worse that kept him home.

Trouba said he would be “honored” to be named captain, but said that there are a lot of guys on the team who could fill that role and having a captain “wouldn’t change the leadership group much.”

Trouba did say that his role on the team has changed.  “I don’t think I’m the big point total guy on this team.  That’s not where I’m needed.  The physicality, the edge, bring the effort every night, the leadership category…it’s the intangibles…that trickles down.”

Help on faceoffs

With Rangers GM Chris Drury one of the best faceoff men when he was playing, he certainly knows the importance of winning draws.  It’s a surprise he hasn’t volunteered to provide some instruction, but he has done the next best thing.

The Rangers imported recently retired linesman Pierre Racicot for a few days  to help the Rangers on draws.  Racicot knows something about faceoffs having worked 1,880 regular season and 254 playoff games, seventh most among NHL officials.

Gallant was understated in talking about the Blueshirts faceoff woes, saying “We’ve had some issues in the past with faceoffs…we think it’s going to be very helpful.”  He wasn’t kidding. The Rangers were dead last in the NHL last season and have been the worst in the NHL over the last five years with a winning percentage of 47.4%.   They have won only 41.8% of their faceoffs when shorthanded over the last five seasons.  It’s a miracle the Rangers finished in the top ten on the penalty kill considering that they won only 37.4% of their shorthanded draws.

Jayden Grubbe to the WHL

The training camp roster was reduced to 59 as the Rangers assigned center Jayden Grubbe to his WHL team, the Red Deer Rebels.  Grubbe was a third round pick (#65) in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft.  WHL teams are in their preseason and Red Deer opens its schedule on Friday so it’s a wise decision to get Grubbe back to the team so he can get some practice in.

The same will likely go for Will Cuylle, Ryder Korczak, Matt Rempe, Brennan Othmann and Evan Vierling though the Rangers may want to get Cuylle and Othmann into the first preseason game against the Islanders before they return to their junior teams.

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