PHILADELPHIA — It’s the intrigue of the unknown that makes first-year players seem so much more interesting than second-year players. Yet more often than not, the inverse is true.
So it’s easy to get caught up in the possibility the Rangers might keep one or both of their first-round picks from this year, centers Lias Andersson and Filip Chytil. Yet quite a bit more of the team’s success could be predicated on the improved play of wingers Jimmy Vesey and Pavel Buchnevich, both entering their sophomore campaigns in the NHL.
“I was expecting both of them to push and to work hard to get a bigger role. Both of them have done exactly that,” coach Alain Vigneault said Tuesday before the preseason finale, when Vesey collected an assist and Buchnevich played a solid game in a 4-3 overtime loss to the Flyers at Wells Fargo Center. “They’re pushing hard, they’re going to be part of our decision-making and what we feel is best for this group.”
The decisions that Vigneault must make are a trickle-down effect from the top of the roster to the bottom. For example, going into the offseason, general manager Jeff Gorton made it clear he believed in both Kevin Hayes and Mika Zibanejad to take over expanded roles as the top two centers. That allowed Gorton to trade Derek Stepan, his de facto No. 1 pivot, and backup goalie Antti Raanta to Arizona for the No. 7-overall pick he turned into Andersson as well as young defenseman Anthony DeAngelo, another player in the mix for the opening-night roster. The deal also freed up space under the salary cap, which enabled Gorton to sign the top free agent on the market, defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk.
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The confidence the organization has in Vesey and Buchnevich to be top-six forwards helps explain why Gorton hasn’t been overly aggressive in trying to acquire another skilled winger, such as Colorado’s Matt Duchene. Instead, what the Rangers want to see from them is improvement upon promising rookie years.
“They’ve had some good moments in the NHL,” Vigneault said. “Now both of them really want to establish themselves as NHL players that can contribute on a nightly basis and help the team have success.”
Since Vesey joined the Rangers as a ballyhooed free agent out of Harvard, he has shown not just offensive skill, but a two-way game and a competitiveness that might have taken some people by surprise. The 24-year-old Bostonian finished his rookie season with 16 goals and 27 points in 80 games, but it was clear his game had some drastic ups and downs. But by his own evaluation and that of Vigneault, Vesey was at his best during the Rangers’ short-lived postseason run, which ended in Game 6 of the second round at the hands of the Senators.
“I’ve always said I felt that Jimmy is a gamer,” Vigneault said, “and I haven’t changed my mind on that.”
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, 22, dealt with a back issue early in the year, but settled in down the stretch and finished with eight goals and 20 points in 41 games. Vigneault said the Russian came into this camp physically stronger and more prepared for the grind of the regular season.
“I think Butchie has a tremendous amount of skill,” Vigneault said.
Just as Vesey experienced a dip during his rookie year, if Andersson or Chytil ends up sticking with the team, a similar downturn has to be expected. But the organization is looking for Vesey and Buchnevich to be beyond that and to be consistent in their second seasons. When Vigneault was asked what he was expecting from those two, he made it very clear.
“Take a step forward,” he said.