The New York Rangers have a problem on the blueline.
Amidst a season-long shuffle that has seen the likes of former captain Jacob Trouba and fan-favorite Ryan Lindgren shipped out, the team has failed to find a consistent lineup of six defenders who can play an effective 200-foot game. While they have improved in their own end, the defense corps lacks players who can consistently make line-breaking passes to spark offense.
General manager Chris Drury and the front office seem to be unaware of this issue. The acquisition of Carson Soucy from the Vancouver Canucks was redundant. To make matters worse, the team extended Urho Vaakanainen the next day. Both of these players provide little offensively, and profile as bottom-pairing defenders. Why commit to both of them? Soucy has not won the trust of the coaching staff, playing limited minutes and even serving as a healthy scratch. Vaakanainen is serviceable, but certainly not a standout.
Why a new player is necessary
While many have been quick to point out the shortcomings of star players such as Mika Zibanejad, Alexis Lafreniere, and Vincent Trocheck, these forwards have not had sufficient support from the blue line in order to successfully generate offense. Outside of the great Adam Fox, Zac Jones is the only defensemen who can effectively provide support, meaning one defense pair will inevitably be hamstrung offensively. Jones is a young player, and still needs to grow into a consistent weapon. When you have Igor Shesterkin in goal, why not acquire and utilize defenders who might be willing to take more risks?
It feels like Ranger forwards are shouldering too much of the burden in bringing the puck up ice. Too often, fans see Artemi Panarin try to carry the puck through the entire neutral zone, or watch J.T. Miller attempt to charge through an opposing team after dumping the puck behind their net. When the team finished at the top of the league's regular season standings just one year ago, they were able to lean on the playmaking ability of Erik Gustafsson when the bottom pair was on the ice. This made the Rangers a significant threat to score at any moment. There was no need to change the blueprint of what made the team so successful.
The lack of true line-breaking threats allows teams to play in a compact structure when Fox is off the ice, with little worry of being punished. This might work for players like Will Cullye, but for Panarin, Zibanejad, and Lafreniere, it significantly limits their ability to use their best attribute: creativity.
If the Rangers are serious about contending, they will look to add another puck-moving defenseman in the offseason. While the free agent class is relatively weak outside of Jakob Chychrun of the Washington Capitals, the front office could look to use their abundance of forward prospects in order to swing a deal.