New York Rangers: Finalizing the roster won’t be easy
By Steve Paulus
Roster decisions: Defense
Gallant has said that five defense slots are set with the pairings already determined:
- Ryan Lindgren – Adam Fox
- K’Andre Miller – Jacob Trouba
- Patrik Nemeth – ???
Assuming that the team will carry seven defensemen, here are the remaining candidates for two jobs:
- Libor Hajek
- Zac Jones
- Nils Lundkvist
- Matthew Robertson
- Braden Schneider
- Jarred Tinordi
There is no doubt that the sixth defense slot paired with Patrik Nemeth will belong to either Nils Lundkvist or Zac Jones. Every game, one of the two players shows why he deserves to stay.
Against Boston, Lundkvist was dynamic on the blueline. He led all defensemen with three shots (he was the only defenseman with a shot on goal), had two assists and quarterbacked the offense. Watching him play you can see why he piles up points. He’s smart and knows when to shoot and when to pass. He can run the power play and is no slouch in his own zone, despite his size.
Zac Jones has many of the same qualities. He can slow the game down and run the offense just like Lundkvist. This is a tough decision for Gallant and the final two games may determine who stays and who goes.
If it is Jones or Lundkvist on the third pair, the question is who will ride the bench as the seventh defenseman.
Robertson and Schneider showed a lot in training camp, but are destined to play heavy minutes in Hartford. It would be a waste for them to stay in New York. That leaves the seventh slot to Libor Hajek or Jarred Tinordi, with both needing to clear waivers if sent to Hartford.
Waivers will play a big part of the decision making.