It’s the preseason, that’s all it is.
But then, the preseason is all there is in which young prospects can make an impression on management.
So while it would be foolish to invest too much significance in the performance of Rangers kid forwards Anthony Duclair, Ryan Haggerty, Kevin Hayes and Jesper Fast thus far, it would be equally foolish to completely discount them in the equation.
Haggerty and Fast each scored twice while Duclair got one and Hayes contributed a couple of nifty assists in the Blueshirts’ 6-3 Garden victory over the Flyers on Monday during which Henrik Lundqvist was more than suitably impressed while going the distance in nets.
“The way they move the puck, the way they see the game, they look confident out there,” the King said. “It’s going to be interesting to see. There are a couple of spots open here and I think a lot of guys are doing a great job to promote themselves, to put themselves into a good spot here.”
Hayes is in the mix for a spot at center, where Matthew Lombardi’s groin issue appears to have created another opening. Fast, Haggerty and Duclair are vying for spots on the wing as the Blueshirts monitor Ryan Malone’s progress in dealing with a hip-pointer.
“[A few] of our younger guys have caught our attention,” coach Alain Vigneault said. “There’s three more exhibition games left, and we’re going to take the time we need to make the right decisions for the start of our season.”
Haggerty and Duclair scored on scoot-and-shoot dashes, each displaying speed, finesse and a quick release. Fast, the most advanced of the trio on the defensive side of the puck, ripped one home on a one-timer from the slot for his second goal in two exhibition matches.
The situation with Duclair bears watching, as the Rangers would have to move a contract in order to add the 19-year-old, junior-eligible winger to the roster. Beyond that, because the Blueshirts already have lost this season as a “slide year” on Duclair’s contract, they’d be under no pressure to return him to junior before Game 10 if he should make the opening roster.
But there is a long way to go between now and then.
The candidates for the spot as the Rangers’ seventh defenseman are not household names. That’s not the problem. The problem is that not one of the contenders has made a name for himself with Vigneault through the first 10 days of training camp.
This is not particularly good news for either the Blueshirts or in-house contenders Mike Kostka, Matt Hunwick, Steven Kampfer, Conor Allen and Dylan McIlrath, all of whom have had issues in their own end and in contributing to the breakout and attack.
“[It’s] up in the air,” Vigneault said. “It’s right there. Nobody’s gone out of their way yet to grab my attention.
“It’s still a very open spot. Seventh, eighth and ninth, I would say. … Usually you rate your players and you’ve got an idea [but] I’d say it’s all up in the air right now.”
Kampfer, Hunwick and McIlrath were all in the lineup for Monday’s match, with Kostka and Allen likely to play in the back end of the home-and-home Tuesday in Philadelphia.
Dan Girardi was kept out of practice for the second straight day Monday, and has been off the ice three straight days since playing in Friday night’s victory in Chicago, the Blueshirts having been off on Saturday. That’s more than a little unusual. Still, Vigneault said that there’s no health issue.
“We’re just being protective, giving him an extra day,” said the coach. “He’ll skate Tuesday.”