After years of struggling to find a number-one center, the New York Rangers found an excellent one in Mika Zibanejad. Following the 2021-22 season, they let Ryan Strome go in free agency and signed free agent Vincent Trocheck to a seven-year deal. While the team’s top two centers are both having strong seasons, the organization’s lack of depth in both the NHL and the American Hockey League (AHL) is hurting them and it needs to be addressed.
Rangers’ Situation at Center This Season
Filip Chytil entered this season as the Rangers’ second-line center but he suffered a suspected concussion on Nov. 2 and has not played since. There is no timetable for his recovery and he has yet to resume practicing with the team so it is unclear if he will be able to return this season.
One of the biggest positives for the Rangers halfway through this season is the play of Trocheck who replaced Chytil as the team’s second-line center. He has won 62 percent of his faceoffs this season, which is fantastic after the team went years without a faceoff specialist late in close games. He has contributed on the power play, helped kill penalties, and has averaged a point per game with 13 goals and 29 assists in 42 games.
After a slow start offensively, Zibanejad has returned to form and has 14 goals and 25 assists in 41 games this season. He had just two goals and eight assists in his first 16 games but has 12 goals and 17 assists in his last 25 games. He is an excellent two-way player who can be trusted in all situations. Additionally, his faceoff percentage is 51.9, after it was 49.5 last season.
Related: Rangers’ Mika Zibanejad: 5 Great Things
The problem for the Rangers is they have Nick Bonino centering the third line and Barclay Goodrow centering the fourth line. While both veterans provide grit and have helped on the penalty kill, they have not given the team any offensive production. Bonino has one goal and four assists in 41 games while winning 51.5 percent of his faceoffs. His Corsi for percentage is 31.9. Goodrow has one goal and four assists in 40 games while winning 53.8 percent of his faceoffs. His Corsi for percentage is 36.7. Their play has made it difficult for the team to generate offense or get their forecheck going when their third or fourth line is on the ice.
Rangers’ Lack of Prospects Who Play Center
Given the injury to Chytil, and the struggles of Bonino and Goodrow, the Rangers could look to call up a prospect, but none of their top prospects are centers. The last time the team drafted a center in the first round of the draft was in 2017 when they drafted both Chytil and Lias Andersson.
Top prospects Gabriel Perreault and Brennan Othmann are both wingers as are prospects Brett Berard, and Adam Sykora. All but Perreault, who is at Boston College, are currently playing for the Hartford Wolf Pack in the AHL. Rangers’ rookie winger Will Cuylle is having a strong rookie season as a bottom-six forward and has seven goals and five assists in 42 games despite the struggles of his center. While the team has talented forward prospects, they need to address their lack of prospects at center in the next few drafts.
For this season, the Rangers do have one intriguing option in 35-year-old Artem Anisimov. The veteran center spent his first four seasons in the NHL in New York and has 180 goals and 196 assists in 771 games. He last played in the NHL in 2020-21 and had 19 goals and 17 assists in 55 games in 2022-23 for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the AHL. This season he has one goal and one assist in five games with the Wolf Pack.
Another option is Adam Edstrom who also plays for the Wolf Pack and has eight goals and two assists in 24 games. The 6-foot-8 forward has spent some time at center and as a winger. He scored his first NHL goal in his only game with the Rangers.
For the Rangers Moving Forward
For their long-term future, the Rangers need to start developing centers and perhaps they will draft one in the first round of this year’s NHL Draft. In the short term, they need to add another center as an injury to Zibanejad or Trocheck could be disastrous. Zibanejad missed a game against the St. Louis Blues on Jan. 11 and they lost 5-2 in a disappointing performance.
The Rangers are looking to become Stanley Cup contenders this season and they will have to address their lack of depth at center to reach their potential.
