Wrapping up our forward report cards, there were 7 forwards that played at least 10 games for the Rangers but were not major factors in the regular season. Nick Bonino and Tyler Pitlick played the most games at 45 and 34, respectively, with Alex Wennberg (19), Jack Roslovic (19), Matt Rempe (17), Adam Edstrom (11), and Filip Chytil (10) filling out the rest of the injuries, trade deadline acquisitions, or midseason call up ranks.
It’s easy to call Bonino a massive failure, but that’s not really fair to him. His game certainly fell off a cliff and he was not the guy Chris Drury hoped he could get as another bargain bin signing, thus leading to his eventual release. But he was also severely miscast as the 3C for the Rangers once Chytil went down for the season.
But in those first 10 games as the 4C, Bonino wasn’t exactly stellar. His 1-4-5 line over 45 games was fine, all things considered. But it’s the play away from the puck that mattered more for Bonino given his role, and every single Ranger was simply better away from him, at least in terms of puck possession.
Bonino was objectively bad in his 4C role through the first 10 games, and was worse playing out of position as the 3C. This NHL minimum salary signing simply didn’t work.
Tyler Pitlick was another depth player that appeared to be more of a 14F/15F signing than an every day signing. It was a tad surprising that he made the opening night roster, playing over Jimmy Vesey in a fourth line role. Pitlick was in and out of the lineup through early February, playing 34 games and putting up a line of 1-3-4 on the fourth line.
Pitlick was a plug, he was below replacement level, which was expected as the 14F/15F that wound up playing far more than anyone could have expected due to the injuries to Chytil and Kaapo Kakko.
Alex Wennberg was the center acquisition made to replace Chytil as the 3C. Wennberg wasn’t expected to score much, and he certainly lived up to those expectations with a modest 1-4-5 in 19 regular season games with the Rangers. But he thrived defensively and formed one-third of one of the top defensive lines in the playoffs.
It’s a shame Wennberg’s line with Kakko and Will Cuylle wasn’t used in more high pressure situations, especially in the Carolina and Florida series. Wennberg and Kakko are two of the better defensive players in the league, and Cuylle was surprisingly up there with them defensively. They were a true shutdown line that, unfortunately, did not play in that kind of role in the playoffs.
Still, that’s on the coach, not on Wennberg. He was everything the Rangers needed him to be.
Jack Roslovic was another plug in an attempt to find a winger that fits with Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider. A desperation–but still cheap–trade brought him in, knowing Kakko wasn’t the proper fit as the 1RW. He was overall fine, but nothing spectacular, in the regular season with a line of 3-5-8 in his 19 games. He was a fine fit in the regular season, even helping that line be more consistent in driving possession.
It was the playoffs where Roslovic struggled, but then again that entire line struggled for consistency. Their overall possession numbers tanked big time, likely due to facing top quality competition on a nightly basis against two of the top five teams in the NHL.
The role as 2RW was fine, and he even put up 2-6-8 in the playoffs. Not too shabby. But it was his inconsistency, fly-bys, and aimless wandering at times that frustrated many. He wasn’t great, but he wasn’t terrible either.
Matt Rempe’s impact goes far beyond his play on the ice, which was actually pretty solid. Playing a 4RW role mainly with Barclay Goodrow and Jimmy Vesey in the regular season, the trio put up respectable 4L possession numbers, notably with good-enough defensively play.
But it was the playoffs where Rempe was exposed. He was fine against Washington, since the Capitals were a bad team. But Carolina and Florida, two much faster opponents, exposed the rookie for what he was: A rookie that still needs to fine tune his game.
None of this is a slight against Rempe. Good teams target rookies, especially ones that the refs were clearly targeting. He became a liability on the ice, partly due to a few questionable hits and partly due to the media sensation and attention he received, thus making him a target for the refs.
Overall though, he was surprisingly good as a fourth line winger. If he fine tunes his game and keeps his elbows tucked, he will have a long career.
Adma Edstrom only played 11 games for the Rangers last year, scoring twice in a 4RW role. Edstrom, like Rempe, is still a bit raw and it showed on the ice. There’s some skill there, and he should pan out as a solid depth player for the Rangers. He’s not going to have the physical impact of Rempe, but he will still play a physical game and hopefully some solid three zone play.
What could have been with Chytil. He only played 10 games, putting up 6 assists on a line with Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere. That line was poised to cook before the injury, and now likely won’t be reunited since Vincent Trocheck was spectacular with that duo.
Chytil is everything the Rangers needed in the postseason: A steady, two way, three zone player who drives possession, creates space, and gets to open ice for offensive chances. More importantly, he was one of the only centers that actually helped the defense on breakouts, circling back to create a safety net option. They really could have used him at center throughout the Florida series.
If there was one big miss on Peter Laviolette’s playoff strategy, it was using him as a winger on the top line instead of creating a tertiary scoring line with Chytil as the 3C. No matter where he played, there was an injury concern. Given the matchups Kreider and Zibanejad got throughout the playoffs, there’s a strong case that Chytil shouldn’t have been there, and should have played against weaker depth.
What could have been.
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