Lindgren's open spot gives Rangers best prospect a massive opportunity this season
With Ryan Lindgren out of the Rangers lineup for the next few weeks, the team will need someone to bolster the blueline.
They will need a good partner, to pair with Adam Fox, and to let him work his magic on ice.
One of them who could slot into the lineup in place of Lindgren is a relatively unknown defenseman, Victor Mancini. Who wasn't even ranked in The Hockey News "Top Ten Prospects" for the Blueshirts?
From the Future Considerations 2020 Draft Guide (paywalled): Mancini is a solid right-handed defender that is all over the ice with the size that you need to play a very physical game, which he does and does well. He is fast on his skates and often takes the puck himself into the offensive zone with success.
Source: Pension Plan Puppets
2020 NHL Draft Profile: Victor Mancini, the next Jake Muzzin?
Another option for the Rangers could be veteran defenseman, Chad Ruhwedel, who only played 5 games with the Blueshirts last season.
He wouldn't accumulate a point at all during that frame, but could still be an option on the top pair.
He's a good skater and puck-mover, and a 2017 Stanley Cup champion who could provide a solid stand-in while Lindgren is out for multiple weeks.
Ruhwedel, 34, recorded one goal and three assists for four points in 52 games between the Rangers (five games) and the Pittsburgh Penguins (47 games) in 2023-24. He was acquired by the Blueshirts in a trade with Pittsburgh on March 8, 2024. The 5-11, 191-pound blueliner added 90 hits and 44 blocked shots to his season totals.<.q>
Either way, it seems as if the Rangers will have Ryan Lindgren's spot covered, as the warrior will recover from an upper-body injury suffered while protecting Filip Chytil.
His presence will be missed on ice.
Source: The Hockey News
Ryan Lindgren's Injury Opens Up Opportunity For Highly Touted Prospect
Source: NHL
Rangers Agree to Terms with Chad Ruhwedel
| POLL |
SEPTEMBRE 28 | 42 ANSWERS Lindgren's open spot gives Rangers best prospect a massive opportunity this season Whose a better replacement? |
| Victor Mancini | 36 | 85.7 % |
| Chad Ruhwedel | 6 | 14.3 % |
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