The NHL preseason has provided some very interesting insight as to what we can expect from the New York Rangers this year. Here’s what we have learned so far.
In every professional sport, the preseason is often ridiculed for being useless. The games mean nothing, teams struggle to get fans to the show-up, and star players often find themselves on the bench in favor of young guys trying to crack the roster. Heck, some NFL fans have even suggested getting rid of the preseason finale and adding a 17th game to the regular season.While many of these beliefs are true, in many cases coaches are able to find out a lot about their teams such as who’s ready for opening night and who is not.
One team who has definitely been the beneficiary of a worthwhile preseason has been the New York Rangers.
The Blueshirts come into this year with an abnormal amount of question marks regarding their defensive corps and their unprecedented forward depth. While not all of those questions don’t have answers yet, Alain Vigneault certainly has learned things about his squad that he didn’t know last Wednesday.
Whether it’s recognizing a specific skill set or determining a roster spot, everything that Vigneault can gather helps, especially considering how many unknowns the Rangers find themselves with.
Here’s what we’ve learned so far:
Brandon Pirri Is Legit
When Jeff Gorton signed Brandon Pirri to a one-year this offseason, many were unsure of what they were going to get from the former Florida Panther. He has always been a talented player but has been hindered by injuries over the past couple years.
The 25-year old has shown that he is here to stay.
Pirri has been an absolute stud early on. He has four goals and a pair of helpers in three appearances. He has shown his ability to shoot the puck from outside and finish in tight corners. In addition, Pirri has flourished on the power play, which will only add to his value.
Pirri has been extremely effective playing in the top-six in exhibition games and will likely see time on the third line this year. Any questions about this guy have been answered with authority.
The Defensive Corps, As Expected, Is A Mess
The New York Rangers offseason was centered around getting younger and adding depth up front. These were both large necessities for the Blueshirts, but Jeff Gorton completely ignored the team’s need for a quality defenseman.
Whether Gorton was under the illusion that this group would magically fix itself is a question we don’t have the answer to. What we do know so far is that in four preseason games, the defense has looked awfully sloppy.
Dan Girardi and Marc Staal have both looked rather slow as usual (although, Staal played well on Tuesday against the Islanders), Brady Skjei doesn’t look like an NHL player, Dylan McIlrath still isn’t capable of positioning himself defensively. Even the captain, Ryan McDonagh, hasn’t looked like himself (especially after Jakub Voracek dominated him for the winning goal on Monday).
Now, it is just preseason and there is still time for Jeff Beukeboom to tighten up the screws, but it appears as it’s going to be another year of chaos in front of Henrik Lundqvist.
Adam Clendening Deserves To Make This Team
A week ago, this thought would’ve sounded ridiculous. Adam Clendening was expected to battle Dylan McIlrath to just make the team.
After a week of preseason, it’s become evident that the former Edmonton Oiler deserves a chance with the Blueshirts.
While he certainly has flaws in his game, Clendening both have shown a ton of promise early on. Clendening displayed his ability to move the puck from tape to tape and get up and down the ice. He has also impressed many on the power-play as well.
The 25-year old needs to work on his positioning in his own end of the ice, but these row guys may very well see time this year, especially considering how poorly Brady Skjei and Nick Holden have looked early on.
Mika Zibanejad Is A Stud
The trade that sent Mika Zibanejad to New York in exchange for veteran Derick Brassard sent Rangerstown into a frenzy. While the deal was the right move for the Blueshirts, fans were still upset to see a fan favorite go in Brassard.
Now we are just a week away from the regular season opener and the Swede is already turning frowns upside down.
The former Ottawa Senator has done it all early on. He has used his size well, his speed has been eye-popping, and he has a great shot. He is also good defensively but hasn’t had the opportunity to show that part of his game.
Zibanejad has the chance to be a top-tier scorer with defensive upside. At the young age of just 23, this kid has a lot of good hockey ahead of him.
Zibanejad is ready to shine under the bright lights of the Big Apple.
Jimmy Vesey Is Ready To Go:
When the Rangers signed Vesey back in August, people weren’t sure what they were going to get from the youngster out of Harvard. Despite a lot being expected from Vesey, no one knew how his game would translate from the NCAA to the NHL.
So far, he’s proving the doubters wrong.
After having one of the best Traverse City performances in history, Vesey has performed admirably thus far. He has shown a toughness that the Rangers lacked last year with his willingness to go to the net. He is a smart player with quick hands and fast feet.
He still needs to put on some weight and it will take time to adjust to the NHL level, but this kid looks ready to go.