Oliver Bjorkstrand has kept producing for the Rangers, but he’s doing it from a spot in the lineup that clearly doesn’t match his résumé.
After being bumped to the fourth line in the third game of the season, the 31-year-old winger responded the way veterans do: with goals. He scored twice Tuesday in the win over Anaheim, then added another Thursday in Toronto in the Rangers’ last-minute loss to the Maple Leafs. Through Saturday’s game in Ottawa, he had five goals, which was second on the team behind Alexis Lafreniere’s eight.
The catch is the ice time. Bjorkstrand has averaged only 10 minutes, 38 seconds a night this season, far below his career average of 15:21. That number got a boost Tuesday because coach Mike Sullivan leaned on him in the third period while trying to get him a hat trick; Bjorkstrand skated 12:08 in that game.
It’s not exactly where a player with his track record expected to be. The Rangers signed Bjorkstrand to a one-year, $4.5 million contract in the summer, and he’s a six-time 20-goal scorer. Sullivan has made it clear he wants to find more minutes for him, but the current forward setup has made that difficult.
Right now, the top three lines are clicking in a way the coach likes: Gabe Perreault-Mika Zibanejad-Lafreniere, Tye Kartye-J.T. Miller-Pavel Dorofeyev and Will Cuylle-Noah Laba-Eeli Tolvanen. That has left Bjorkstrand on the fourth line for the time being, though he remains on the second power-play unit as well.
Sullivan said Oct. 14 that he had already talked with Bjorkstrand about ways to get him more involved.
“I’ve had discussions with Ollie about trying to find ways to get him on the ice a little bit more,” Sullivan said on Oct. 14.
“Different ways to get Ollie more minutes would be, coming off penalty kills. Let’s say we’re utilizing guys like Ty Kartley [on the penalty kill].
Maybe Ollie can get a shift with J.T.’s line . . . and we can get Ollie a few more minutes there.”
That has started to happen in small doses. With the Rangers trailing by a goal and pushing for an equalizer Thursday in Toronto, Sullivan sent Bjorkstrand out for a couple of shifts with Cuylle and Laba in the third period. Sullivan has said Bjorkstrand’s ability to play either wing gives him flexibility over the course of the season, and that skill set could matter if injuries hit one of the top three lines.
For now, though, Sullivan said he is “trying to figure out ways to keep Ollie engaged in the game.”
Bjorkstrand said he knows the assignment.
“It’s up to me just to be ready,’’ he said. “When I get out there, I’ve got to put in my minutes and do what I can do.
And if it’s a goal, it’s a goal. If it’s a hard minute, then that’s what it is.
“That’s what I can focus on and control.”
The Rangers also addressed another depth issue this week at center, where they were thin even before Joe Veleno went down with a lower-body injury nearly three weeks ago. Veleno, a key penalty-killer, is out until sometime in January at the earliest, and the team turned to Luke Glendening as a replacement. He arrived on a professional tryout this past week and signed a one-year, $850,000 deal on Thursday.
“I’m just thankful for the opportunity,’’ Glendening said after practice Wednesday. “Trying to go and earn a job every day and just taking it minute by minute.”
Glendening is 37 and entering his 13th season. He played for the Devils and Flyers last year, and was part of a Flyers team that surged into the playoffs and won a first-round series over the Penguins.
In 18 regular-season games for Philadelphia, he had two goals, three assists and a plus-4 rating. In 10 playoff games, he added a goal and finished plus-3.
He knows exactly what he brings.
“What am I as a player? I’m a worker, I can skate, be physical, win faceoffs [55.6% for his career], penalty kill,” Glendening said. “Not a highlight-reel player, that’s for sure.
“I know what I am as a player, but I’ll just come and bring what I can bring. And if it works, it would be awesome.”
The Rangers now head home for Monday’s game against the Kings and old friend Artemi Panarin. They’re 6-0 at home this season, their second-best start ever.
The best came in 1990-91, when they opened 8-0-0 under Roger Neilson, with Kelly Kisio as captain and Brian Leetch leading the way offensively with 88 points - 16 goals and 72 assists - in 80 games. That team finished 36-31-13 for 85 points and second place in the Patrick Division.
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