 |
| Al Bello/Getty Images |
One of the most important things for a young player is
simply getting on the ice. For the New
York Rangers Mats Zuccarello has played very well in spurts since being called
up in December, but recently he has been buried on the fourth line and
yesterday he was a healthy scratch against the Bruins. With the team on its playoff push his role
has been diminished and he is not seeing the type of ice time you would like to
see him get to continue his development.
With the combination of the shortening of the rotation and
the relative ineffectiveness of the line Zuccarello has seen his ice time over
the last six games, prior to his scratch, peak at 12:37 while being under 8
minutes on two occasions. The question
becomes, is it better for Zuccarello to go down to the AHL and play in a top
line role with huge minutes or stay with the Rangers in his current role?
There is certainly something to be said for playing at the
NHL level and getting the experience of a playoff push and the playoffs up
here, but there is more to be said for his ability to help the Rangers in the
future if he goes down and gains the playing time and confidence of a playoff
run as a key contributor for the Whale.
This suggestion is not a slight on Zuccarello and his ability to
contribute at this level. In fact it is
intended in the opposite way as I want to see him be able to be the impact
player his talent will afford him to be and the best way to do that is to
play.
When you are a skill play and a playmaking type player you
need ice time to really get into the flow of the game and produce, but instead
Zuccarello is buried on the lower lines with quality players, but without the
chance to be on the ice. The Rangers
system has become roll four lines for the first two periods, then take the
three players coach John Tortorella feels he is not getting production from
that day and use them sparingly if at all in the third. Typically this has led to the Rangers not
using the rookies and Wojtek Wolski/Sean Avery in big situations during the
third as they either seek to protect a lead or look for a crucial goal to get
back in the game.
If Tortorella is not going to trust and
turn to Zuccarello in spots to produce, the best move is to let him go down and
continue to work on his game, specifically his finishing, in the midst the AHL
playoff race.
