Predicting New York Rangers' Opening-Night Lineup

The New York Rangers open up the 2014-15 NHL season against the St. Louis Blues on Thursday, October 9. The Broadway Blueshirts will be without their No. 1 center, Derek Stepan, to start the season, and the team has made the necessary adjustments to be competitive from the first shift.

The Rangers made a number of additional roster cuts over the weekend, and the final picture is starting to look clearer. A number of different players played solid hockey over the last few weeks, so the final cuts will be difficult.

With that in mind, here is a projected opening-night roster for the Rangers.

First Line: Chris Kreider, Derick Brassard and Mats Zuccarello

Elsa/Getty Images

The duo of Derick Brassard and Mats Zuccarello was one of the Rangers' best in 2013-14. Their former linemate, Benoit Pouliot, is now employed by the Edmonton Oilers. The sizable, speedy and tenacious Pouliot was a perfect complement to Brassard and Zuccarello last year, so replacing him with Chris Kreider seems like the right move.

Kreider is faster, bigger, just as aggressive and has a higher offensive acumen than the Blueshirts' former winger. This line isn't a conventional No. 1 line by any stretch of the imagination, but it makes sense given the situation the Rangers are in.

Keeping a successful duo together and adding an upgrade should be a recipe for success, and it will be interesting to see how Kreider fits in with Brass and Zucc.

Second Line: Anthony Duclair, Kevin Hayes and Martin St. Louis

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

If the Rangers are going to put two "kids" on their opening-night roster, it would make sense to pair them with the team's sage veteran. Martin St. Louis is a talented scoring winger and playmaker, and he would be a perfect mentor on this line.

He is an experienced pro who can help provide some needed guidance and support for two of the Blueshirts' talented young prospects.

If Anthony Duclair makes the opening-night roster, it makes sense to put him in the top six instead of the bottom six. He is a finesse player with a great shot and escape ability, and his speed makes him a consistent deep threat.

Putting him on the third line would be futile because it wouldn't play to his strengths. Therefore, he's slotted with St. Louis and a player the Rangers signed this summer.

Kevin Hayes is slotted here over J.T. Miller because it is unlikely that the duo of Miller and Ryan Malone will be broken up if Malone makes the opening-night roster.

Malone doesn't belong in the top six, so by default, Hayes gets the second-line nod. In addition, during training camp Hayes was given a longer look in top six situations based on his linemates, whereas Miller was used in a role with bottom six wingers like Malone.

This could be because he is ideally the team's third-line center when Stepan is healthy.

The former Boston College standout can bring some size and decent two-way skill to this line, and he can provide some security and physicality if the 5'11" Duclair and 5'8" St. Louis get pushed around. This line can be rotated at the whim of Alain Vigneault, and it could provide a nice offensive punch.

Third Line: Carl Hagelin, J.T. Miller and Rick Nash

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Although the chemistry between Ryan Malone and J.T. Miller has looked good, Malone has a lot more work to do before securing an NHL spot. He looked out of place positionally and defensively during the preseason, so Carl Hagelin, a highly skilled two-way speedster, will take his spot.

Miller will retain the center position because he had a strong camp in which he looked faster and fitter. The Rangers' third-line pivot has some offensive upside, and his presence could make the Rangers' third line a real threat.

It may seem like a waste to have Rick Nash on the third line, but he could break out in a huge way in this role. Most teams have a great top pairing, a solid second pairing and an adequate third defense pairing.

Although Nash has had some failings in the playoffs, he's been a money player for the Rangers in the regular season. If he's had success in a top-six role in the past, imagine the havoc Nash could wreak against inferior defensemen.

This third line would feature a speedy two-way player in Hagelin who is great at board play and digging up pucks, a solid distributor in Miller and an elite finisher in Nash. With Hagelin's puck-possession ability, Miller's creativity and Nash's offensive acumen, the Rangers' third line could be one of the best in the entire NHL.

