2019-2020 New York Rangers Season Preview: Defensemen
As we approach training camp I am going to take a look at a few different season preview items for the New York Rangers. We’ll break it out by category, and today we’re doing the defense.
Shouldn’t Be Any Questions
Jacob Trouba — Wielding a new seven-year extension after coming over from Winnipeg, Trouba is going to be prowling the Rangers’ top pair. It’s fair to say expectations should be sky high for how much money the Rangers will be paying him, but it’s also safe to assume he’ll get a ton of time with the man advantage as well. Still, Trouba is an enormous upgrade over what the Rangers pushed out last year.
Brady Skjei — Skjei had a very difficult year in the first season of his five-year extension. The most excited guy about Trouba should be Skjei, since it takes him away from Marc Staal and it puts him with a competent partner. The two should mesh well, since Skjei’s speed can help him get back in the event Trouba is pushing the play forward and things go awry. This is a big season for Skjei, especially if he is partnered with Trouba for a big part of the year. If he can’t cut it with him, the Rangers have an expensive issue on their hands.
Ah Sh*t Here We Go Again
Marc Staal — Welp.
Contract? We’re Talking About A Contract?
Tony DeAngelo — Much Like Lemieux, DeAngelo is expected to be around next year. Unlike Lemieux, DeAngelo has a set of skills that aren’t all that easy to find and thus has some leverage. I’m not surprised DeAngelo wants more of a guaranteed salary (even if it’s just a two-year bridge deal) but he also needs to realize off the ice antics and previous red flags diminish his arguments here as well. For DeAngelo, taking a one-year deal now and putting up another 0.5 PPG season gives him a ton of leverage next summer. Still, that comes with an enormous amount of risk for him (injuries, a bad year, etc.).
Maybe
Libor Hajek — Hajek had an awful season in the AHL last year, but Hartford was such a mess it was worth asking how much was him and how much was the fire burning around him. He came to the NHL and played the way the Rangers would have expected with how much they gushed about him ... aaaaaand then he got hurt.
Hajek is the biggest loser of the offseason, since Trouba and Adam Fox take up two spots that would have otherwise been available to him to fight for. Another year in a more competent AHL is probably what’s best for him, but with K’Andre Miller and Nils Lundkvist in the wings, it’s safe to wonder if he even has a spot moving forward.
Brendan Smith — I don’t really know where to go with this one. Smith split time between being a fourth line winger and a defenseman last year. There’s logical assumptions he could go to Hartford to save the $1-million plus off the cap, and there’s also reason to believe he’ll be on the opening night roster — especially with DeAngelo’s situation unknown.
I’m not sure how much detail I can even go into here. Smith has been one of Gorton’s bigger extension regrets (hand up I was wrong on this too) and survived the buyout craze to make it here. He’s spent time in the AHL already, got into a fight there, has struggled at the NHL level, and has had a few stretches of competent hockey. He’s never as bad as he looks, shockingly, but there’s reasons to be concerned about his long term NHL future on Broadway.
Welcome To The Show
Adam Fox — Fox had a wonderful Traverse City and is expected to fill in on opening night and make an impact this year. One of the NCAA’s best player’s last year, Fox brings all the offense and solid defense you could want from a 21-year-old rookie. The hope is Fox can be a power play threat right away, and while Traverse City was wonderful, give him some time to adjust to the NHL level. That said, he’s an opening night name for sure.
A Potential Callup
Yegor Rykov — Rykov’s first year in North America will start in Hartford, where he can adjust to the smaller ice surfaces while still playing a major role for a team. Rykov was fine in Traverse City and is someone who might be able to make the jump to the NHL even with all the names in front of him. He won’t make the team out of camp, but he’s someone to keep an eye on.
