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My take on Brooks' possible blue-line combinations and Morgan Barron

November 13, 2020, 11:29 AM ET [31 Comments]
Jan Levine
New York Rangers Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
Yesterday, I wrote about part 1 of Larry Brooks's Thursday column . Today, I covered the remainder. Thursday, I wrote about Vitali Kravtsov . Today, the focus is on possible blue-line combinations and Morgan Barron




Blue-line combinations:
 I wouldn’t expect the Rangers to move either Adam Fox or Tony DeAngelo from the right to the left. There is just no one else to play the right side at the moment. Which means the left side features Ryan Lindgren, Brendan Smith and Jack Johnson, with Libor Hajek, K’Andre Miller and Tarmo Reunanen expected to contend for spots on the roster.

And, with Lindgren-Fox as etched-in-stone a combination as you’ll find on the team, engraved even more deeply than Artemi Panarin-Ryan Strome and Chris Kreider-Mika Zibanejad, training camp will determine whether Smith will reprise his late-season and qualifying-round role as Trouba’s partner.

Could one of the kids play well enough to earn that assignment? If past is prologue to the opening of the season, keep in mind that Hajek partnered with Trouba for 18 of the first 20 games last year.


If DeAngelo was moved, the third pairing would be some combination of Johnson, Smith, Hajek and Anthony Bitetto as well as maybe Miller, depending on what happens with the AHL season, or Reunanen. Looking at the first few names on that has to give you some concerns. But are those concerns lessened by thinking of a first four of ADA-Trouba and Lindgren-Fox rather than having Hajek or Smith opposite Trouba?

Coach David Quinn and blueline coach Jacques Martin could shelter the third pair. If that ends up being the plan, play one of Johnson or Smith to start the season and have him alongside one of the kids to help bring that player along while he gets settled in. Then, incorporate another one of the rookies and have a duo that has grown during the season and really ready for 2021-22.

I could see Smith getting the first chance, though while he was somewhat better than expected when he assumed that role last year, having him next to Trouba doesn't maximizes Trouba's skill set. Preferable might be trying Hajek or maybe even Reunanen to see if either would be a better fit. My first option would be to see if DeAngelo can play on his offside and then figure out the third duo.

Morgan Barron:

Whither Brett Howden, the natural center who moved to the wing for last season’s final 36 games before moving back to the middle for all three games of the qualifying round, where he was one of the team’s most imposing players?

Howden, 22, has Panarin, Kreider and Alexis Lafreniere ahead of him on the left and Zibanejad, Strome and Filip Chytil ahead of him in the middle.

If the Blueshirts shift one of the left wings to the other side, Howden could compete for the third-line job on the flank. Morgan Barron, who has spent the majority of the offseason training with Chris Kreider at the Prentiss Academy in Connecticut, and who, we are told, is evolving into beast-body mode, will contend for that job, and so will Brendan Lemieux.

Are fourth-line minutes in the middle the best use of Howden’s time? In normal times, Howden would probably be better served by getting first-line minutes in Hartford.

But the AHL isn’t scheduled to start play until Feb. 4, so the question instead becomes is Howden better off in New York with fourth-line minutes or on some sort of taxi squad going through extended spring training?

Rhetorical question, likely.


A reminder that the Rangers did not have a center win as many as 50 percent of his draws last season, the overall 46.6 percent success rate at the dots ahead of only the Sabres’ even more wretched 45.9.

Howden, 48.2 during the year following a 48.4 rookie season, did win 11 of 21 draws in the qualifiers, so there’s that teeny sample size off of which to build. Free-agent signee Kevin Rooney, who will compete for a fourth-line spot, has a 47.4 career percentage at the dots.


Brooks raised an interesting point on Howden. He adds to it by noting later in the column New York's issues between the dots, as seen above. Howden was solid enough between the dots, though a 48.2 winning percentage is not earth-shattering, though compared to others, it might be. His success could be a deciding factor as to if he makes the team out of camp, which looks likely. Even if he is moved to wing, he still could take draws, as he did last season. But that does mean I think he should be on the third line.

As I wrote yesterday, Kravtsov staying in the KHL, at least until the end of that season, saves New York some of the cap hit cushion for his performance bonus. Sliding into that spot could be Barron, as New York has enough cap space, even factoring in his performance bonus figure, depending if the team goes with a 21- or 22-man roster. In my view, Barron should be on the roster.

Physically, he is certainly mature enough and ready. Mentally, the three years in college also helps. He showed last year that he can score but also play a checking line role. If the plan is to reduce some of the expectations and burden on him, have him start on the wing with possibly Kevin Rooney or Howden at center. Barron working with Kreider, which hopefully also entails skating, which is an area he needs development, should have him in prime condition whenever camp opens. I am all in on the Barron train. 

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