The power of the 2002-03 Devils was on their again finish. New Jersey had a six-deep protection that featured The Nice Scotts in Stevens and Niedermayer, plus Brian Rafalski, Colin White, Ken Daneyko, Oleg Tverdovsky and Tommy Albelin taking part in in entrance of a prime-time Martin Brodeur.
The membership was hurting up entrance, although, its 216-goal output good for eighth within the East and 14th total within the NHL. High-scorer Patrik Elias recorded 57 factors, the bottom complete to tempo the Devils because the franchise’s first 12 months in New Jersey in 1982-83 when Aaron Broten led with 55 factors.
Nonetheless, the Devils have been in Cup rivalry taking part in a strict matchup defensive type underneath Pat Burns that by comparability made earlier coach Jacques Lemaire appear like a wild and loopy man. Because the commerce deadline approached, common supervisor Lou Lamoriello was clearly searching for a prime gun.
No, he clearly was not. As a substitute, Lamoriello acquired depth defenseman Dickie Smehlik from the Sabres and bottom-sixer Grant Marshall from the Blue Jackets. As a substitute of filling a notable weak spot, the Devils doubled down on their strengths.
Sixteen playoff victories later, New Jersey had gained its third Stanley Cup in its nine-year run of excellence with Marshall proving a key piece up entrance and Smehlik dressing for 5 video games within the match.
Nineteen years later, throughout the Hudson, the Rangers strategy the March 21 commerce deadline with a necessity for a top-six proper wing to bolster their five-on-five assault. Whereas Mika Zibanejad, Artemi Panarin and Chris Kreider signify marquee property up entrance, the membership’s power lays on its again finish, with Igor Shesterkin in web behind a gaggle that includes Adam Fox, Jacob Trouba, Ryan Lindgren, Okay’Andre Miller and Braden Schneider.
Certainly, the Blueshirts entered Tuesday night time’s match on the Backyard in opposition to Anaheim 18th total in targets per sport, twenty second in five-on-five targets, and third in targets in opposition to per sport. So it stands to motive that common supervisor Chris Drury (sure, president, too) could be seeking to fill that top-six right-side cavity.
And Drury in all probability will try and do exactly that if the value is correct. We have now, although, been informed by a person conversant in the Rangers’ strategy that the GM is detest to make use of a blue-chip asset in alternate for a rental such because the Geese’ Rickard Rakell, the 28-year-old who was Zibanejad’s linemate with Group Sweden within the 2018 World Championships.
There may be additionally a want to enhance what has been a washout third line for many of the season, with Andrew Copp or perhaps even Alex Radulov a possible rental to deal with that matter. Right here’s the query, although: If the Blueshirts do purchase a top-sixer plus a third-liner, the place does Kaapo Kakko go upon his nonetheless TBD return from injured reserve, or is that Alexis Lafreniere? That’s for an additional day.
However I've gotten the sense over the past couple of weeks that notable considerations have developed across the protection, maybe extra so relating to the collective five-man strategy but in addition targeted on the blue-line corps. Perhaps it was perceived lack of depth up entrance that prompted head coach Gerard Gallant to decorate seven defensemen each in Winnipeg on March 6 and in Dallas on Saturday, however that call additionally speaks of the necessity for back-end insurance coverage.
Nonetheless, the Rangers had surrendered 15 targets within the three video games main into Tuesday and had allowed three targets or extra in 5 of their final seven contests after yielding that many solely as soon as within the seven video games earlier than that. The variety of Grade-A scoring probabilities confronted by Igor Shesterkin (and/or Alexandar Georgiev) have mounted along side poor puck-management selections and protection errors within the defensive zone.
The Ryan Lindgren-Adam Fox prime pair has faltered over the past a number of weeks however there isn't a authentic choice to take Lindgren’s spot on the membership’s first matchup tandem. No authentic possibility on the roster now, that's.
So I ponder if Drury’s precedence must be so as to add a lend-lease left defenseman who ideally would signify a third-pair enchancment over Patrik Nemeth however might additionally deal with the duty of taking part in up prime throughout from Fox if crucial. Sure, I'm considering of Seattle’s Mark Giordano and Anaheim’s Hampus Lindholm.
The Geese traded proper defenseman Josh Manson to Colorado on Monday as a rental in alternate for a 2023 second-rounder and Boston Faculty defenseman Drew Helleson, the U.S. Olympian who's projected to be a third-pair man within the NHL.
Does that translate to a bundle of a second this 12 months — the Blueshirts have their very own and St. Louis’ — plus perhaps Matthew Robertson for both Giordano or Lindholm? Is Robertson thought of a blue-chip asset? That's in all probability greater than Drury would pay to lease a ahead, but it surely might not be an overpay for a defenseman who can play matchup minutes on the primary pair.
That’s the place I’d preserve my focus as March 21 approaches.
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