Media Bytes: Tolvanen Fallout, Veteran Roster Lean, No Tomorrow for Morrow?
Eeli Tolvanen has fans split, young forwards are fighting for scraps, and Scott Morrow may be running out of chances—this week's Media Bytes has it all.
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Winger Wonderland
1. Greg Kaplan shared his thoughts on the Eeli Tolvanen signing on Blueshirts Breakaway this week, with a particular focus on how the late addition could affect the Rangers’ lineup with training camp and the preseason rapidly approaching.
Kaplan approved of the signing, noting that even before Tolvanen arrived, he was perfectly comfortable with the Rangers entering the season with Tye Kartye as their sixth-best winger.
“I thought he deserved it,” Kaplan said. “I thought he played really well at the end of the year for the Rangers, and I didn't feel strongly that there was another winger on the market so much better than Kartye that it was worth bringing him in just to push Kartye down in the lineup.”
At the same time, Kaplan argued that having seven capable wingers for six spots is hardly a bad problem to have—particularly because all seven can potentially move throughout the lineup.
“It's quite nice that the Rangers have seven wingers for six spots, and those seven wingers can play anywhere in the lineup,” he said. “It's a good problem to have that the only known roster placement that we have today for opening night is Noah Laba is going to be the third-line center and Joe Veleno will be the fourth-line center. Everything else is up for grabs.”
In Kaplan's view, the Rangers now have enough winger depth to absorb an injury or a stretch of poor play without having to dramatically alter the lineup. Among Tolvanen, Will Cuylle, and Kartye, the Rangers could realistically begin the season with two players capable of filling top-six roles playing on the third line.
In other words, Tolvanen doesn't just give the Rangers another winger. He gives them the flexibility to shuffle the deck when things inevitably go sideways.
