We continue with the top-25 off-season questions. Several of the questions have been answered either through blogs or what has taken place over the last 7-10 days, including the draft and free agency. I have noted which ones I think we have covered either directly in blogs or by events during the timeframe noted above.
This column discusses question 7:
Should New York add a veteran blueliner or try Nils Lundkvist or Zac Jones or Matthew Robertson as the sixth d-man? Is the wiser course of action to do both??
25 Questions:
In almost every year past, we have done some version of the top 20 or so off-season questions. To state the obvious and what should be remembered by many, we usually have entered the late-spring and summer with more questions than answers. This year may be no different, despite what looks to be settled on the team. As done in year's past, I throw this one to you, asking for you to provide your questions, which I will incorporate in the blogs to carry us through the summer.
1) Will Ryan Strome or Andrew Copp be re-signed, and if one is to be brought back, which one do you prefer? (answered by the signing of Vincent Trocheck coupled with Strome now in Anaheim and Copp in Detroit)
2) Would you deal Kakko Kappo for a second or third line center and do you want that to be Kirby Dach? (somewhat answered with Dach now in Montreal, but Kakko still might get dealt)
3) Is Filip Chytil a center or a winger?
4) Did Alexis Lafreniere show enough to be moved to the top-six and do you view him as a first line right winger?
5) Would you buy out Patrik Nemeth or what would you package him with to free up his $2.5 million salary this year (and next)? (answered by the trade of Nemeth to Arizona)
6) Who are you adding as Igor Shesterkin's back up once Alexandar Georgiev is moved? Can Keith Kinkaid and/or Adam Huska fill that spot? Do you add a veteran like Braden Holtby for $1 million? answered by the signing of Jaroslav Halak and Louie Domingue coupled with trade of Georgiev to Colorado. Kinkaid has signed with Boston and Holtby will miss the year with an injury)
7) Should New York add a veteran blueliner or try Nils Lundkvist or Zac Jones or Matthew Robertson as the sixth d-man? Is the wiser course of action to do both?
8) Is Vitali Kravtsov part of the future and will he be brought back to the US? (Covered here and here) plus as announced today, he reported early to be ready for training camp.
9) Would and should the Rangers really consider dealing Artemi Panarin as Arthur Staple hinted at in his column?
10) Will Brennan Othmann and/or Will Cuylle be given a REAL chance to make the squad this summer or will the Rangers opt to not rush the youngsters? Both are on their ELCs and are listed as LW. If they do make the roster, then who gets moved out? (TommyGTrain)
11) Are the Rangers built to compete against Colorado for the Stanley Cup?
12) Is Gerald Gallant the right coach for this team moving forward?
13) How do you want the third and/94 fourth lines to look? Do they need to be a traditional bottom-six or should the third line be more of a scoring line?
14) Should New York consider buying out the final season of Ryan Reaves’ deal? (Factors include cap savings for this year and small amount of dead cap space in 2023-24)
15) Is acquiring Jonathan Toews under strong consideration by New York?
16) What does Jessica Campbell bring to the table and how important is her hiring? (covered here and now a moot point as she signed as an assistant coach with Anaheim's farm team)
17) Will Theo Fleury and Pat Verbeek make the Hall of Fame and what does their absence tell us about the voting process?
18)Should the Rangers deal Chris Kreider, and if so, what should be the targeted return? covered here
More to come
7) Should New York add a veteran blueliner or try Nils Lundkvist or Zac Jones or Matthew Robertson as the sixth d-man? Is the wiser course of action to do both?
With New York up against the cap, a lower cost blueline option is looking like a must. Cap Friendly has them at $4.8 million remaining. That number though is with Kaako Kappo to be signed (figure $2.2 million), Julien Gauthier (800k) and Ryan Reaves ($1.75 mil) as the 12th and 13th forwards and no sixth d-man on their projected lineup. If Kravtsov replaces Gauthier, that's an extra 75K cap hit. Libor Hajek signed his qualifying offer, so he is slated to make 800k, and as he needs to pass through waivers to be sent down. Since the Rangers have some unconscionable reluctance to do so, add his or Jarred Tinordi's salary to the cap if NY keeps 22 players, including one extra forward and defenseman.
What the above means is the likelihood of the Rangers adding another d-man - besides someone ridiculously low cost - looks relatively remote. As such, one of the three in-house options looks to be the favorite to line up opposite Braden Schneider. Jones, last year of his ELC, and Lundkvist, second year, make $925K while Robertson, second year of his ELC, is slated to make $797,500. The $127,500 difference in salaries may not make a huge difference in terms of who is selected. But that amount compounded daily as to available cap space has to be a partial factor in who might get the role if all else is even.
Mollie Walker had a nice piece of Robertson last week:
Jones, a third round pick, 68th overall. in 2019, has the most experience, receiving a 10-game cup of coffee at the end the 2020-21 season and 12 games last season. Lundkvist, taken in the first-round, 28th overall, in 2018, struggled in a 25-game stint last year before being sent down to Hartford of the AHL. Robertson, a second round selection, 49th overall, in 2019, has yet to make his NHL debut, spending all of last season with the Wolf Pack where he notched one goal and 10 assists with 36 penalty minutes in 65 AHL contests.
Robertson started the year paired with Schneider before the righty blueliner was promoted to the majors, Walker noted that "In working closely with Hartford assistant coach Steve Smith, Robertson said he focused on improving his positioning, angles and other details to be more efficient in the defensive zone. He also worked on getting his shot through traffic and recognizing when to jump on the rush." Of the three young d-men, Robertson is by far the biggest at 6-foot-4, 201 pounds, which could give him an edge over Jones and Lundqvist.
Lundqvist may have the most offensive upside, while Jones is not far behind. Robertson may not be the scoring threat or primary rush the puck up the ice option that the other two are, but he has a shot to have the most complete game of the three. I have not given up on Lundkvist, as others have, believing that last season was a learning year for him as he adapted to North American play and coach Gerard Gallant's system. But both he and Jones will have to open eyes to earn a spot and Lundkvist could be on the block.
Robertson participated in his third development camp with the club last week. As a veteran, he was expected to impress and did. If he had struggled, whispers that Robertson was not the right choice to fill the sixth d-man spot would have started in earnest. As we sit in the middle of July, I put the pecking order to fill the sixth d-man at Robertson, Jones and Lundkvist, though nothing is set in stone and New York could add a low cost blueliner late this summer
New York Rangers Blogger • 
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