Projected lineup: Rangers rearrange D pairs and move Kaapo Kakko down

TARRYTOWN - For more than half of the 2023-24 season, the framework of the Rangers' lineup has largely been untouched.

Injuries have forced a few players to move up at varying times, but head coach Peter Laviolette's template has been set since Game 1.

"There's been some really good things that have happened this year inside of having some consistency," he said prior to Tuesday's 3-2 overtime loss in San Jose. "There’s been the odd time when it’s time to mix it up and try and look in a different direction, just to shake it up. Get a different view. There's something about changing the view every once in a while that I think can be good."

It appears now, with New York in the midst of a 4-6-2 slide, is one of those times.

The lineup for Friday's 7 p.m. puck drop against the visiting Vegas Golden Knights is expected to feature a few changes, most notably on defense.

The D pairs have been the same to start every game when the Rangers' usual top six are available, but Thursday's practice at the MSG Training Center revealed a different look. The most noticeable difference was the separation of Adam Fox and Ryan Lindgren, who have been partners for the better part of five seasons.

Fox skated with veteran Erik Gustafsson, while Lindgren was teamed with 22-year-old Braden Schneider.

"We had moved them back in the Anaheim game, and it looked good," said Laviolette, referring to Sunday's 5-2 comeback win over the Ducks. "It's a little bit of a different makeup."

The thought process, the coach explained, is that the new partners play to each other's strengths.

Fox and Gustafsson are offensive-minded, possession-oriented defensemen who have been paired at times late in games when the Rangers are looking for added scoring punch. The result is an impressive 75.4% xGF in over 60 minutes together, according to moneypuck.com.

"Their numbers were pretty good together," Laviolette noted. "It lends to the offensive zone a little bit more."

While the Fox-Gustafsson pair will likely be used in more offensive situations, the Lindgren-Schneider duo will play a much different role.

They're a couple of hard-hat defensemen who play with an edge and prioritize protecting their own end, which will lead to "more D-zone starts and heavier opponents − some harder minutes," according to Laviolette.

The one pair that remains intact is K'Andre Miller and Jacob Trouba, who have been their coach's preferred shutdown duo. They're typically matched up with opposing team's top forwards, with the results varying.

Like the rest of the team, they began the season on a roll. Through 23 games played, Miller and Trouba were only on ice together for nine goals against. But they've more than doubled that per-game average with 19 goals allowed in their last 22 contests.

Filip Chytil: Injured center practices for first time in nearly 3 months

Asked if he considered splitting that pair up, Laviolette simply replied, "Not at this point." But when the recent increase of goals allowed was mentioned, he offered a two-part explanation: 1) The team defense as a whole has struggled lately, including the forwards; 2) Miller and Trouba take on the toughest assignments, which puts them in the most vulnerable situations.

"We went through a spell where we had slipped, just with regard to some of the things that were giving up off the rush – the louder chances leading to the better percentage of goals," he said. "And, so, we were giving up a little bit too much there. Since then, we've tried to clamp it down and tried to bring it back down. I think we have a little bit, and so we'll continue to try and do that. ... They do draw heavy minutes, hard minutes. Oftentimes when you're playing against the other team’s top line or top lines, those breakdowns lead to probably a higher percentage of finish."

On the forward side, Laviolette is swapping a couple of right wingers.

Kaapo Kakko, who's produced one goal in six games since returning from a 21-game stint on injured reserve, has been dropped off the top line after a brief reunion with Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad, with veteran Blake Wheeler moving up to replace him.

The writing was on the wall toward the end of the west coast trip, particularly when Kakko was limited to 8:08 time on ice in the Anaheim win. After that game, Laviolette said, "I’d like to see him continue to push and impact the game offensively when he can."

Kakko admitted there have been inconsistencies since his Jan. 14 return, but felt he was working through it coming off his left-leg injury.

"It takes time, but I feel I'm ready to go," he said. "Last game (in San Jose) felt good. The first couple games when I came back, I was so excited after a long time to get back on the ice. There were a couple not-that-good games where I didn’t play that much. It's never easy, but there were some games I felt like I brought something and played well."

The Kreider-Zibanejad combo has been searching for the right fit at RW all season − for multiple seasons, really − with the previous Wheeler experiment producing an underwhelming 45.3% xGF in over 228 minutes. Meanwhile, Zibanejad hasn't scored a five-on-five goal in over a month, dating back to Dec. 23.

The one silver lining for Kakko is that he's being positioned to play with Filip Chytil as the 24-year-old center inches closer to returning from his extended absence due to lingering symptoms from a Nov. 2 concussion. They've had ample success together in the past, logging 932:36 TOI from 2020-23 while outscoring opponents, 47-28, according to Natural Stat Trick.

"He's a great skater," Kakko said. "He can bring the puck in the offensive zone. I feel that's what we need. You can’t just dump it every time and forecheck. It's easier to get there with the puck. … It would be nice to play with him again."

NY Rangers (29-15-3) projected lineup: Game 48 vs. Vegas Golden Knights (28-14-6)

When: Friday, Jan. 26 at 7 p.m.

Where: Madison Square Garden

TV/Radio: ESPN/98.7 FM

Forwards

Top line ⊳ Chris Kreider (LW) ⋄ Mika Zibanejad (C) ⋄ Blake Wheeler (RW)

Second line ⊳ Artemi Panarin (LW) ⋄ Vincent Trocheck (C) ⋄ Alexis Lafrenière (RW)

Third line ⊳ Will Cuylle (LW) ⋄ Jonny Brodzinski (C) ⋄ Kaapo Kakko (RW)

Fourth line ⊳ Jimmy Vesey (LW) ⋄ Barclay Goodrow (C) ⋄ Tyler Pitlick (RW)

Defensemen

Top pair ⊳ K'Andre Miller (L) ⋄ Jacob Trouba (R)

Second pair ⊳ Erik Gustafsson (L) ⋄ Adam Fox (R)

Third pair ⊳ Ryan Lindgren (L) ⋄ Braden Schneider (R)

Goalies

Starter ⊳ Igor Shesterkin

Backup ⊳ Jonathan Quick

Long-term injured reserve: F Filip Chytil (upper body)

Healthy scratch: D Zac Jones and F Jake Leschyshyn

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: Projected lineup: Rangers rearrange D pairs and move Kaapo Kakko down