The New York Rangers fanbase are anxiously awaiting the start of the upcoming season. That's because they want to see if general manager Chris Drury's offseason moves paid off, and not set the team back by a couple of additional years. What will be interesting is how Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan and his staff implement their forward lines.
This year, the Rangers moved on from Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck, and brought in Pavel Dorofeyev, Oliver Bjorkstrand, and Eeli Tolvanen. Dorofeyev is the major addition, as the Rangers gave up two first-round picks and signed him to a seven-year, $77 million contract to be their top scorer. With that, it does raise the questions as to what will happen with the top line, and how makes the cut to line up alongside Dorofeyev and Mika Zibanejad. It seems like the Rangers have a name in mind with training camp approaching.
Alexis Lafreniere appears to be the leading candidate to make Rangers' top line over Gabe Perreault
Last year, the Rangers had their top line consist of Zibanejad, Alexis Lafreniere, and Gabe Perreault, and the trio showcased solid chemistry, where they outscored opponents 14-10 on even-strength situations. But now, with a top scorer on the roster in Dorofeyev, it appears that Lafreniere might have the edge on making the top line.
The Athletic's Vincent Mercogliano broke down the forward depth chart on the Rangers roster, and which players will be on which lines. When it comes to the top line, Zibanejad and Dorofeyev make the cut, and Mercogliano has Lafreniere as the starting right wing. Mercogliano mentions that the Rangers are prioritizing playing him at the right wing on their top line.
"Lafreniere could influence the decision about where to play Dorofeyev. Lafreniere, too, came up as a natural LW but has largely played RW the last three seasons out of necessity. There have been plenty of ups and downs, but the Rangers have remained committed to keeping the 2020 No. 1 pick on his off-hand side," writes Mercogliano. "It seemed to pay off late last season, when Lafreniere rattled off 24 points in his final 23 games and looked as confident as he has in his six-year career. The idea of playing him on the same line as Dorofeyev is intriguing. We’ll likely see that combination during camp, but there will also be temptation to keep him on the top line with Perreault and Zibanejad after their strong finish last season."
It's no secret that Lafreniere has had a frustrating tenure with the Rangers during his six seasons with the team. His most productive season arrived in the 2023-24 season, where he scored 28 goals and dished out 29 assists in 82 games, earning him a contract extension. Lafreniere's production dipped, and in the first half of last season, looked as though that trend was continuing. But, as Mercogliano points out, Lafreniere recorded 24 points in his last 23 games played. Part of that was his role on the top line alongside Zibanejad and Perreault.
Given that he played right wing last season, and Dorofeyev started his career as a left winger, it does make sense to at least start with that combination heading into next season.
Rangers will have to answer last season's top line chemistry vs. Pavel Dorofeyev debate
Normally, putting your top scorer on the top line wouldn't cause that much debate. But taking into account that the trio of Zibanejad, Lafreniere, and Perreault thrived together, it does make it a difficult decision.
But, the Rangers need to maximize Dorofeyev's potential. Sullivan said as such this offseason, while putting some pressure on Zibanejad and Miller to help with that. He is one of the highest paid players on the roster and he's expected to replace most of the production left by Panarin. The best way to do so is to line him up alongside Zibanejad, who is their top playmaker. From there, it's a competition between Lafreniere and Perreault.
Perreault showed true promise in his first season with the Rangers, and the expectation is that he will only get better with more playing time. but since the Rangers seem intent on playing Lafreniere on his off-hand side, that would leave Perreault as a second line option. That isn't much of a demotion, as he could help out Miller and either Bjorkstrand or Tolvanen. If Perreault does live up to the hype, having him on the second line will show just how deep the forward group is.
We'll see how the line combinations perform in their four preseason games, which will then leave Sullivan with the final decision. Let's see how a top line of Zibanejad, Dorofeyev, and Lafreniere performs before passing final judgment.
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