Wanna blog? Start your own hockey blog with My HockeyBuzz. Register for free today!
 

Girardi Practices, Buchnevich still sidelined, McIlrath's days numbered?

October 21, 2016, 3:22 PM ET [159 Comments]
Jan Levine
New York Rangers Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
The Rangers face the Capitals in DC on Saturday and Coyotes at home on Sunday. New York may welcome back at least one of their injured brethren, as Dan Girardi was able to practice as an extra Friday. Pavel Buchnevich is still sidelined with his back spasms, though he may be able to practice and play next week.

AV decided to shuffle the lines a bit today. He moved Nash up, Zucc down, Grabner up and Fast down. This despite 74 shots attempts for against Detroit, five non-empty net goals against San Jose and dominance versus St. Louis. AV said after practice he wanted to see Zucc with CK20 and Zib but it makes you wonder what will happen when Buch comes back?

Does Buchnevich land with Miller and Hayes, moving Grabner back down, forcing one of Pirri or Jooris out? Will Miller be the odd man out, especially if the PP wakes up over the weekend with Pirri at the point? Does AV just revert back to what worked early on with Nash on the third line, Buch with CK20 and Zib and Zucc back with Vesey and Stepan? If it ain't really broke, don't fix it.

Jimmy Vesey, Derek Stepan, Rick Nash
Chris Kreider, Mika Zibanejad, Mats Zuccarello
JT Miller, Kevin Hayes, Michael Grabner
Brandon Pirri, Josh Jooris, Jesper Fast

On defense, Ryan McDonagh skated with Nick Holden, Marc Staal with Kevin Klein and Brady Skjei with Adam Clendening. That mirrors what we saw Monday while Girardi and Dylan McIlrath skated with Oscar Lindberg as spares. As was written in the Post yesterday and we have discussed, McI's shelf life may be coming to an end.

New York has cap room, so they can keep eight d-men. But it's an unwise use of that cap room to keep extra players around for no real good reason. That is the case here. If McI has no true place on this team, which looks to be the case, then deal him. You won't get perceived fair value because it's fairly well known where he fits or more precisely, doesn't fit on this team. So looking for a third rounder in return is fallacy. Get a fourth and move on if he truly is the eighth d-man. With Skjei and Clendening above him in the pecking order and John Gilmour plus Ryan Graves looming in the minors, McI won't see the 48 games he requires to avoid hitting UFA status, so it behooves NY to move on from him now rather than later. The longer you wait, the more the price goes down because it becomes less and less likely he can attain the 48 games.
Join the Discussion: » 159 Comments » Post New Comment
More from Jan Levine
» Rangers find way to notch 3-2 shootout win over Avalanche
» Rangers face Avalanche as Ryan Lindgren returns to the lineup
» Rangers clinch playoff berth with barn burner 6-5 OT win over the Flyers
» Rangers face Flyers with chance to clinch playoff berth
» Rangers rally twice to defeat Panthers 4-3 in a shootout