Fourth Line: Tanner Glass, Dominic Moore and Jesper Fast

Elsa/Getty Images

The Rangers' fourth line of Tanner Glass, Dominic Moore and Jesper Fast could be a pain in the butt to play against. Glass, although a black hole from a possession standpoint, looked decent in the preseason. He was physical, good on the forecheck and a decent penalty killer.

Fast spent the preseason in a bottom-six role, yet he found a way to score three goals in addition to using his namesake to his advantage while skating. The spunky Swede was also aggressive on the forecheck and showed off his physicality.

That leaves Moore to retain his role as the Blueshirts' fourth-line pivot. Moore returned to the NHL last season, and he looked solid for a player who spent a year away from the game. He got better for the Blueshirts as the year went on, and expect him to be even better for the Rangers this season.

Extra Forward: Ryan Malone

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Ryan Malone deserves to make the roster because of his potential upside. He was in direct competition with Lee Stempniak, and in my opinion, he showed more than the West Seneca, New York, native. Malone is looking to restart his career after being arrested in April for a DUI and possession of cocaine, and so far, he has showed enough to keep him on the roster.

His low cap hit of $700,000, per Cap Geek, also gives him a leg up over Stempniak, and in the event that he falls out, he can always be demoted to the Hartford Wolf Pack.

First Defense Pairing: Dan Girardi and Ryan McDonagh

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Pretty straightforward here. The Rangers' top defenseman is Ryan McDonagh, and he was paired with Dan Girardi last season. It makes sense to keep the team's top defense pairing from last season together, at least for the start of the season.

McDonagh had his best season to date in 2013-14, and look for him to take another step forward in 2014-15. Girardi had a rough end to the Stanley Cup playoffs, but a summer of "R and R" should allow him to get off to a decent start.

This pairing has the potential to be one of the best in the Eastern Conference, and the mutual familiarity makes this duo a no-brainer to start the season.

Second Pairing: Marc Staal and Dan Boyle

Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

Marc Staal was once the Rangers' top defender, but injuries took a bit off his game. He has come a long way since initially being sidelined, and he has regained his form as a solid shutdown defender.

His game should continue to develop this year, and his new partner will force him to continue playing a solid defensive role.

Boyle was once one of the NHL's premier offensive defenders. At this stage of his career, Boyle isn't the player he was five years ago, but he can still run a power play and chip in offensively. Look for Boyle to tally around 40 points this year, but that number could go higher if the Rangers' man advantage unit clicks to start the season.

Third Pairing: John Moore and Kevin Klein

Scott Levy/Getty Images

The Rangers' third pairing from 2013-14 will roll over for the start of the 2014-15 season. John Moore was re-signed at a bargain, and Kevin Klein has a deal that's locked in for the foreseeable future. Klein proved to be a nice pickup for the Rangers and was very stable defensively.

Moore is seeking to prove himself this season, as he failed to impress anyone last year. He has a booming shot, but he hasn't been able to use it on a consistent basis. The Rangers won't expect much from this pairing, but it could be a diamond in the rough if Klein continues to play his game and if Moore can come into his own offensively.

Extra Defenseman: Matt Hunwick

Elsa/Getty Images

Matt Hunwick was signed as a free agent this summer. He is a seven-year league veteran who is an extra offensive defender. He owns some decent puck-moving skills, but he isn't suited for everyday duty.

He is on the small side at 5'11" and 190 pounds, and realistically, he will be the 2014-15 version of Raphael Diaz. Hunwick can step in and fill in as needed, but he isn't a viable long-term solution on the back end.

Goaltending: Henrik Lundqvist and Cam Talbot

Scott Levy/Getty Images

No surprises here. Henrik Lundqvist is going to be Gotham's main man between the pipes for at least 60 games this season, and his trust ward Cam Talbot could see as many as 20 games this season.

Lundqvist's 2013-14 season was marred by a horrendous start to the season, but the Rangers were able to stay in the thick of things when Talbot stepped up and provided quality netminding.

There is no reason why the Rangers tandem shouldn't be one of the best in 2014-15, and this area will once again determine how far the team goes this season.