New York returned from their All-Star break to practice Tuesday. Cody McLeod, claimed off waivers last week, met his teammates yesterday and will be in the lineup Thursday. His presence resulted in Vinni Lettieri remaining at Hartford rather than joining Tony DeAngelo and Peter Holland back in Manhattan.
Alain Vigneault said that McLeod — “Good energy guy, good teammate… — will be in the lineup Thursday against the Maple Leafs, though the coach did not indicate which forward will become the healthy scratch. Choices are Holland, Paul Carey or David Desharnais, the latter depending on if New York smartly keeps J.T. Miller at wing or moves him to center, the latter of which would impact Desharnais. We spoke last week on the team’s decision to claim McLeod - not favorably - and impact on others on the current roster. An enforcer wasn’t needed. A physical presence would help, but only if that player skated well enough to see regular shifts without adversely impacting the play on the ice.
As the NY Post wrote, “pending resumption of the schedule Tuesday following the all-star break, the Blueshirts were one point out of the first and second wild card spots while disadvantaged in games in hand but only three points clear of last place in the division.… In essence, on the fence as to which direction to go, sell and play for the future or try and make a run this year. I know we have our own view and it does like look like that despite what was reported Friday, that decision will be made by the play on and end results from the ice.
“We’re all so close,… said coach Alain Vigneault. “I’m not at all concerned with the white noise that surrounds any trade period. The players are professionals whose responsibility is to focus on their jobs. It’s the coaching staff’s job to get them to focus on the right things.… On that latter point, the cynic in me would say, why would they start doing so now, but I digress.
The Blueshirts have 55 points in 50 games, and as noted yesterday it has generally taken 96 points to get into the playoffs. To reach that total, New York would need 41 points in the final 32 games of the season. Doable, but seeing as the Rangers are 6-9-1 in their last 16 contests and in their hot stretch, went 13-7-1, leaving the team still short of that mark, the task is far from easy.
Thirteen games remain to the February 26 trade deadline. Toronto, @Nashville, @Dallas, Boston, Calgary, @Winnipeg, @Minnesota, @Islanders, @Ottawa, Philadelphia, @Montreal, Minnesota and Detroit. Far from an easy task, based on the teams to be faced. It may not take the full 13 games for a decision on direction to be determined. If for example, New York went 3-10 or 10-3, that direction would be clearer. Knowing the Rangers, they will go something akin to 7-5-1, further making the waters murky.
All this will be played out on the ice. Thank god games start again tomorrow. Then at least part of the rhetoric can be pushed to the background or at split, so the focus isn’t solely on what happens in the GM’s office.