Peter Laviolette has made it clear that he is evaluating nearly all aspects of training camp with fresh eyes, but the Rangers’ new head coach changed his tune while talking about the power play.
The defensive pairs that have been together for years?
He said he was inclined to see something different.
The line combinations that have been frequently used?
He has made it clear he plans to evaluate all options.
When asked about personnel on the power-play units, however, Laviolette almost endorsed the players he already has seen fill those roles.
“Those players are really, really good at what they do,” Laviolette said. “My eyes are open, I’m watching, but I’m not going to sit here and say, ‘Yeah, those guys are in jeopardy of losing their positions.’ They’re really good power-play players. They’re first-unit type material. I think trying to find the right mix, trying to find the right mix underneath that and with that has to come production. We’re going to look at different things.
“Once the number [of players in training camp] comes down in size and you get to a more manageable group, that’s when you’ll see it every day, power-play practice, penalty-kill practice and you’ll start to see some units. We’ll start to look for some cohesiveness.”
That’s a testament to the reputation Chris Kreider, Mika Zibanejad, Artemi Panarin and Adam Fox have garnered around the NHL as staples on the Rangers’ top man-advantage unit for nearly four years, and probably to what Laviolette has seen from the club’s power play from the opposing bench.
The Rangers ranked seventh in the NHL last season with a 24.1 power-play percentage, while their 59 total man-advantage tallies counted as the 13th most.
The power play ran hot and cold all last year, but it just never seemed to reach its full potential.
Former head coach Gerard Gallant loaded up the first unit and often rode the same five skaters for a majority of each power play.
The second unit was lucky to see 30 seconds with the man advantage, which hardly ever resulted in a goal.
It wasn’t until Vladimir Tarasenko joined the Rangers before last season’s trade deadline that Gallant evened out the units, both in terms of personnel and playing time.
There was a bit of stubbornness that came with how the power play was run.
Kreider, Zibanejad and Fox have all gotten looks on the power play this preseason, while Artemi Panarin hasn’t gotten a chance yet because of a minor lower-body injury.
Vincent Trocheck, who served as the fifth player on the top unit for a good portion of last season, has also seen some time with the first man-advantage unit this preseason.
As have Kaapo Kakko, Alexis Lafreniere, Filip Chytil, Zac Jones, Will Cuylle, Jonny Brodzinski and newcomer Blake Wheeler.
“I think that chemistry has a lot to do with it sometimes,” Laviolette said when asked if he’s more likely to rely on one unit or distribute the ice time evenly. “Again, in saying that, my eyes are still open. I know that we have a lot of players here that are growing and so I want to see what they can do as well.”