New York Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan made headlines earlier this week when he demoted prized offseason acquisition Pavel Dorofeyev to the third line. Based on Friday's line rushes at the MSG Training Center in Greenburgh, that experiment proved to be short-lived.
On Friday, Dorofeyev skated on the Rangers’ top line alongside center Mika Zibanejad and opposite wing Alexis Lafrenière. The shakeup comes at a critical juncture for the Blueshirts, who have dropped five of their last six games and are desperately searching for offensive answers.
The Rangers acquired Dorofeyev on draft day and promptly signed the 26-year-old to a massive seven-year, $77 million contract extension. New York had towering expectations for a winger coming off back-to-back seasons of 35 and 37 goals, and it is safe to assume the front office did not anticipate Dorofeyev sitting at a minus-13 rating with just three goals through his first 14 appearances.
There is a long, documented history of high-profile acquisitions needing time to acclimate to the bright lights of New York. In Dorofeyev's case, however, his slow start has been compounded by historically brutal puck luck. While it may be hard to believe, things could be going far worse for the young sniper.
While eight points (three goals, five assists) in 14 games is underwhelming for a player carrying an $11 million AAV, his underlying process remains sound. Dorofeyev has a lowly 34.95 GF%, heavily weighed down by a string of ringing posts and missed tap-ins.
Anyone who has watched the games can see he's been pressing, and it feels like he just needs one big game for the floodgates to open. Despite the frustration, he's still working hard, and his expected goals share sits at a healthy 55.71 xGF% which is fifth-best among all Rangers skaters per Evolving-Hockey.
Sullivan noted that the time had come to jumpstart his $11 million winger, telling reporters via Mollie Walker of the New York Post:
"We're trying to find a way to capture Pav's best game, and so we're moving people around based on a number of different objectives. No. 1, trying to help Pav capture his best game, create some balance through our lineup. I don't think Mika's line has been as effective most recently as it was earlier in the year... We just think the timing was right at this point to try to make this adjustment. I think it's the one combination that we haven't gone to yet with respect to Pav inside the top six."
Gabe Perreault demotion provides support for Noah Laba
The natural ripple effect of Dorofeyev’s elevation is that rookie winger Gabe Perreault was shifted down to the third line. While demoting a promising young talent often stirs anxiety across the fanbase, the decision is supported by the numbers.
Perreault exploded out of the gate with three goals and three assists over his first seven contests while the team jumped to a 5-2-0 record. Over his last seven outings, however, the rookie has managed just one goal, posted a minus-4 rating, and shot 5.6% as New York stumbled to a 2-4-1 mark. Moving him down at a time when Zibanejad and Lafrenière need a proven finisher is a logical calibration.
In addition, slotting Perreault onto the third line could deliver an unexpected byproduct of igniting Noah Laba who is drowing right now on his line.
Laba has endured a miserable sophomore slump down the middle, posting an alarming 35.86 xGF% while skating nearly 15 minutes a night. Laba’s elite north-south skating has often left his wingers behind in transition, but Perreault possesses the vision, poise, and passing ability to read the ice, slow down the tempo, and feed Laba in high-danger areas. Facing softer matchups against opposing bottom-six pairings could be the exact tonic both young forwards need.
A necessary gamble ahead of a grueling November road swing
The timing of Sullivan's reshuffle makes a ton of sense. Not only is it the start of a new month when the team takes on the Edmonton Oilers, but the Rangers are entering a grueling segment of their schedule. The Blueshirts are set to play seven games in 13 days, and it includes a stretch that features a heavy Pacific and Western Canada road swing.
Relying on one scoring line while the rest of the forward group searches for answers is not a sustainable formula against playoff contenders, especially with Igor Shesterkin sidelined. The Rangers are enjoying some success with a line of Tye Kartye, J.T. Miller, and Oliver Bjorkstrand, but they need more than that to win hockey games.
Sullivan has demonstrated throughout his career that he won't hesitate to revert to old combinations if the chemistry isn't immediate. Pairing Dorofeyev’s finishing instincts with Zibanejad and Lafrenière while providing Laba a legitimate playmaker in Perreault is a sound decision. Many thought that the opening-night top line would feature Dorofeyev, Zibanejad, and Lafrenière, so trying it for the first time in earnest in Game 15 is something that is perfectly defensible given the overall state of the team.
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