What Changes Will Alain Vigneault Make to Turn New York Rangers Around?

The New York Rangers have a losing record of 1-4-0 through five games, and Alain Vigneault is ready to change things around. Vigneault spoke with reporters like Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News, and he has put some players on notice.

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We have some players right now that are getting a real good opportunity to show what they can do, Vigneault said after Tuesday's practice in Greenburgh. Some guys are getting top-six forward minutes, power play time, and some guys' production is not where it needs to be to stay in those spots (over) the long term. So they're aware of that. I don't have to mention any names. But (Miller) would be one of the possibilities of moving up there if people don't produce.

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The Rangers could be getting Carl Hagelin and Rick Nash back into the lineup soon, so that could force Vigneault to make some personnel changes to spark the team.

With that in mind, here is how the Blueshirts' lineup could look going forward when healthy.

Brad Richards has preformed admirably at the left wing, and he has been a major bright spot for the Rangers. It has taken some time for Derek Stepan to adjust, but he is rounding back into form at center, and Nash has been okay thus far.

Both Richards and Stepan are tied for the team lead in scoring, and that is exactly what they should be doing at this point.

The Blueshirts will obviously need this line to produce, but this line should be kept together for the long haul because of the positives they bring to the organization.

The Rangers' second line has the potential to be a quality unit that features skill, speed and two-way prowess.

Derick Brassard is a talented center looking to improve upon his strong playoff performance. He illustrated against the Washington Capitals that he is a great passer, and he will be paired with some talented two-way forwards.

Taylor Pyatt and Benoit Pouliot have struggled, and for that reason Carl Hagelin and Mats Zuccarello will likely join Brassard on the second forward unit. Hagelin and Zuccarello have some chemistry with each other, and a pass-first center like Brassard should help them thrive.

Hagelin likes to use his speed to create chances. Brassard is quick enough to stick with him and feed him the puck in tight situations. Zuccarello has not played well thus far, but the return of Hagelin should help invigorate his game.

Having all this speed on one line will force opponents to make a decision about isolating a forward, and that should allow Zuccarello to sneakily generate some chances.

In theory, the top six should click and generate some offense, and the team's bottom six should be a solid two-way unit.

The third line will serve as an energy scoring line, one that can be a momentum-changer throughout the game. Brian Boyle is a physical forward who has shown some offensive prowess in the past, but he will serve as a checking center on this line.

He will be joined by Benoit Pouliot and team captain Ryan Callahan, and the line will be pretty well-rounded in composition.

Pouliot has bounced around a bunch of teams since his draft year, and he hasn't been able to score consistently. In a third-line role, he can chip in some offense. Playing with physical players like Boyle and Callahan should open up the ice for him.

The duo has a combination of size, speed and scoring ability, and the trio would form a solid third line.

The final forward line could be an unsung facet of the team going forward. Taylor Pyatt is a solid forechecker and defensive forward, and he could shine in a fourth-line role where he only needs to focus on defense. Dominic Moore has looked decent since making his return to the NHL. He has been an excellent bottom-six center.

J.T. Miller would round out the last spot on this line for now, but as Vigneault said, he could get bumped up in the lineup if other players fail to produce and execute.

Defensively, nothing should change in terms of matchups.

Although the team has not played well, the established pairings on the blue line have a proven track record. The Blueshirts' biggest strength over the past few years has been their blue line, and for that reason Vigneault should keep the above pairing together.

The goaltending will remain the same as well, but it will be interesting to see how Cam Talbot is used. The Blueshirts recalled the 26-year-old netminder from Hartford. He is the team's backup for the immediate future.

It is an Olympic year, and with a tight schedule, he may be baptized by fire to start his NHL career. 

In terms of special teams, Hagelin will likely rejoin the penalty-kill unit. His speed, active stick and ability to read plays make him a shorthanded threat and one of the team's top penalty killers.

On the power play, Vigneault has already made some changes, and Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News tweeted out the new power-play units. 

It is nice to see John Moore getting bumped up to the first power-play unit, because he has a great shot that can be utilized in that role. He is a young blueliner who was drafted in the first round back in 2009. The Rangers are showing they believe in him.

The other players on the first unit should mesh, because a balance of skill, size and physicality is needed to be successful while on the man advantage.

Richards has been great, Brassard has shown in the past his prowess on the power-play, and Callahan loves to fish for deflections and rebounds around the net.

So far the Rangers' power play has been effective, and it ranks 11th in the league with a 23.5 success rate. Going forward these units can help the Rangers be even more successful. That would be a huge improvement from last season.

These changes should work in theory, but we will find out what happens once the team goes out on the ice. It will take time for the players to get used to Vigneault, but these changes should help the team in the long run. 

It is still possible that the team could make trades to strengthen the roster, but it is encouraging to see Vigneault making a statement very early into the 2013-14 season.