 |
| Bruce Bennett/Getty Images |
With the emergence of young
players like Mats Zuccarello and acquisition of Wojtek Wolski, the New York
Rangers forward core looks considerably different compared to when Ryan
Callahan and Erik Christensen went down with injuries. With both Callahan and Christensen on the
mend and hoping to return in the next few weeks now is a good time to
consider what the lineup might look like when they do.
With Kris Newbury and Dale Weise
currently here the Rangers are carrying 13 healthy forwards. When Callahan and Christensen return it is
likely both Newbury and Weise will be sent back to the AHL, with Weise
likely going before then. Even if Weise
goes before anyone comes back to the lineup the first return, presumably
Callahan February 1, will force someone back to the bench. The obvious choice in that scenario is for it
to be Newbury, but the coaching staff has been very pleased with his play and
how he fits the system, so that might not be such a given outcome.
When Christensen comes back the
decision making process becomes more complicated both for what Christensen has
the potential to bring, but also what others in the lineup are not. Many are discussing whether he has a role
with the team when he returns and that is certainly a valid topic to consider,
but there is another Rangers forward who on merit should be the one on the
outside looking in; Chris Drury.
It would be surprising to see,
but certainly not without merit for John Tortorella to scratch Captain Chris
Drury who has basically become a face-off man, penalty killer and spare
forward. There is no production from
Drury on the offensive end to speak of as he has zero goals and four assists in
16 games this season. Those numbers
include Drury being without a point in the Rangers last ten games. The Rangers showed in Drury’s absence that
the penalty kill can certainly survive without his presence and with Callahan
back that would be the case again.
Beyond that the team showed with
Callahan at the helm in terms of leadership there was no significant void in
that department either. It is said that
Drury is a leader by example and well respected in the room, which I have no
doubt about being the case. The reality
is this team is supposed to be about results on the ice and as hard as Drury
busts it on the penalty kill there are other guys who can fill that role as
well while giving more potential offense to the team. This team is supposed to be about
accountability and earning your time and scratching the captain would certainly
send a message that no one is above that standard. For me the biggest advantage Drury has to staying
in the lineup is not about leadership or penalty killing, nut the utter lack of
solid face-off men on the roster.
This decision on Christensen vs
Drury if those are the two main considerations may once again come back to
Marian Gaborik as seemingly all lineup decisions do right now. If the team is still searching for a match to
get Marian Gaborik going when Christensen returns, I would expect him to be in
the lineup. Like it or not the most
consistent and effective center with Gaborik has been Christensen. If Gaborik is still struggling and Anisimov
does not pick up his own production I could easily see Anisimov being pushed
back to the fourth line and Erik getting another chance with Marian.
Asking this same question after
the Wolski trade I thought that the guy who was going to be the one drawing the
short straw, no pun intended, was going to be Mats Zuccarello, but after his
recent play they must find a place for him in the top nine. The Rangers best lineup in my opinion would roll
four lines and look something like this:
Dubinsky-Anisimov-Callahan
Wolski-Stepan-Zuccarello
Avery-Christensen-Gaborik
Fedotenko-Boyle-Prust
For me all of these lines have
worked in the past to varying degrees and would allow the Rangers at least a
chance at consistency in their lineup.
