New York Rangers expanded rosters candidates if NHL allows it for next season
There’s been a lot of renewed talk about the NHL expanding rosters for next season. That’s due to the condensed schedule, the threat of COVID-19 cases rising, AHL announcing a target of February and the suspension of play by the ECHL Northeast teams.
When it comes to expanded rosters, the belief is the NHL would use a similar model as they did with Return to Play. There would likely be an expansion of attendees for training camp which will help Jeff Gorton and David Quinn fill out an expanded roster.
Expanded rosters could greatly impact the Rangers
Let’s assume the 23 man roster will have many of the same names we saw last year like Phil Di Giuseppe, Julian Gauthier, and even Brendan Smith. We should also add players like Alexis Lafreniere, Libor Hajek and Tarmo Reunanen while leaving Vitali Kravtsov in Russia.
Here’s my top candidates for an expanded roster:
- K’Andre Miller, D
- Morgan Barron, C
- Anthony Bitetto, D
- Darren Raddyish, D
- Tim Gettinger, F
- Colin Blackwell, C
- Adam Huska, G
Keeping K’Andre Miller and Morgan Barron around
The top two names on my list are included primarily because the AHL could start later than the NHL. In my mind, it would be extremely beneficial for both K’Andre Miller and Morgan Barron to get in practice time with the big club.
Keep in mind that there’s been a lot of talk about performance bonuses for players like Miller and Barron. That won’t have a single impact if they are just kept on the roster for practice or do not play a certain amount of games to achieve those bonuses.
The rest of the Rangers expanded roster
The Blueshirts signed Anthony Bitetto and Darren Raddysh to anchor the defense in Hartford. It would make sense for them to be added to the Rangers roster if expanded.
Same can be said for Colin Blackwell who was a depth center signing. A familiar face that knows David Quinn’s system is Tim Gettinger. He certainly can provide fourth line punch in a pinch.
Lastly, it would also be wise to get Adam Huska on the roster. He’s penned in as the starter for the Wolf Pack next season, and he would be better served under Benoit Allaire than staying in Europe.
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