Rangers special teams preview: Analyzing power play and penalty kill options

The final days of Rangers' training camp are about fine-tuning all facets of the game, with special teams getting extra attention during Thursday's practice, as well as the team meetings that followed. They played a critical part in last season's success, with New York's power play and penalty kill both ranking third in the NHL.

Those areas, combined with top-notch goaltending, are where the Blueshirts separated themselves from the pack. It helped them overcome middling five-on-five play and capture the fourth Presidents' Trophy in franchise history.

"Our power play and our penalty kill were excellent last year," head coach Peter Laviolette said on the start of training camp. "In order to be successful as a team, they have to be."

Artemi Panarin: Star forward's injury creates new questions, opportunities

With the start of the 2024-25 season now days away − they'll open in Pittsburgh on Wednesday night − Laviolette and his staff are in the process of finalizing their special teams' units. And while much has been made of the Rangers' lack of roster turnover , there will be notable changes and a few new faces on both the PP and PK, particularly the latter given the expected absence of go-to penalty killers Ryan Lindgren (upper-body injury) and Jimmy Vesey (lower body) for multiple weeks.

Let's dive in and analyze how it will all shake out:

Power play

PP1 – Adam Fox, Mika Zibanejad, Vincent Trocheck, Artemi Panarin and Chris Kreider

PP2 – K’Andre Miller, Alexis Lafrenière, Filip Chytil, Reilly Smith and Kaapo Kakko

Analysis: The Rangers flirted with the idea of two evenly distributed units through the first two weeks of camp, but the chances of them keeping it that way always seemed slim.

They’ve tried it before, both under Laviolette and previous coach Gerard Gallant, but it never lasted more than a couple games. Inevitably, they revert back to a top-heavy No. 1 unit that eats up roughly three-quarters of the PP ice time.

Thursday’s practice featured a return to normalcy – minus Panarin, who's considered day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Lafrenière skated in the injured star’s place, but fourth-fifths of a unit that’s been together for two full seasons was back in place.

And why not? That group is largely responsible for a power play that converted a 26.4% clip last season, making it hard for any coach to deviate.

The counter argument is that young players such as Chytil, Kakko and Lafrenière would benefit from more PP time. That trio of first-round draft picks has never had much of a chance to pad their point totals and build confidence in man-up situations, which many believe would unlock new levels of production.

"You do try to find the balance sometimes between something that was really successful, and then mixing it up and moving around," Laviolette said. "But there will be opportunity where things will get looked at differently through training camp − and not just for (Lafrenière), but other players that have been mentioned here."

Lafrenière, in particular, has earned the opportunity after posting a career-high 57 points last season, 51 of which came at even strength. How much higher would that total have been if he averaged more than 1:16 PP time on ice per game?

Perhaps Laviolette gives him a run or tries the 1A/1B arrangement to see how it plays out. It’s better to experiment now than make a panicky move later in the season. But in crunch time, the safe bet is that he'd lean on his very best unit.

"We're talking about different things inside the room," said Laviolette, who has shied away from declaring one preference or the other.

Lafrenière is the next man up – Thursday’s practice made that clear, as if there was any doubt – and it’s possible he forces his way onto a crowded PP1 before season’s end, but it’s hard to figure out who he’d replace.

Trocheck? He was the Rangers’ best skater during last year’s run to the Eastern Conference Final and has excelled in the bumper spot on PP1, with his faceoff dominance ensuring as much possession time as possible.

Zibanejad? He’s been a trendy pick for removal among some fans , but it doesn’t make much sense. The 31-year-old has been one of the league’s most productive power-play producers across the last five seasons, ranking fourth in the league in PP goals per 60 minutes in that span. Even when his vaunted one-timer isn’t going in, it’s still a threat opposing penalty kills have to account for. And when defenders shade toward Zibanejad, it opens up space for his teammates.

Meanwhile, Kreider ranks second in the NHL in PP goals per 60 since 2019-20, Panarin ranks third in PP points per 60 and Fox is fifth, so you aren’t dare touching any of them.

That's why, assuming Panarin is good to go next week, the veteran fivesome should open the season in place. But it’s also worth noting that PP2 looks as formidable as it has in years, which may convince Laviolette to increase their TOI.

It should include the trio of first-round forwards, a savvy vet in Smith and a long-awaited opportunity for Miller. The 24-year-old defenseman averaged just 0:22 PP TOI last season, but he has the tools to succeed in that role and has had ongoing discussions with Laviolette about doing just that.

It looks like the coach has decided the time is now, with Miller almost exclusively getting PP2 reps over another fine candidate to run the point in Zac Jones.

"It's a little bit of give and take," Miller said. "Obviously, you have those conversations throughout a year and throughout a season. He gave me a couple looks last year. I didn't make the best of my opportunities, I think. I took that in the summer, and really focused on the things that I needed to do to get myself there."

Penalty kill

PK1 – F: Kreider and Zibanejad; D: Braden Schneider and Jacob Trouba

PK2 – F: Smith and Trocheck; D: Fox and Miller

PK3 – F: Sam Carrick and Will Cuylle; D: Connor Mackey/Victor Mancini/Matthew Robertson/Chad Ruhwedel

Analysis: Injuries to Vesey and Lindgren will force some adjustments for a penalty kill that posted an 84.5% success rate last season, as will the offseason departures of Barclay Goodrow and Alex Wennberg.

That leaves major holes to fill, including three of the usual six forward slots. The only duo that remains intact will feature Kreider and Zibanejad.

Some have argued that their five-on-five play would benefit from reduced PK usage, but they’re far too valuable shorthanded. They’ve been one of the NHL’s most threatening combos for a few years running, with Zibanejad tied for fifth in shorthanded points last season with six and Kreider right behind him with five. They bring an offensive mindset to the PK, hunting for pucks and attacking off the rush every chance they get. The Rangers will − and should − let them continue to cook.

Trocheck was a staple last season, as well, with Smith slotted in to take Goodrow’s place next to him based on practice observations.

The 33-year-old was limited to 56:45 PK TOI last season in Pittsburgh, but it's a role he played extensively earlier in his career. Smith expressed interest in getting back on the horse with New York, with Laviolette welcoming the idea.

"He's somebody who's done that in the past and somebody that we're looking at for that," the coach said.

Carrick gives the Rangers another veteran they signed with the PK in mind, and after spending the first handful of practices paired with Vesey, it appears Cuylle will get the first crack at filling the void.

Laviolette has repeatedly praised the 22-year-old for playing a mistake-free game − "There weren't a lot of discussions for a young player," he said − while noting that Cuylle sat in on PK meetings last season to prepare himself for an eventual shorthanded role. He practiced there next to Carrick on Thursday and seems to have the early edge over other young forwards who have been worked in this preseason, including Kakko, Adam Edström and Matt Rempe.

"It's a progression," Laviolette said. "He looks really good to me in camp this year. ... We feel like he could be a good penalty killer, and it will keep him in the game and add minutes to his role."

As for the defensemen, the Rangers typically sent Lindgren and Trouba over the boards first in PK situations, but that won't be an option to begin the new season. That opens the door for Schneider to increase his usage, and even though he and Trouba are both right-handed shooters, Laviolette had them practicing together Thursday.

Miller and Fox remain as the second PK pair, with four defensemen typically all the Blueshirts will need to cover a two-minute penalty. But whoever wins the sixth D job will likely be the next man up if one of Schneider, Trouba, Miller or Fox is in the box.

Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers beat reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Read more of his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano .

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Rangers special teams preview: Analyzing power play and penalty kill options