When Brennan Othmann and Dylan Roobroeck were reassigned to the AHL, rumblings started that new head coach Mike Sullivan was going to choose veterans over kids. Conor Sheary’s resurgence, Juuso Parssinen’s expected 3C shutdown role, and the new Taylor Raddysh signings are all being used to push this narrative. This narrative is based on prior coaches and GMs favoring veterans, but that doesn’t appear to be the case this year. The veteran trio are all stopgap plays, and they will not take spots from the Rangers prospects long term.
The thing with the Rangers prospects is that not all of them are ready. We saw that clearly with both Roobroeck and Othmann, with the former potentially leapfrogging the latter on the depth chart. Othmann did not have a good camp. Roobroeck had a strong camp, but he clearly had some other areas to work on if he wants to take the next step in his development. Nothing wrong with those two Rangers prospects being sent to the AHL.
Aside: This was written before Perreault and Scott Morrow were reassigned to Hartford this morning. The message of the article still holds, and has been updated to reflect this move.
The issue seems to lie with Noah Laba, Gabe Perreault, and Brett Berard seemingly taking a back seat to Sheary, Parssinen, and Raddysh. Sheary is the only player in this veteran trio that has actually looked good and truly earned his spot on the roster. Sheary will likely be the new Jimmy Vesey, signed to a short term, low dollar contract after a strong PTO showing. Given his prior history with Sullivan, his Cup pedigree, and the Rangers need for strong depth, this signing is a no-brainer.
Raddysh has not had a strong camp. Parssinen hasn’t been bad, but he hasn’t done anything to warrant a guaranteed spot on the roster. The concern with Raddysh and Parssinen in particular makes sense, not so much with Sheary. However this is not the same coaching staff. This Rangers team, while a Cup “hopeful,” is in a transition year, or at least transition first few months, as they figure things out.
PTO players usually make the NHL minimum. Raddysh has a $1.5 million cap hit. Parssinen–who isn’t a veteran–comes with a $1.25 million cap hit. There is absolutely nothing in either of these three contracts that prevents them from being waived and sent to the AHL. The Rangers will need to eat a little dead cap space for Raddysh and Parssinen if they go unclaimed, but for all intents and purposes it’s a cap wash with the Rangers prospects and their entry level contracts.
Rangers prospects don’t need to be in the lineup on opening night
The thing with the Rangers prospects, specifically the ones still in camp, is that there isn’t a need to force them into the lineup on opening night. “Forcing” does a lot of heavy lifting here, but there’s more than one definition of forcing a player into a lineup. The Rangers prospects may be ready, and that’s great! But sometimes that’s not all they need. They need the right role. And sometimes even if they are ready and the right role is available, the coaching staff needs more time to evaluate others, resulting in a *temporary* reassignment to the AHL.
I think that’s what will wind up being the case for the Rangers prospects. Sheary has been great and has earned his spot. Parssinen needs a longer look. Raddysh looks like he needs a bit more time to get his game in order. Jonny Brodzinski is a question mark. We don’t know what the fourth line’s role will be. We don’t know what Matt Rempe’s role will be.
There are many questions with the roster that have not been answered yet. Using October as an extended look for veterans is just as useful as using it as an extended look for the Rangers prospects.
Perhaps I’m grasping at straws, but wouldn’t it behoove the Rangers to make final decisions on their veteran depth before inserting kids into the lineup? Throwing the Rangers prospects into the lineup without defined roles and without proper support will set them up for failure. This isn’t a video game, where you can throw in a 75 rated kid and watch him grow to an 82 rating by the end of the year. This is real life, and the human factor matters.
Veterans won’t take spots long term
The concern with veterans taking spots from Rangers prospects is again a deep seeded fear stretching decades of Rangers fandom. However this is a different situation, as right now it appears that–for the first time in a long time–Rangers prospects will be on the short list of first call ups when the time arises. Injuries happen. Games disappear. Veterans slow down. It’s a tale as old as time for professional athletes.
Sure, we may see Sheary-Parssinen-Raddysh dress as the third line on opening night. But will they be the third line in April? January? November? Probably not. Too much happens over the course of a season without accounting for the solid play of Laba, Berard, and Perreault.
To me, it’s a win-win to let the Rangers prospects get a little extra time in Hartford while the coaching staff figures out what to do with the veterans. These vets, save for Parssinen were insurance, not long term solutions. Parssinen was a long shot hopeful that appears to be a short term solution/stopgap as well.
Patience among sports fans is always a tough sell, but it’s a true need right now. Sully is a top-three coach in the NHL. Trust in the process, even if you wanted to see Perreault start the season in the NHL.
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