Now that the Rangers have completed their preseason schedule, head coach Alain Vigneault would like nothing more than to cut down the club's roster to the group of players that will likely start the regular season so that he can focus on creating line combinations and defense pairings, and installing all of his even-strength and special teams systems.
However, even after cutting Brandon Halverson and Gabriel Fontaine on Wednesday, the Rangers roster still has 32 names on it. The reason for that, though, speaks to the greater good of the Rangers.
Every organization wants to have quality depth at every position, and the Rangers have that. This year's training camp and preseason has been one of the most competitive in recent memory, due in large part to the impressive showing of youngsters like Lias Andersson, Filip Chytil and Vinni Lettieri up front and Neal Pionk, Tony DeAngelo and Ryan Graves on defense.
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"It's a pleasant surprise, but that's what we're trying to do," Rangers general manager Jeff Gorton explained on MSG Network Tuesday. "The game is faster and you need younger players all the time to supplement your roster, and hopefully we're able to do that this year."
Last season, the Rangers successfully integrated rookies Jimmy Vesey, Brady Skjei and Pavel Buchnevich into their lineup, while young veterans J.T. Miller, Chris Kreider and Kevin Hayes all established new career-high point totals. Now this season the Rangers are looking to infuse more youth into the lineup, if possible, to replace departed veterans like Derek Stepan, Dan Girardi and Kevin Klein.
So, with a week remaining before the regular season kicks off with a tilt against the Avalanche at Madison Square Garden, Gorton, Vigneault and the other decision makers have their work cut out for them in deciding the 22 or 23 players that will start the season with the Rangers.
"I think what we are looking for right now as we put our lines together is chemistry, that a line could work together and be responsible and contribute offensively," said Gorton. "It's chemistry, what fits together and what works in putting those 12 guys together (at forward)."
Here's a breakdown of who remains in Rangers camp and a prediction on who's left standing when the puck drops on opening night.
Forwards (20)
Half of the forwards remaining in camp are locks to make the team -- Kreider, Miller, Hayes, Vesey, Buchnevich, Rick Nash, Mika Zibanejad, Mats Zuccarello, Michael Grabner and veteran newcomer David Desharnais. That leaves three or four open spots, and takes into account that the injured Jesper Fast likely does not return until the end of October.
Steven Fogerty is bound for the minor leagues, and most likely so, too, is Paul Carey, the veteran AHLer who had a strong preseason. Veterans Andrew Desjardins and Bobby Farnham did not impress enough on their PTOs and should be cut soon.
That leaves Andersson and Chytil, the club's two first-round picks this year, who both have impressed and played beyond their tender years throughout camp, second-year pro Boo Nieves, former Ottawa first-rounder Matt Puempel and Lettieri, the 22-year-old college free agent. All five can play center, a spot where the Rangers have a hole to fill.
What factors significantly here is where Vigneault chooses to play Desharnais, who scored twice and totaled three points during the preseason. If Desharnais slots on to the fourth line then Chytil, the youngest player in camp, likely starts the season -- at least on a nine-game trial run -- as the third-line center. If Desharnais snags that third-center spot, then Nieves, Lettieri or Andersson fits the fourth-line role better than the dynamic offensively-gifted Chytil, likely meaning he would return to Europe.
In either case, Puempel probably sticks as an extra forward, a role he filled last season, especially since he needs to clear waivers before being sent to the minors.
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Chytil makes the team, while Andersson does not. However, in the early going Vigneault spots the kid into the lineup because the coach's comfort level will be to play Desharnais on the third line, while Nieves centers a fourth line with Lettieri and Grabner on the wing. Puempel will be an extra forward. When Chytil does play, Desharnais moves to fourth line and either Nieves or Lettieri -- depending on performance -- sits with Puempel.
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Defensemen (10)
The Rangers are very excited with the depth they've created at this position, one that was shaky for the past couple of years. The summer signing of Kevin Shattenkirk -- coupled with the departures of the aging Girardi and Klein -- kickstarted the movement in the right direction. Resigning Brendan Smith was another wise move. Trading for DeAngelo and signing Pionk, a college free agent, complement the others, including Skjei, a rookie standout last season.
Two of the defense pairs seem locked in. Ryan McDonagh and Shattenkirk are the top pairing and Skjei will partner with Smith.
So, what happens with the remaining six defensemen?
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Barring a trade of Nick Holden, the other three defensemen on the opening-night roster will be Holden, DeAngelo and Marc Staal. It just doesn't make sense to keep Pionk, a rookie pro, around if he's not going to play. Let him get experience at Hartford in the American League and be ready if a need arises at the NHL level.
Ryan Graves, who gets better each training camp, will start his third pro season in Hartford. Veteran Steven Kampfer requires waivers before being assigned to the minor leagues, so there is an outside chance he stays as an eighth defensemen, likely costing one of the young forwards -- Chytil or Nieves -- a roster spot. It's worth noting Vigneault does like having eight defensemen around so that the group can practice with four equal pairs.
Goalies (2)
No debate here. Henrik Lundqvist is the No. 1 and Ondrej Pavelec is his backup.
Halverson was the only other goalie remaining in camp before being cut. The question now is which minor league goalie gets the call should Lundqvist or Pavelec go down with an injury?
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The Rangers have the most invested in Halverson, a former second-round pick; but the kid needs a strong season. His first year as a pro was rocky. Yet he gets the nod for now over Chris Nell, an intriguing college free agent who will battle Halverson for playing time in Hartford.