The New York Rangers have an elite top defensive pairing in Adam Fox and Ryan Lindgren. The two have played together for years and have built unbeatable chemistry with each other. The only problem is that Lindgren is currently ruled out for at least a few weeks after suffering a preseason injury.
With the regular season set to begin on October 9, the Blueshirts need to make a quick decision on who will play with Fox while Lindgren is recovering from this setback.
K’Andre Miller is the obvious choice
With Lindgren out of the lineup, the simplest solution would be to have the next-best defenseman step up to the top unit. In the Rangers’ case, that player would be K’Andre Miller.
Miller, 24, spent most of last season playing with a struggling Jacob Trouba. Despite the immediate threat posed by his lackluster partner, Miller still managed to tally 30 points and a +5 rating. He could move up to the top pairing for the time being, serving as a solid partner for an elite defenseman like Fox.
Zac Jones could climb his way to the top for a brief period
Zac Jones is a young defenseman who has been trying to work his way into the Rangers’ lineup for years. Many are predicting that this is finally the season that will happen following the departure of Erik Gustafsson. In what could be a monumental chance for Jones, he could be bumped up to the top unit right away.
Jones, 23, will likely serve as a depth defender for the majority of the season. But it could be an extremely helpful opportunity to have him learn from the best of the best right at the start of the season while the stakes are low.
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The Rangers could elect to give a solid prospect NHL playing time
Victor Mancini is a prospect who has impressed the Rangers through three preseason games thus far. He’s recorded a few points and has made some solid defensive plays.
It would have been difficult for Mancini to make it to the NHL roster before Lindgren went down with an injury. But now, there are two holes that the Rangers need to fill right away. If the Blueshirts choose to leave Jones as a depth defender, they could see what Mancini is made of by throwing him straight into the fire next to Fox. It would be a risky move to bank on a defenseman with zero NHL experience, but it would surely be an entertaining sight to see.
