Which Rangers winger should play the off wing?

Even though the New York Rangers are off to their best start in years, there is one lineup issue that hasn’t been resolved. Coach Gerard Gallant has not found the right wingers who have meshed on the Mika Zibanejad and Ryan Strome lines. He is still searching for the correct combination that will have the chemistry that will make those lines click.

That was evident in the team’s 1-0 loss to Nashville when Gallant moved Julian Gauthier up to the Zibanejad line while returning Kaapo Kakko to the Strome line. It didn’t work, but you can be sure that Gallant is not done experimenting and that may include playing a left winger on the off wing.

While it appears that Kaapo Kakko is solidifying his role on the right side of Zibanejad, the right wing for Ryan Strome is still  an issue.  The Rangers roster consists of four players who are natural left wingers. What are Gallant’s options for moving one of them?

Dryden Hunt

Hunt was given the right wing slot with Strome and Artemi Panarin based on his solid play on the bottom six and he has spent the most time there.  He had a fantastic start on that line, but has cooled off as of late. He has only three goals and seven points in 30 games thus far, but the three goals he has scored came when he played with Strome and Panarin.  Hunt has played all over the lineup this season, but it’s obvious that Hunt has had a hard time finding his place on this Rangers team. Maybe with a few more changes from Gallant, he will find his spot.

Artemi Panarin

Artemi Panarin has been playing on the left wing his entire career, which has worked well for him. Are we really surprised? Panarin is one of the most elite forwards in the NHL and with his skill, he would probably do well at any position. However, the team leaving him well enough alone is probably their best bet at this point in the season.

With a team record of 19-7-4 as of December 18th and with Panarin leading the team in scoring with 33 points in 29 games, he is off to a fantastic start and the Rangers should probably keep him on left wing.  At the same time, they’ve never tried Panarin on the off wing and if there are no other options, it may be one that they could explore.

Chris Kreider

Chris Kreider has been bouncing back and forth between left wing and right wing all season. Unlike in prior seasons, he has done well on the off wing. However, despite the success, there is a side that seems to work a bit better for him.  With Kreider on left wing, the Rangers have had a better record and we have seen him flourish. He is on a roll with 18 goals on the season and is in a three way tie for fourth in the NHL.

The majority of his goals have come when he plays left wing and usually on the first line with Mika Zibanejad and most recently, Kaapo Kakko. But, it seems no matter which wing Kreider plays on this season, he racks up the points. He still puts up points no matter if he plays the off wing or not and that means we could see him there again this season.

Alexis Lafreniere

Alexis Lafreniere is only in his second NHL season. Gallant has tried him on the off wing briefly and it didn’t seem to be the correct fit for him.  The question for the Rangers is whether trying him there again would benefit or hurt his development.  With only eight points in 30 games this season, one could say Lafreniere is off to a slow start.

That doesn’t mean that he hasn’t been forechecking hard and making stellar plays to help the team win. Since he isn’t doing that great on the third line where he is in the lineup now, why not give him a shot again on the off wing sooner rather than later? In order to give him some confidence, moving him to the off wing may spark his play, but the Rangers will have to be patient.

Barclay Goodrow

Barclay Goodrow is considered a right winger but is versatile enough to play all three forward positions as evidence by his bouncing all around the lineup this season. He has played with both the Strome and Zibanejad lines, but has shown he is better suited with a bottom six role.  He’s also a center who can win faceoffs and that could mean that Gallant will keep moving him around until something has to click.

The best option?

All of these wingers have shown or have the potential to succeed on the off wing. Considering his success this season, it seems Gallant could put Chris Kreider on either wing and he would still do his part in scoring goals and helping the team win so long as Mika Zibanejad is his center.

Kaapo Kakko showed some chemistry with the Strome line and could return to play with him and Panarin.

But move one player away from his normal position and it opens a hole somewhere else.  It’s a house of cards for Gerard Gallant.

The good news is that this Rangers team is full of elite talent but, including versatile players like Kreider, who will do well no matter where they are thrown into in the lineup.