5 Lineup Changes the New York Rangers Should Consider for the New Year

The year 2015 is almost upon us, and with a new year should come some changes. NHL bench bosses meticulously make tweaks to their lineups throughout the season, but sometimes it makes sense to make meaningful moves.

The New York Rangers are in the midst of a seven-game win streak, but that doesn’t mean they are perfect. Conventional wisdom suggests that you don’t mess with a winning lineup, but there are some areas where the team could stand to benefit from a change.

With that said, here are five lineup changes the Blueshirts should consider for the new year.

Add Oscar Lindberg to the Lineup

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Lindberg is just waiting for a chance.

Adding Oscar Lindberg in the new year would make sense for a number of reasons. First and foremost, he has a very affordable $675,000 contract, and integrating him into the fold would allow the Blueshirts to shed some salary in preparation of the 2015 cap crunch if he proves himself.

If Lindberg doesn’t fit what the Rangers are looking for, they can give him NHL time to spotlight himself for trade, and teams would show interest. He’s a young, speedy, two-way center with good upside, and he could fetch a decent return.

There is a good chance Lindberg could be one of the Rangers’ bottom-six centers in the near future, so getting him NHL-ready is key. Kevin Hayes ultimately looks like he is better suited for the wing because of his inability to win faceoffs, and Dominic Moore only has a year left on his contract.

The Rangers have nothing to lose by trying out Lindberg, and he can’t play any worse than Tanner Glass.

Add Chris Kreider to the Miller and Hayes Line

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Kreider could be a force with Miller and Hayes.

Chris Kreider is currently skating with Derek Stepan and Martin St. Louis, but head coach Alain Vigneault should move him to the third line for a number of reasons. For starters, Kreider’s size and speed would be a better fit for the Kevin Hayes and J.T. Miller line because the line plays a physical game.

Stepan and St. Louis have some great chemistry going on right now, and Kreider hasn’t been much of a factor playing alongside them. Kreider could really benefit from playing alongside his former Boston College teammate and his Hartford Wolf Pack companion.

Miller has looked like a different player since returning to the Rangers, and adding Kreider to his line could allow him to elevate his game to another level. Carl Hagelin is the outsider on this line because he lacks size.

Placing him on the second line would give the Rangers options because the team could use him in set play situations where the winger goes in deep to retrieve the puck. This is a job that St. Louis currently performs, and adding Hagelin would free him up to set up in the slot for a potential one-timer.

Ideally, teams look to balance their lines with size and speed, but having a physical and offensively aware third line would allow the Rangers to capitalize on an opponent’s weaker defense pairing on a consistent basis.

The second line could follow suit because the combination of speed and playmaking ability would make it very hard for other teams to take control of the puck.

Bench Tanner Glass

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Glass needs to sit... behind the glass.

Tanner Glass does not fit the makeup of this team, and going into the new year, he should become a healthy scratch on a consistent basis. He plays an aggressive and physical game and is a puck-possession nightmare.

The Rangers win games by controlling play and holding onto the puck, and that is something Glass can’t do regularly. He currently occupies a spot on the fourth line, and he is playing alongside Dominic Moore and Jesper Fast.

Freeing up a spot by scratching Glass would allow for Lee Stempniak to occupy a spot on a consistent basis, or it would allow for the aforementioned addition of Oscar Lindberg.

Change How Rick Nash Is Used On The Power Play

The New York Rangers’ power play unit consists of Derick Brassard and Dan Boyle at the points, Derek Stepan on the far left half wall, Martin St. Louis down by the goal line on the right side and Rick Nash in the middle.

Nash is used in this role to tip pucks and to collect rebounds, and it is something that really doesn’t make sense. The Rangers changed their configuration against the Washington Capitals and moved Nash out into the slot in a position where he could shoot.

The result was a shot that went off the post, off the glove of Braden Holtby and into the net. St. Louis was originally credited with the goal, but the NHL went and changed it after the fact.

The lesson to take from this situation is that the Rangers used their top goal scorer in a situation where he could release an uncontested shot, and the puck ended up in the back of the net.

Send Anthony Duclair Back To Quebec Remparts

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"Duke" has skill, but going back to Quebec makes sense.

Anthony Duclair is a talented prospect who appears to have some decent NHL upside, but heading into the new year, the Rangers should return him to the Quebec Remparts. Continually being a healthy scratch is not conducive for Duclair’s development, so it makes sense to send him back to his QMJHL team for his final season.

While there are pluses to having Duclair around from a social development standpoint, ultimately, he needs to play hockey on a consistent basis so he can actualize his full potential.