Expectation is running high with less than a month until the New York Rangers report to training camp in preparation for the 2023-24 NHL season. During his introductory press conference, new head coach Peter Laviolette stated that the work ethic needed to become a successful team starts developing in camp. That sentiment will be tested once the Rangers take the ice in mid-September.
Entering camp, the Rangers feature a new coaching staff, new skills coach and athletic trainer, several new roster additions and departures, and the goal of winning the Stanley Cup. With that much change, that goal is a lofty one, but there is the hope that the staff assembled around Laviolette can connect with the players in a way former coaches have not been able to.
Laviolette’s job is to relay the message and develop the Rangers’ identity. The rest of the staff is there to fine-tune the aspects of everyone’s game to mesh that philosophy. Dan Muse, Michael Pecca, and Phil Housley are three coaches with a lot of notoriety at various levels of the game. They were brought in to take this team to the next level.
Whenever a mass change is made, it takes time for all parties to adjust. That is why the Rangers’ 2023 training camp is so crucial. Not only is it exciting to see Laviolette’s philosophy in action, but the players and staff need to warm up to each other and fast, or else it will be a rocky road to start the year.
New Systems for Laviolette and the Rangers
One of the most compelling aspects of this upcoming training camp and preseason is what on earth the Rangers will look like structurally under Laviolette. For so long, the Blueshirts have played an often lackluster coverage game on their own end, relying on the brilliance between the pipes to bail them out.
Although the brilliance in goal remains, Laviolette needs to introduce a more sound system in all three zones. There were questions about the Rangers personnel and whether it could work with Laviolette’s hard-nosed style of hockey. The verdict will be determined, but the former Washington Capitals coach surely knows his style and will bring it to Broadway.
The Rangers need a revamped system in all three zones. Under Gerard Gallant, there were times the Rangers would get bottled up with no answers or adjustments made. Systems are in place, so players know exactly where to be on the ice and the plan of attack in all three zones.
With systems, adjustments are made easier, as instead of shuffling the lines religiously, you can modify your x’s and o’s on the fly. Changing on a chalkboard where you have to be on the ice is much simpler to do mid-game than to go out with new linemates every other shift.
I look for Laviolette to implement a zone-style defense that will focus on keeping the opposition away from the front of the net. If you keep the puck on the perimeter, Shesterkin will stop it, which is the zone defense’s premise. In the neutral zone, support is going to be key. Too often, players were on an island last season with the puck in the neutral zone. Instead of having to make rinkwide passes, shorten them up to 10-20 feet, make them crisp, and get the puck in.
These are all aspects of the Rangers’ game that we should focus on in training camp. The little things win games; doing those well would go a long way for the Rangers.
Kakko, Laferienere, & Chytil in the Top Six?
Most eyes will be focused on the line combinations once the preseason is underway. Will Kaapo Kakko, Alexis Lafreniere, and Filip Chytil be given top-six minutes and power play time? Or will Laviolette follow in the footsteps of his predecessors and give the kids a backseat to the veteran forwards?
The focus is not to just give the kids top-six minutes but to put them in positions to be successful and showcase their opportunities. Put them in position battles and let them work hard and earn their minutes. Despite that work ethic, it is time to increase the time on ice for the three former first-round selections and see what they can do with that time.
Related Story: Rangers’ Lafreniere Is Entering a Make-or-Break Season
Kakko is expected to take the role of first-line right-wing next season, so keep an eye out for him during the preseason. If Laviolette slots him in there and he sticks, that could very well be his spot to lose. Lafreniere and Chytil’s path to the top six is a little more challenging. Chytil and Vincent Trocheck will be engaged in a battle for the second-line center, while Lafreniere is blocked by Artemi Panarin and Chris Kreider on the left side, but can battle with Blake Wheeler for the second right-wing position.
I am interested to see Laviolette’s willingness to break up the Kreider and Mika Zibanejad duo on the top line. To enhance the depth of this Rangers team, moving Kreider to the third line with Trocheck and Jimmy Vesey allows the kids to play in the top six while simultaneously giving the Rangers a very strong line three.
Imagine a world where Lafreniere and Kakko are playing on opposite sides of Zibanejad while Panarin is flanking Chytil and Wheeler. Chytil has never been given the chance to play alongside top-flight wingers unless the kid’s line was assembled. By doing this, not only would Laviolette be entrusting the Rangers’ success to the team’s future core, but he’d be showing faith in the kids that previous coaches have not.
On the backend, let’s watch to see if Laviolette roles out the same pairs or if he switches Ryan Lindgren and K’Andre Miller, giving us the much-anticipated Adam Fox and Miller pairing. There is also the Erik Gustafsson and Zac Jones battle for the final defensive spot, so their reps and usage during training camp and preseason will be must-watch TV.
Look Out for Othmann and Cuylle
Brennan Othmann and Will Cuylle will also be in contention for the Rangers’ roster. The Rangers’ offensive talent would deepen significantly if Othmann shows enough to make the team. If Othmann secures a roster spot, his physical presence and skill could replace Veset on a potential game-breaking third line with Kreider and Trocheck.
Or, Laviolette could elect to make a new kid line, putting Othmann alongside Lafreniere and Chytil. The options with Othmann in there are endless, but the lineup could potentially look like this:
Lafreniere-Zibanejad-Kakko
Panarin-Chytil-Wheeler
Kreider-Trocheck-Othmann
Vesey-Bonino-Goodrow
Pitlick
Will Cuylle, on the other hand, made his NHL debut last season, showing off his physical prowess. Although I don’t envision him starting on the Rangers’ roster this season, his performance in training camp will indicate how quickly he may be called up.
There is a lot to be excited about this season for the Rangers, and it all starts in training camp, where all eyes will be fixed on how Laviolette approaches his new squad and the 2023-24 season.
