The New York Rangers are coming out of nearly a week away from game action with a few things to sort through, and Tye Kartye is suddenly right in the middle of that conversation.
New York’s last outing ended in a 6-3 loss to the Los Angeles Kings, a game that put the spotlight on the goalie situation. James Reimer started, but he only lasted one period before Dylan Garand took over.
Since then, the focus has also turned to the team’s defensive structure, especially with the club off since Oct. 26 and set to return on Nov. 1.
Head coach Mike Sullivan appears ready to make some changes, and the practice lines have already shown that the Rangers may look different when they get back on the ice. One of the clearest shifts involves Kartye, who has forced his way into a bigger role with his play.
Kartye began the season on the fourth line, skating with Joe Veleno at center and Matt Rempe and Jaroslav Chmelar on the right wing. Now he has climbed all the way to the No. 2 line next to J.T.
Miller, and the fit has been obvious. His physical, relentless game meshes well with Miller’s edge, and Kartye has brought that energy every night.
The numbers back it up. Kartye has 10 points, tied with Miller for fourth on the team, with four goals and six assists. Even more notable, every one of those points has come at even strength.
His role is expanding beyond five-on-five work, too. Up to this point, Kartye has only been used on the penalty kill, but that is set to change when the Rangers face the Edmonton Oilers on Nov.
- Vince Z.
Mercogliano of The Athletic reported on X that Kartye has been added to the second power-play unit.
That group is expected to feature Sean Durzi, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Will Cuylle and Gabe Perreault alongside Kartye.
PP1 looks like the same: Fox, Zibanejad, Miller, Dorofeyev and LafrenièrePP2: Durzi, Bjorkstrand, Kartye, Cuylle and Perreault#NYR
For Kartye, it’s a major jump from opening the year on the fourth line to landing a top-six spot and a power-play look. Sullivan has every reason to keep leaning on the hot hand, especially with Kartye’s style matching the identity he’s trying to build.
That doesn’t mean the arrangement is permanent. A move back down the lineup could still happen as Sullivan keeps searching for offense throughout the roster. But for now, Kartye has clearly earned the bigger opportunity coming his way.
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Oilers Could Arrive Shorthanded For Rangers After Early Injury Scare
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Even so, Howard is expected to miss the upcoming game against the Rangers while the Oilers continue to sort through his status and adjust their lineup. Edmonton is already considering different options to fill the opening, and how it handles that spot will be worth watching for a team trying to keep its forward group intact through a busy stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Mike Sullivan Is Already Facing The Rangers Pressure Test
Mike Sullivan arrives behind the Rangers bench with the kind of rsum that usually buys a coach some patience, but New York rarely offers much of that. He steps in after Peter Laviolettes exit, inheriting a team that has already gone through a difficult first season, a front office reset under Chris Drury and the sort of retool language that signals expectations are still very much alive. Even before a full training camp has settled in, Sullivan is being asked to shape a roster that has been trying to find its footing while carrying the weight that comes with coaching in this market.
The early read is encouraging enough to make the job even more interesting. The Rangers have improved after a season in which injuries and inconsistency could have sent them backward, and Sullivan has already had to adjust his approach to fit the realities of New York pressure. With the team still in the thick of the race, the challenge is no longer just about installing a system. It is about proving that the new voice can steady a group that has to perform while everything around it keeps asking for more. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Face A Brutal Test As Lineup Questions Linger Out Of Break
The break is over, and the schedule does not exactly ease the Rangers back in. They open a demanding eight-game stretch in 16 days Sunday at Madison Square Garden against Edmonton, a matchup that immediately asks a lot of a team trying to settle back into rhythm after time off. The Oilers arrive with Connor McDavid and the leagues highest-scoring attack, while New York is still sorting through some uncertainty on the back end because of injuries and illness among its defensemen.
Dylan Garand is set to start in goal, giving the Rangers another look at a netminder who has been thrust into a heavy workload since Igor Shesterkin went down with a season-ending knee injury. Edmonton is expected to counter with Matt Tomkins, but the bigger issue for New York is how its lineup holds up against a top-tier opponent when the blue line is not fully settled. For a team trying to navigate a brutal run of games, Sunday feels like an early stress test. [Read more 🡒]