Mike Sullivan resets Rangers lineup for Columbus clash following Devils blowout

The New York Rangers return to action on Saturday, attempting to rebound from their worst showing of the season on Thursday in New Jersey, and the lineup will look a little different as they try and squeeze more out of the bottom six. Jaroslav Chmelař was reassigned to Hartford to get more playing time, and Taylor Raddysh is back with the varsity squad now that the team has the cap space to accommodate his salary.

New York had been in a bit of a financial bind, but Igor Shesterkin's assignment to injured reserve created some immediate breathing room. In addition to the promotion of Raddysh, Mike Sullivan is undoing his most recent top-six creation, and instead going back to a line that opened the season. With puck drop slated for 7:00 p.m., let's delve into the latest changes.

Dorofeyev returns to the second line

Pavel Dorofeyev was one of the team's biggest acquisitions of the offseason, and the team invested in their young sniper when they signed him for seven years at $11 million a season. There's been a bit of angst and criticism of how Dorofeyev has started his tenure with the Blueshirts, and that's only been exacerbated by how Sullivan's moved him around the lineup in an attempt to "get him going." Sometimes it is as simple as the puck not going in the net. That may come across as reductive, but it really feels that simple.

Dorofeyev has posted back-to-back seasons of 35 goals or more, and he's a skilled shooter who puts himself in a position to score. Thus far he's taken 28 shots on goal through nine games, and he's got two goals and two assists for four points. He was a career 14.8% shooter prior to joining the Rangers, and thus far he's shooting 7.1%. The Devils game was a disaster, though Dorofeyev scored, and it certainly has done a number on the underlying numbers of many players.

When looking at his numbers, what stands out is he's got an xGF% of 56.41 which is greatly outpacing his actual GF% of 35.97 per Evolving-Hockey. The game is played on the ice sheet, not a spreadsheet, and I can already feel eyes rolling. Dorofeyev has to be better. He's shown he can be better. I think he will be better. "Development takes time" is a phrase that is used a lot when looking at young players as they become comfortable in the NHL.

We are seeing that come to life in a big way this year with the breakout of Alexis Lafrenière. And to that point I think it will take time for Dorofeyev to become more comfortable and pick up on the tendencies of his linemates. In a short sample the trio that features him, Tye Kartye, and J.T. Miller has had some decent success with a triple slash that includes a 49.74 GF%, a 65.51 CF%, and a 66.41 xGF%, and the Rangers should continue to lean into that line and their top line for the immediate future.

Rangers reunite top line, have opportunities to try other new things

The team's established top-line trio of Gabe Perreault, Mika Zibanejad, and the aforementioned Lafrenière has the 10th most time on ice together as a line in the entire NHL, and thus far it has posted very strong results. The line created at the end of last season has picked up where it left off with a very impressive GF% of 100, a CF% of 52.99, and an xGF% of 53.49. It is only one of two lines on the team that's logged at least 70 minutes together.

With the Rangers having two lines that can generate offense and possess the puck with success, the next step is finding better balance for the remaining lines.

The line of Eeli Tolvanen, Noah Laba, and Will Cuylle has had some underwhelming analytics (76.5 GF%, 44.83 CF%, and a 42.18 xGF%), and it might be time to give Oliver Bjorkstrand a promotion. He looked great to start the year with Miller and Dorofeyev, but he was demoted in order to give Kartye a promotion.

Bjorkstrand has posted a 39.63 GF%, a 50.99 CF%, and a 56.99 xGF% through 86 minutes at 5v5, and he's a trusted veteran scorer who could provide the punch that line needs. He's had a better start to the season than Tolvanen, who really is enjoying a lucky start which has him producing at a clip that includes an 80.62 GF% along with a 43.03 CF% and a 46.6 xGF%. The delta in his actual number and expected number is something that is unsustainable, and is the inverse of Bjorkstrand's record which has him doing all the right things but not being rewarded for it.

Raddysh brings veteran stability and PK insurance

The Rangers have been searching for consistency on the fourth line, and the loss of Joe Veleno to an injury has resulted in Sullivan trying out different combinations. Cole Beaudoin got a taste of NHL action, but it became apparent that he was not yet ready to assume those duties for the long haul. In came Justin Dowling, a player with considerable experience in both the NHL and AHL, but he's likely not going to be the best solution either.

For that reason the next lever pulled was on the wing, and the addition of Raddysh gives Sullivan a player he had on the main roster last season. Raddysh is someone that can be leaned on to kill penalties, and that is something the team had yet to replace since Veleno went down.

The decision to send Chmelař down can be interpreted in several ways, but I truly believe it is a situation where Sullivan is more comfortable riding Raddysh and spelling him with Matt Rempe when the situation calls for it. The organization has higher hopes for Chmelař, and letting him play consistent minutes in Hartford will allow him to continue developing and prepare himself for his next assignment. He was impressive during his short stint with the team last year, and like the assignment of Beaudoin, was the right move when considering the current state of the team.

Rangers have bounce back opportunity in Columbus

Saturday's game against Columbus presents a great opportunity for a bounce back. The Rangers shouldn't freak out over a bad game in New Jersey, and in a way it is great they are playing a struggling Blue Jackets squad.

Under other circumstances this would be a trap game, but the Rangers losing in the manner in which they did will force them to take their opponent seriously as opposed to overlooking a squad that is 2-3-0 while allowing 4.20 goals a game, which is fourth-worst in the league. The Rangers should come out with pride and jump after skating lifelessly for most of the second and third period, and the hope is they can turn the corner and get back to playing the relentless, forecheck-heavy brand of hockey that has smothered their opponents and allowed them to get off to a 6-3-0 start to the season.

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