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The New York Rangers made the decision to reassign defenseman Victor Mancini to the AHL. He hasn't been able to crack the lineup since Zac Jones solidified his spot in the Rangers blueline.
The New York Rangers made the decision to reassign defenseman Victor Mancini to the AHL. He hasn't been able to crack the lineup since Zac Jones solidified his spot in the Rangers blueline.While a reassignment to the AHL is considered a demotion, for the Rangers and Mancini, this isn't a case of demotion.
It's all about growth for the defensemen and the Rangers organization.
Head Coach Peter Laviolette has had nothing but good things to say about the rookie, who made his way onto the lineup from training camp.
Despite the case that he was a healthy scratch for four games, it was more a cast of who was fitting into the Rangers lineup at this point in time.
He has decided to go with Zac Jones and Braden Schneider in this case. In the AHL instead of riding pine he'll get a chance to play top minutes in the minors and continue to develop his game.
Depending on how the offseason goes, Mancini could find himself on the right side of the lineup, considering how things go with Ryan Lindgren or Jacob Trouba.
Despite his strong start in the NHL, his performance would eventually fizzle out.
After a strong start, Mancini's numbers dipped badly. His 33.46 xGF percentage is worst on the Rangers, per Natural Stat Trick. New York was out-shot 93-49 with him on the ice, and out-chanced 91-48. And it was getting progressively worse.
The Rangers will need him to work on his game before they can rely on him in the bigs next season.
With Mancini out of the lineup, it's allowed the chemistry between Zac Jones and Braden Schneider to flourish.
But for now, Mancini will have to show GM Chris Drury and Peter Laviolette that he can be a future solution for the Rangers in the coming years.
