Hartnett: Rangers Must Figure Out A Way To Let McDonagh Create

By Sean Hartnett
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Alain Vigneault has a big call to make to fix the Rangers' longest-standing issue.

As detailed in last Wednesday's column, the Blueshirts do not possess a natural fit to occupy the top-pairing, right-sided defenseman role alongside captain Ryan McDonagh.

MORE: Hartnett: Gorton Faces Tall Order Revamping Right Side Of Rangers' Defense

Getting the most out of McDonagh is paramount for the present and future of both the player and the franchise. For every night he is saddled with aging alternate captain Dan Girardi on his right side, McDonagh is being stunted from truly showcasing his offensive flair. He's spending far too much time in his own end putting out fires because of his partner's sagging play.

Through 36 games, Vigneault has mostly stuck with McDonagh-Girardi as his top pairing. To be exact, 73 percent of McDonagh's five-on-five ice time this season has been with Girardi. McDonagh is capable of playing like a Norris Trophy candidate, but has been weighed down by another poor campaign from Girardi. Out of 141 NHL defensemen to skate at least 400 five-on-five minutes, the 32-year-old is tied for third-worst with a Corsi For percentage of 43.5. Only Kevin Bieksa of the Anaheim Ducks and Ben Chiarot of the Ottawa Senators have fared worse than Girardi.

Slow-footed and overmatched against the league's best, Girardi is no longer capable of being effective in a top-pairing role. It's long overdue for Vigneault to switch things up, but he's balked at making the key change to his defensive pairs and instead has focused on secondary alterations.

The latest of which came Friday night ahead of a 7-4 thrashing at the hands of the streaking Minnesota Wild, who have now rattled off 10 straight victories. Rookie defenseman Brady Skjei was scratched in favor of seldom-used Adam Clendening. It was the second consecutive game that the Rangers surrendered seven goals, having lost 7-2 to the Pittsburgh Penguins three days earlier.

"I thought the last little while here, he had struggled," Vigneault said of the decision to scratch Skjei. "When we analyzed our scoring chances and all the other components that go into making a decision, we felt it was time to take him out of the lineup."

Now is the time to remedy the root cause of the Rangers' problems. The third-place Blueshirts sit in the middle of a five-way grapple for Metropolitan Division supremacy. Only six points separate the first-place Columbus Blue Jackets and the fifth-place Philadelphia Flyers. Much can be gained or lost in the tight divisional race, depending on how quickly Vigneault frees McDonagh from Girardi.

The two candidates most likely in line for a promotion to play alongside McDonagh are fellow left-handers Nick Holden and Skjei. Holden enjoyed a fruitful spell on the first pair earlier this season, though he has since formed a rock-solid partnership with alternate captain Marc Staal. Overall, Holden has provided the Rangers with dependable play in both ends of the rink while contributing 16 points through 36 games.

An intriguing option would be moving Skjei straight out of the press box and into the first pair. Skjei looked excellent skating on either side during the 2016 playoffs, contributing two assists in five games. He has collected 15 points through 35 games this season while mostly playing in the third pair alongside Kevin Klein.

Judging by the way Vigneault operates, he tends to give veterans more leeway and is stricter with rookies. His irritation over Skjei's subpar outing in the recent Pittsburgh loss is going to be fresh in his mind. So, maybe Holden jumping back on the top pair is more realistic. What AV can't do is keep giving Girardi a free pass and banking on his game to turn around.

Follow Sean on Twitter at @HartnettHockey