NHL

Rangers defense will have to ‘step up’ in Jacob Trouba’s absence

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Published March 10, 2024, 6:15 a.m. ET

Saturday marked the beginning of head coach Peter Laviolette’s pursuit of solidifying the Rangers playoff lineup.

Despite how long it takes to integrate the Blueshirts’ trade-deadline acquisitions, it will be a minimum of 2-3 weeks before the team can be a finished product as captain Jacob Trouba recovers from a lower-body injury.

While the forward line experiments begin, the defensive depth will be tested.

Rangers captain Jacob Trouba will miss at least 2-3 weeks because of a lower body injury.
Rangers captain Jacob Trouba will miss at least 2-3 weeks because of a lower-body injury. NHLI via Getty Images

“That’s tough. I mean, he’s a leader of this team,” Laviolette said of losing Trouba before the Rangers beat the Blues, 4-0, on Saturday night at Madison Square Garden. “He brings a certain style of play that we will miss. He’s physical, he plays great defense for us, he carries a lot of the tough minutes and the heavy workload.

“Other guys are going to have to step up. It’s a great opportunity for somebody to step up and push into that position.”

Without Trouba, Braden Schneider was moved up to the right side of K’Andre Miller.

Laviolette noted that Schneider has played that role before.

To fill the void left by Schneider, Zac Jones drew into the Rangers lineup for the first time since Feb. 5, slotting onto the left of Erik Gustafsson.

It’s likely that newly acquired defenseman Chad Ruhwedel will get an opportunity while Trouba is out, as well.

The bottom six will presumably see some different looks over the next few weeks as Alex Wennberg is integrated in.

To start, Wennberg centered Will Cuylle and Kaapo Kakko, while Barclay Goodrow skated between Jimmy Vesey and Matt Rempe.

As expected, Jack Roslovic started on the right wing of Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider on Saturday.

Laviolette sees Roslovic as a wing, but the Rangers bench boss said he wouldn’t mind giving him a few shifts at center, too.

“I think we filled some spaces that we needed filled,” Laviolette said. “With both forwards, both have played center. Roslovic has played mostly the wing, just talking with him and knowing his past, he has played center and is a centerman.

“So I feel like it’s always good to have center depth inside your lineup. Again, picking up another defenseman, I think that’s a real positive, as well. Just trying to prepare for a stretch and a playoff run.”

Igor Shesterkin played in his 200th NHL game Saturday, while Vincent Trocheck appeared in Game No. 700 of his NHL career.

The Rangers will be off Sunday before they take on a back-to-back slate against the Devils on Monday night at the Garden and then the Hurricanes in Raleigh, N.C., on Tuesday.