New York Rangers' Current Roster and Lineup Strategy Is Shortsighted at Best

The New York Rangers earned their second victory of the season with a win against the Carolina Hurricanes, but it took a shootout. The victory snapped a three-game losing streak, and it was the first game since the season opener that Henrik Lundqvist didn't give up multiple goals.

Despite the fact that the lineup the Rangers faced was akin to one that would suit up for an American Hockey League game, the Blueshirts were incapable of dominating play, and at times, they were dominated. The Hurricanes were without captain Eric Staal, his brother Jordan and 2011 Calder Trophy winner Jeff Skinner.

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A team comprised mostly of Charlotte Checkers has been killing the Rangers since the first 5-6 minutes.

— Dave Dying Penniless (@DaveLozo) October 16, 2014"

The Rangers' current roster strategy could be best described as treading water, because the team would be happy if Derek Stepan and Dan Boyle were in the lineup. Those additions would cut some players out of the picture completely, and those that make the cut would be back in a role that suits them.

Unfortunately, both Stepan and Boyle will not be in the lineup until November or December, so the team will need to adjust accordingly.

For starters—enough with Martin St. Louis at center. The Rangers got killed at the faceoff dot during Thursday's victory against the Hurricanes, St. Louis went 5-of-13 at the dot, and the team went 23-of-67. These numbers are simply pathetic, and while a 38 percent efficiency rating is solid for a natural winger, having him out of position is starting to hurt the team.

St. Louis is one of the Rangers' best forwards, and putting him at center limits his offensive effectiveness, and it hurts other players on the roster. For example, because of the Blueshirts' serious deficiency at center against the Hurricanes, St. Louis was moved from center back to the wing.

With him back on the wing, the Rangers went to rolling only three lines, and two forwards became stapled to the bench in the third period and overtime. One was Tanner Glass—the move had minimal impact on him and the Rangers—and the other was Anthony Duclair.

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Duclair, a 19-year-old winger with some spark and spice, has looked solid during his NHL action to date. His speed is top-notch, he has good poise and ice vision, and his escape ability allows him and his 5'11", 177-pound frame to keep up in a league far more physical than the QMJHL he is used to.

In the third period, Duclair was on the ice for a lone shift, and then his night was over. Alain Vigneault's decision made perfect sense considering the circumstances, but it is a situation that can't repeat itself. Duclair has proven to be one of the Blueshirts' best forwards to date, so that means the Rangers need to dress a lineup that accommodates that.

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While Stepan is out of the lineup, Derick Brassard has to be the de facto top center. First and foremost, he's a natural center, and so far he has shown that he can handle extra ice time. His winger can remain the same, and the Blueshirts' current second line would shift to the first.

For the time being, the second line could be manned by a combination of Kevin Hayes and J.T. Miller. Both deserve to be in the lineup, and the versatility of both gives the Rangers a ton of options. With both dressed, one could start the game at wing and the other at center, and Vigneault could switch the two from time to time.

Wingers for this second line would include a combination of wingers that include Rick Nash, Martin St. Louis and/or Chris Kreider, and the structural integrity of the line would remain in place. The bottom six would then consist of the odd man out from the Hayes/Miller duo, and a combination of Duclair, Carl Hagelin and Lee Stempniak.

The trio of wingers have all shown enough to remain in the lineup, and each brings an element of speed, forechecking ability and two-way skill that makes the line dynamic and lethal. Stempniak has been a pleasant surprise thus far, and having him on the third line would be a true testament to the Rangers' depth.

Lastly, the fourth line could then operate with Dominic Moore at center, Ryan Malone on the wing and the odd man out from the Stempniak-Hagelin combo on the third line. This would result in Jesper Fast remaining a healthy scratch and Glass leaving the lineup.

At this stage, this is what the Rangers need to do in order to be successful. Vigneault has a number of offensive weapons at his disposal, and he is holding the team back using his current strategy.

Here is what the team's lineup would look like if the above changes were put into effect.

Left Wing	Center	Right Wing
Chris Kreider	Derick Brassard	Mats Zuccarello
Martin St. Louis	J.T. Miller/ Kevin Hayes	Rick Nash
Anthony Duclair	J.T. Miller/ Kevin Hayes	Lee Stempniak/Carl Hagelin
Lee Stempniak/Carl Hagelin	Dominic Moore	Ryan Malone

This lineup is more balanced in composition, it provides flexibility for Vigneault to move around players and it would include each player staying in position.

In terms of the defense, the Rangers should seek to add another defender, and instead of rehashing why, I'll direct you to this column written by yours truly.

I will say that Matt Hunwick was a solid fill-in against the Hurricanes, and he showed enough to keep Michael Kostka in the press box. He isn't an ideal long-term option, but he won't necessarily bring the team down in the process.

The Rangers are 2-3-0 through the first five games, and they are lucky to say the least. Things should be better, but they could have gone worse. The first few games featured a number of experiments that took place because the season was still new.

The Rangers' division features the 4-0-0 New York Islanders and the 3-1-0 New Jersey Devils. If the team continues to tinker around, they can continue to fall down the standings, and the ground to be made up could be insurmountable by the time they get completely healthy.

Vigneault is a smart coach that did great things during year one in New York, and hopefully he can see that the current roster strategy isn't working and it is time for a "clean slate."

Stats via NHL.com.