The Rangers are shaking up the board again as they head into Saturday night’s meeting with Columbus, looking for a cleaner response after Thursday’s rough night in New Jersey. Mike Sullivan is opening up the bottom six, bringing Taylor Raddysh back to the NHL roster now that Igor Shesterkin’s move to injured reserve has given the team some cap breathing room. At the same time, Jaroslav Chmelař has been sent to Hartford so he can get more ice time.
The lineup card also shows Sullivan going back to a look that was in place to start the season. The top six has been reshuffled, with Pavel Dorofeyev sliding back into a familiar role and Gabe Perreault, Mika Zibanejad, and Alexis Lafrenière reunited on the top line. Puck drop is set for 7:00 p.m.
Dorofeyev, one of the Rangers’ biggest offseason additions, has had a quiet start by his standards. New York committed seven years at $11 million a season to the young winger, and the early results have drawn plenty of noise.
Through nine games, he has two goals and two assists for four points, with 28 shots on goal. He entered the season as a career 14.8% shooter and is sitting at 7.1% so far in New York.
Even in the mess against the Devils, Dorofeyev scored. And while the underlying numbers still suggest better days are ahead - his xGF% is 56.41 compared with an actual GF% of 35.97 per Evolving-Hockey - the Rangers are clearly hoping for patience to pay off.
The line he’s on with Tye Kartye and J.T. Miller has shown some real promise in a small sample, posting a 49.74 GF%, a 65.51 CF%, and a 66.41 xGF%.
For now, the club should keep leaning into that trio and into the top line.
That top unit has been one of the bright spots so far. Perreault, Zibanejad, and Lafrenière have logged the 10th-most ice time as a line in the NHL and have produced strong numbers across the board. Their line owns a 100 GF%, a 52.99 CF%, and a 53.49 xGF%, and it’s one of only two Rangers lines to have played at least 70 minutes together.
The next challenge is finding a better fit behind those groups. The Eeli Tolvanen-Noah Laba-Will Cuylle line has not driven play the way the Rangers need, even though Tolvanen’s production has popped early.
His numbers include an 80.62 GF%, a 43.03 CF%, and a 46.6 xGF%, while the broader concern is that the results don’t match the process. Bjorkstrand, on the other hand, has posted a 39.63 GF%, a 50.99 CF%, and a 56.99 xGF% in 86 minutes at 5v5, and he could bring more balance if moved up.
He started the year well alongside Miller and Dorofeyev before being bumped to make room for Kartye.
Raddysh’s return gives Sullivan another experienced option, especially with Joe Veleno out injured and the fourth line still searching for a steady solution. Cole Beaudoin got a look, then Justin Dowling stepped in, but neither has locked down the job.
Raddysh offers penalty-killing value and a familiar presence from last season, which matters here. The move sends Chmelař to Hartford, where the Rangers want him playing consistent minutes rather than sitting in and out of the lineup.
Saturday also gives New York a chance to reset against a Columbus team that has struggled out of the gate. The Blue Jackets are 2-3-0 and allowing 4.20 goals per game, fourth-worst in the league.
Under normal circumstances, this could be the kind of game that sneaks up on a team. After the way the Rangers looked for much of Thursday’s loss, though, the expectation is that they come out with more urgency and get back to the relentless forecheck-heavy game that helped them start the season 6-3-0.
In Other News...
Rangers Add Veteran Goalie Depth As Bigger Questions Still Linger
The Rangers added a familiar veteran name to their goaltending pipeline when James Reimer joined their AHL affiliate in Hartford on a professional tryout agreement. It is a practical move for the Wolf Pack, which had been short on bodies in goal, and it gives New York some extra experience in the system as the organization continues sorting through its depth chart.
For now, the signing answers only part of the picture. It shores up Hartford while the NHL clubs own goaltending situation remains unsettled, and the Rangers could still look around for more help if needed. Reimers arrival buys the organization some breathing room, but it does not make the larger questions disappear. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers May Have A New Goaltending Question After Brutal OT Loss
The Rangers got exactly the kind of road effort they needed from Dylan Garand for most of the night in Columbus, but it still ended with only a point after a 1-0 overtime loss at Nationwide Arena. Garand was sharp throughout, turning aside 28 of 29 shots and helping the Rangers survive key penalty-kill situations, which at least gave a struggling road trip a chance to produce something.
New York still leaves with its record on the road sitting at 1-3-1, and the bigger takeaway may be less about the standings than about what comes next in goal. Garands showing was strong enough to keep the game within reach, but the manner of the finish only adds to the pressure around a position the Rangers suddenly have reasons to keep watching closely. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Already Face Pressure Over Their Big Pavel Dorofeyev Bet
The Rangers made a major commitment to Pavel Dorofeyev after bringing him over from Vegas and locking him in on a long-term deal, the kind of move that comes with immediate scrutiny in New York. His track record with the Golden Knights suggested there was plenty of offense still to come, which is why the early returns have drawn attention even as the season is still young.
Through nine games, Dorofeyev has not yet looked like the finishing piece the Rangers are hoping for, and the pressure that comes with a seven-season, $77 million contract is already part of the conversation. Even so, there are reasons inside the organization to believe the scoring will follow, which leaves the Rangers balancing patience with the expectation that their big bet has to start paying off soon. [Read more 🡒]