The New York Rangers have made the first major decision of the offseason, hiring Mike Sullivan as their next head coach. Now that they have their guy behind the bench, they can shift their attention to upgrading the roster. While they should be looking at any free agent who will improve the team, a smart strategy would be to bring in players who are familiar with Sullivan. Guys that have played for him in the past and know the system he will want to implement. Here are three players with ties to Sullivan who will improve areas the Rangers have struggled in.
1) Anthony Beauvillier
Last offseason, Anthony Beauvillier signed a one-year deal with the Penguins to play for Sullivan. As a top-six forward in Pittsburgh, he put up decent numbers before being traded to the Washington Capitals at the deadline. In his 63 games with the Penguins, he recorded 13 goals and seven assists for 20 points. This fits right in with his career numbers. In his 631 career games, he has 131 goals and 140 assists for 271 points.
While Beauvillier has made his career off being able to put the puck in the back of the net, he brings a lot more to the table. He's excellent on the forecheck and is normally the first forward in the offensive zone. He has also been great in scoring and generating opportunities in high-danger zones. Plus, his high-energy play helps create scoring chances.
This type of play is exactly what the Rangers need. Last season, it felt like the Blueshirts quit. They looked flat and did not care whether they won or lost. With Beauvillier's high-energy play style, the shifts that appear to be the team quitting will not happen. He will be a guy who gives everything he has, and it should spread to the rest of the team.