So while David Quinn has time to decide whether two games represents enough of a sample size to replace Ryan Strome with either Brett Howden or Lias Andersson as second-line center for the Rangers’ next game — Saturday afternoon at the Garden against the Oilers — Jeff Gorton acted quickly.

The general manager on Monday alleviated a lingering cap problem by moving Vladislav Namestnikov to the Senators in exchange for a 2021 fourth-round draft selection and AHL defenseman Nick Ebert. The move will save $3,120,968 in space for the Blueshirts, who are retaining $750,000 in salary and cap charges.

Namestnikov came to the Blueshirts from Tampa Bay as part of the package for Ryan McDonagh and JT Miller, reputed to be a productive top-six forward after playing most of 2017-18 on the Lightning’s top line with Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov.

Alas, the 26-year-old Russian, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, recorded only 35 points (13 goals, 22 assists) in 99 games as a Ranger and had settled in as a grinding, bottom-six player. But Brendan Lemieux seemed on the verge of usurping his third-line role and Greg McKegg, on a $700,000 deal, should be able to fill the fourth line blue-collar role equally as well as Namestnikov.

This move in the rearview, Quinn now can address the second-line spot in the middle and the option of moving either Howden or Andersson into that critical spot.

“Without question, that’s on the table,” Quinn said following Monday’s split-squad skills practice. “If their play warrants it, they’ll certainly get that chance.”

The dazzle and dominance of the Mika Zibanejad-Artemi Panarin-Pavel Buchnevich first line in both of the Blueshirts’ opening victories has made everybody else look inferior by comparison. But the fact is, that combination has accounted for only two of the team’s five five-on-five goals, both scored by NHL Star of the Week Zibanejad.

Otherwise, Howden has one and defensemen Jacob Trouba and Marc Staal recorded the other two. You will thus note that there have been no goals scored by Strome or linemates Chris Kreider or Kaapo Kakko with chances few and far between for the unit.

“I thought they were a little bit better [in Ottawa] but we need more out of them,” Quinn said. “We need more from all three of the other lines.”

Strome represents the flashpoint. The Rangers essentially had that second center spot reserved for Chytil, but the 20-year-old did little in training camp to take advantage of the opportunity. Hence, he was dispatched to the AHL Wolf Pack — for whom he turned in a pair of impressive performances over the weekend — and Strome was inserted into the middle of a unit that features a couple of fairly prominent wingers. So far, neither has had the puck all that much. That is not, though, exclusively on the centerman.

“I thought [Strome] got better,” Quinn said. “Again, it’s not just one guy. It’s all three guys.”

It’s not just one guy and it has only been two games. But it seems like ancient history already when the Rangers had so many young centers waiting to claim a top-six spot that management backed off from signing Kevin Hayes to form a 1-2 punch with Zibanejad because that would have blocked the kids. (Or that was one of the reasons.)

And let’s not kid ourselves. Kakko’s presence on the second line is the reason so much focus has been trained on the unit’s lack of production at this ridiculously early date. Seriously, if, say, Mats Zuccarello or Rick Nash were on that line, it would hardly be a topic of conversation.

The first line has accounted for seven shots, six from Zibanejad and one from Panarin. Guess how many shots the second line has combined to send on net? Yes, that would also be seven, five from Kreider and one each from Strome and Kakko.

The first line has generated 12 attempted shots, nine from Zibanejad, three from Panarin and none from Buchnevich. And how many attempts from the second unit? Thirteen, including seven by Kreider and five by Kakko.

“If you’re going to have consistent success in this league, or in any league, for that matter, your forwards have to be productive, and not just the top scorers,” Quinn said. “We’ve got guys who are proven scorers on the other three lines, and they’ve got to be more productive. I have faith they’re going to be.”