The New York Rangers thought the bad hockey was behind them. Things went so poorly last season, that the team fired head coach Peter Laviolette and replaced him with Mike Sullivan, who've they been trying to hire for years. The hope was that Sullivan can turn the roster bck into contenders.
So far this year, the team has been a disaster. The Rangers started off the campaign playing well-rounded hockey, but had trouble putting the puck in the net. But recently, the team has spiraled, losing to bottom tier teams like the San Jose Sharks and Calgary Flames. Those last two games were truly damning, as the defense collapsed at the end of periods against the Sharks, while the offense couldn't do anything against the Flames.
Yes, it's only 10 games into the season, but the panic is setting in for Rangers fans. So much so, that some are already envisioning the team potentially tanking to land Gavin McKenna in the NHL Draft Lottery.
But when it comes to right now and the current roster, these three players should not be on the roster in November.
Brennan Othmann
Let's start off with the player who is currently listed in trade reports — Brennan Othmann.
Othmann was one of the Rangers' highly regarded young players, as they selected him in the first round of the 2021 draft. Ohtmann received promotions in the previous two seasons, but didn't do much to earn a permanent spot in the lineup. This summer was Othmann's best shot to earn a spot on the roster, as he could make an impression on Sullivan. Instead, Othmann underperformed in comparison to the likes of Noah Laba and Gabriel Perreault. Due to this, he was cut in training camp and sent down to the AHL.
Surprisingly, Othmann was called up recently, as Sullivan needed someone to replace an injured Matt Rempe.
When Othmann was sent down, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported that the Rangers were receiving interest in him from other teams. Friedman recently reported that the Rangers are seeking "good AHL prospects" for Othmann in a potential trade.
Othmann's spot on the roster isn't locked in, as he's likely to be sent down once one of Rempe or Vincent Trocheck return.
Urho Vaakanainen
The defense for the Rangers, admittedly, hasn't been great for the Rangers recently. The Rangers allowed just seven goals in their first five games, which is pretty good. But as of late, the defense has been a detriment. Notably, they were unable to hold off a winless Sharks team and lost 6-5 in overtime. Then, facing a Flames team with a 1.67 goals scored per game average, gave up five goals.
When looking at the defense, their top options aren't going anywhere. But their bottom-pairing defenders could be expendable. Urho Vaakanainen is a name that sticks out.
Vaakanainen was one of general manager Chris Drury's big returns in the trade that sent Jacob Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks. The hope was that he could turn things around in a new environment. Last year, Vaakanainen had an expected-goals-for percentage of 43.86 in 721 minutes of five-on-five hockey, which is not good.
This season, the hope was that Vaaanainen could thrive in Sullivan's defensive system. Thus far, the results aren't there, and he actually was passed over on the depth chart.
The Ducks and the Boston Bruins tried to get something out of Vaakanainen, but to no avail. It might be time for the Rangers to end the experiment.
Conor Sheary
Look, we get it. By hiring Sullivan, it made sense to bring in someone who played under him and has knowledge of his system. The Rangers brought in Conor Sheary on a professional tryout (PTO), and he played well enough to secure a roster spot out of training camp.
But considering how poorly things have gone for the Rangers, maybe it's time to actually give some of their younger players a chance.
Sheary has been one of their top scorers, but that's not saying much, as he has just three assists to his credit. The fact of the matter is, Sheary should not be playing top-six forward minutes at this juncture. Yet, that's the point Sullivan has reached to try and get something going.
If things continue to spiral out of control, the Rangers should consider letting their prospects play. Perreault was an obvious star in the preseason. Brett Berard has shown promising flashes during his time with the team. How about give those players not only a chance to see what they can bring, but also develop them? Makes sense, doesn't it?
If the skid continues for the Rangers, it may be time to consider that plan instead of giving Sheary meaningful playing time.