Why New York Rangers should consider this change to top power-play unit

The New York Rangers lost their third straight game Monday against the St. Louis Blues. Something that has helped the Rangers avoid these losing streaks over the past few seasons has been their elite power play. But the 5-2 defeat Monday marked the sixth consecutive game in which the Rangers failed to score a goal on the man advantage.

Perhaps that sounds worse than it is because the Rangers have had only 10 power plays in the past six games. But still, they haven’t scored on a single one, and were 0-for-3 against the and 0-for-3 Saturday against the Edmonton Oilers, when they also allowed a short-handed goal.

The game against the Blues was the first one without Chris Kreider in the lineup; he’s day to day with an upper-body injury. That’s a big loss on the power play. Since the start of the 2021-22 season, he ranks fourth in the entire NHL in power play goals with 55. His 113 career power-play goals are second most in Rangers history.

The Rangers did the logical thing Monday, replacing Kreider on PP 1 with Alexis Lafrenière. The 2020 first-overall pick has been doing damage at five-on-five since the start of last season. He’s third on the team in goals in that span (36), but sits sixth in power-play goals (four) because he doesn’t play with the first unit.

Kreider typically occupies a role down low in front of the net on the power play. The Rangers started to become more flexible last season in the position with each member of the top power play, but for the most part, Adam Fox is always at the top and Kreider is in position to get deflections and rebounds right near the net. He’s one of the best in the League at this, which is why he has scored so many power-play goals.

Lafrenière’s skill set seems a fit for the Kreider spot. While he’s not as good as deflecting pucks — arguably no one is — he has the hands necessary around the front of the net to get quick shots on goal and also to try to set up a teammate. He’s also got good size (6-foot-2, 196 pounds) for that role.

However, that’s not what the Rangers did on Monday. Lafreniere floated up near the point to Fox’s left, the spot where we usually see Mika Zibanejad take one-timers from. Lafreniere’s one shot on the power play was from the top of the slot, according to Natural Stat Trick’s individual event map.

There’s another experiment the Rangers could try with Kreider out of the lineup. Especially if the rumors are true that the Rangers are trying to trade Kreider, it would behoove them to see what a top power-play unit looks without him. And a new candidate to be the potential net-front power play has emerged this season.

Rangers should give Will Cuylle look on top power-play unit

Instead of putting Lafrenière on the first power-play unit, the Rangers could give Will Cuylle a chance there. Cuylle scored twice on Monday, and is now tied for second on the team in both goals (nine, with Kreider) and points (17, with Adam Fox) — all at even strength, despite playing on the third line until he moved into the top six Monday. The 22-year-old is in the midst of a breakout season, developing at a rapid rate.

Listed at 6-foot-3 and 212 pounds, Cuylle definitely has the size to play in front of the net. He also is no stranger to scoring goals on the power play. In his last season in the Ontario Hockey League, Cuylle scored 13 power play goals in 59 games, tied for the fifth most in the league.

Both of Cuylle’s goals on Monday were the result of him going to the net. That would translate well to this role on the power play. The unit already consists of two of the best passers in the league in Artemi Panarin and Fox, and they would just need Cuylle to be available for passes down low, rebounds and deflections. Just like Kreider.

This would let the Rangers continue with a familiar look and feel on what has been among the best power plays in the NHL for several seasons. On the other hand, Lafreniere provides a different look and would shake things up a bit more, if that’s what coach Peter Laviolette seeks.

With the way Cuylle has been playing this season, the Rangers should be looking to find ways to get him more opportunities. If he is a long-term replacement for Kreider on the power play, then it makes trading Kreider easier to swallow. This is the perfect time to put Cuylle in Kreider’s spot, both to see what they have there and to perhaps give a jolt to a struggling unit.