The New York Rangers entered the 2024-25 season with a group of established defensemen, but trading Jacob Trouba and the struggles of Ryan Lindgren and K’Andre Miller have made rookie Victor Mancini a key player. The team has not defended well, and that has created an opportunity for the 6-foot-3, 215-pound rookie.
Mancini’s Play
The Rangers drafted Mancini in the fifth round of the 2022 NHL Draft. He played college hockey for the University of Nebraska-Omaha in 2023-24, finishing with four goals and six assists in 40 games. He then joined the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League (AHL) and had three assists in seven regular-season games and three assists in 10 playoff games.
During this preseason, Mancini skated well, played reliably defensively, and showed some offensive upside. He had a goal and an assist in the Rangers’ 3-2 win over the Boston Bruins on Sept. 22. His strong preseason helped him beat out veteran Chad Ruhwedel and 2019 second-round pick Matthew Robertson in New York’s opening-night lineup with Lindgren out injured. Additionally, he is a righty but can play on either side, and he began the season on the left side.
Mancini did not look overmatched in the regular season and gave the Rangers solid defensive play while making clean passes out of the defensive zone to start the rush. He used his skating ability and size to his advantage and rarely got caught out of position. He scored his first NHL goal on a quick wrist shot in a 5-2 win over the Detroit Red Wings on Oct. 17, and has one goal and three assists in 14 games.
Mancini’s first NHL goal = a beauty. pic.twitter.com/a0lH2lACKJ
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) October 18, 2024
Once Lindgren returned, Mancini went back to the Wolf Pack and had two goals and three assists in six games. When the Rangers traded Trouba to the Anaheim Ducks on Dec. 6, Mancini returned to the NHL. He moved back to the right side and has played four games on the third defense pair with Zac Jones. Both are good skaters and they have done a nice job together, though the team has continued to make too many defensive mistakes.
The Rangers’ Situation on Defense
After the Trouba trade, the Rangers have played Fox with Lindgren and Miller with Braden Schneider on defense. Fox is playing well although not quite as well as last season and Schneider has done a nice job transitioning to a top-four role this season. The problem is Miller and Lindgren are both struggling defensively and neither has produced much offense.
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Lindgren has primarily been paired with Fox since they were both rookies in 2019-20. He is undersized but gritty and is usually a reliable defensive defenseman, but this season he has made too many defensive mistakes. At times he has covered the wrong man, gotten caught in the offensive zone, or backed in too far and given opponents too much room.
Miller has been a top-four defenseman since his rookie season in 2020-21 and has spent most of his time in the NHL paired with Trouba. This season he spent time playing with Fox and has played with Schneider after the Trouba trade. He has stick-checked rather than using his 6-foot-5 frame to defend and has turned the puck over too often. Additionally, he was an offensive force and finished with nine goals and 34 assists in 79 games in 2022-23. He had eight goals and 22 assists in 2023-24. This season he has just two goals and four assists in 28 games.
Adding to the Rangers’ concerns on defense, Miller left the team’s 3-2 win over the Buffalo Sabres on Dec. 11 with an upper-body injury and was placed on injured reserve. The injury could result in Mancini being moved into the top four. With Lindgren struggling anyway, Mancini could have a chance to replace him on the top pair and play with Fox.
For Mancini and the Rangers Moving Forward
While Trouba was heavily scrutinized for his struggles defensively, the Rangers’ defensive issues go beyond one player. The forwards need to be better, and Miller and Lindgren need to improve. Their struggles and the Trouba trade have created an opportunity for Mancini and thus far he has taken advantage of it, earning a spot in the lineup. He certainly has the potential to one day become a top-four defenseman and he may even end up in the top-four this season.
