For each of the last two days, Alexis Lafreniere skated on left wing on what appeared to be third line-type units. Tuesday, he rotated with Will Cuylle on a line that included Barclay Goodrow in the middle and Tyler Pitlick on the right.
This, though, apparently does not represent a response from head coach Peter Laviolette on No. 13’s largely disappointing play thus far.
Neither does this mean that Laviolette has seen enough of Lafreniere at right wing as the Blueshirts prepare for these back-to-back exhibition matches in New Jersey on Wednesday and at the Garden on Thursday against Boston.
“Laff is not going to play [Wednesday] and with the extra players I’m trying to get reps in there,” the coach said. “If he played left the whole practice, it wasn’t intentional.
“I actually had slotted him in on the right so I don’t know how it exactly panned out in practice. But the people I did want to take reps are the people who are going to actually play in [New Jersey]. He’s already played three. I don’t think it’s necessary for him to play five.
“So he’ll be one of the guys who sits out [Wednesday] and then you’ll most likely see him back in New York.”
If the Rangers go with 13 forwards to open the season, there are two cuts to be made. Cuylle, Brennan Othmann and Jonny Brodzinski are at risk. Cuylle and Othmann are expected to play against the Devils while Brodzinski’s status is unclear.
Lafreniere has been ineffective in his three preseason contests, all on the right. He first skated with Cuylle and Filip Chytil, next with Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad and then with Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck.
But Laviolette said that he has not yet made a decision on which wing Lafreniere will open the season.
“I am still wide open,” he said. “And I haven’t said, ‘No, he’s back on the left.’”
Defense pairs were mixed, as has been customary through camp. Erik Gustafsson skated with Adam Fox, Ryan Lindgren was paired with Braden Schneider and Zac Jones formed a tandem with Ben Harpur while the K’Andre Miller-Jacob Trouba tandem remained intact.
Up front, Kaapo Kakko skated on the right with Panarin and Zibanejad for the second straight day. Kreider has been on Trocheck’s left for each of the last two practices.
Blueshirts recalled netminder Dylan Garand from the AHL Wolf Pack for the purpose of backing up Jonathan Quick in New Jersey. Igor Shesterkin is expected to go the distance in Thursday’s preseason finale.