Shakeup idea

Équipe: 2022-23 Rangers de New York

Date de création initiale: 29 oct. 2022

Publié: 29 oct. 2022

Mode - plafond salarial: Basique

I don't think there's reason to panic, the team looked very good earlier this season, and a minor slump doesn't concern me too much, especially when we've run the backup in 2/4 of the last games...

However, some of the underlying analytics do concern me a little bit. Analytically, the individual numbers for the top 6, and especially Chytil, do look very good, but the relative numbers seem to suggest a lack of chemistry on the first line and the 5v5 numbers look a bit problematic as well. We know this team has had struggles at 5v5 in the past, but we should be better this year with Laffy and Kakko coming in to their own.

PS: the next few paragraphs are gonna be very hypothetical, I genuinely don't think any of this is necessary, it's just what I would do if these scoring issues continue. Atm, I don't think any of this is necessary. It's just fun to speculate. (Except for the Rydahl callup, that's necessary and would help this team enormously)


I personally think our 5v5 problems are caused by one huge problem, Kreiders regression.
This might seem pretty obvious, he's not gonna put up 50 goals and 70 points on many more occasions, so a scoring regression was expected. The idea was that an increase in scoring from guys like Chytil, Kakko, and Lafreniere would make up for it. But, the problem does become a bit more concern when you look at his underlying 5v5 metrics. While Kakko and Zibanejad are both at or near the top of the team in 5v5 xG, Corsi, Fenwick, etc, Kreider is struggling. This is tanking the performance of the first line, which has struggled massively 5v5, and is mainly producing on the rush.

The obvious solution could be placing either Lafreniere or Panarin on the 1st line, however, the problem is that this would break up the Panarin - Trocheck - Laf line, which has performed well. While I would adore a Panarin - Zibanejad - Kakko line, which I really thought would happen this season, I don't think it's logical to break up the 2nd line.

Instead, I think the best course of action could be to promote Chytil to the 1st line, and move Kreider to the 3rd. This may sound like a strange move, but with the way Chytil has been playing, it makes sense to try to give him more ice time. Plus, he's historically played well on the LW, so it could be a way of revitalizing that 1st line, while giving the 3rd line more of an indentity.

There are some conditions that need to be met for this to happen though: Goodrow has to perform in the 3C slot, to make sure that line won't lose offensive output when Chytil leaves, Kravtsov has to find some chemistry with Goodrow, and Kreider needs to continue this regression, if the 1st line bounces back there's no point to a shakeup.

Ideally, in this situation, the 2nd line would remain the same, the 1st line would become more offensively dynamic, and the 3rd line would also improve, with Kreider, Goodrow, and Kravtsov being both defensively responsible and a scoring threat whenever they're on the ice.

I'd also like to see us call up Gustav Rydahl, who has been excellent in Hartford and looks like currently the best option at 4C. He, along with some combination of Vesey, Blais, Reaves, or Carpenter would create a very interesting 4th line that could be great on the forecheck.