Sports

Rangers’ second-year studs in middle of center glut

The future of the Rangers was on the ice Thursday at the club’s practice rink before departing for the Traverse City rookie tournament that begins Friday. There was Filip Chytil and Lias Andersson; Brett Howden, Libor Hajek and Ryan Lindgren; Sean Day and Ty Ronning; Ville Meskanen and Michael Lindqvist.

And though there appears little room available for many of these NextGen Blueshirts to crack a roster that is jammed with veterans from last season’s varsity, general manager Jeff Gorton told The Post the team is prepared to accommodate young men whose play warrants a spot in the NHL.

“It’s fair to say that if a guy proves he’s ready, we’ll make whatever roster moves are necessary to accommodate him,” the GM said. “We’re not going to hold anybody back because we have X number of veterans here under contract.





“At the same time, though, if a player is going to be in the NHL, he has to earn it. We’re not giving anyone a spot just to show that our kids are developing. We’re operating under a merit system.”

The most significant moves of the offseason that followed the team’s worst season since 2003-04 and the February edict/deadline action to reset the organization following more than a decade of contention were the ones that did not occur. Essentially, everyone is back for another crack. That could not have been the plan coming out of Game 82 in Philadelphia on April 7.

“Coming out of the season, I didn’t have a specific plan to not have a specific player or players back, and I wasn’t going to make a move just to make a move,” Gorton said. “We expect there to be competition for jobs at camp and it’s just as much up to the veterans to prove they belong as the young guys. That goes for every position.





“We’ve all seen our veterans play at a higher level than they did last year. We are going to need more from them. There is nobody in the room who can’t be better.”

Chytil and Andersson, last year’s first-rounders at picks 21 and seven, respectively, will play in this tournament for the second time following a 2017-18 in which they finished the regular season on Broadway before participating in the World Championships. This seems like an extraneous exercise for them.

“Filip and Lias are still very young players whom we think will benefit from playing with the group of 18-, 19- and 20-year-olds we have,” Gorton said. “We’d like them to grow together as a group and get as much familiarity with one another as they can.





“Another year at Traverse City should be good for them.”

There appears to be a glut at center, with Mika Zibanejad and Kevin Hayes ensconced in the middle; Vlad Namestnikov and Ryan Spooner as veteran options; and Chytil, Andersson, Howden and Boo Nieves competing for spots. Peter Holland is back for another go-round as well. Gorton said, however, the team does not envision moving any of the kids to the wing.

“The intent is to have all three at center to start,” Gorton said of Chytil, Andersson and Howden. “We want them to play their natural position and see how they look there. That’s how we want to evaluate them. As we move along, we’ll see, but we don’t have a plan to move any of the them to the wing. We think of them as centers.”





Gorton similarly said he does not envision moving either Zibanejad or Hayes to the flank. Zibanejad is entering the second year of a five-year deal while Hayes is on a one-year contract that would take him to 2019 unrestricted free agency. The GM said that No. 13’s contract status will not influence where and how he is used by incoming head coach David Quinn.

“Mika and Kevin earned the right to be centers off of their careers and the seasons they had for us last season,” Gorton said. “As far as Kevin, people should not assume we’re necessarily in a one-and-done situation.

“It is a one-year deal, but like I’ve told Kevin, we’d like to have him long-term. He’s said that he wants to be here, so let’s have him come to camp in great shape, be a leader, have a big season, and let’s go from there. Nothing is set in stone.”

The tournament runs through Monday. Training camp commences next Friday.

“We’re looking forward to it,” Gorton said. “It’s going to be interesting.”

The Rangers, who do not anticipate having veterans in camp on tryouts, have free-agent goaltender Jeremy Brodeur to join the Traverse City roster. Martin Brodeur’s 21-year-old son, undrafted after three years with OHL Oshawa, played last season with the ECHL Allen Americans and has an agreement to return to the club. Brodeur is filling in for Brandan Halverson, sidelined for up to six weeks following a procedure on his knee.





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