Breaking down Rangers’ defensive depth with Ryan Lindgren injured

The main objective of the preseason: stay healthy.

But just three games into action the Rangers couldn’t manage to do just that, as defenseman Ryan Lindgren is now expected to be sidelined a few weeks with an upper-body injury he suffered this week against the Islanders. 

Lindgren was quickly ruled out just six minutes into the first period after going down hard at the end of a scrap with Scott Mayfield in defense of center Filip Chytil, who took a massive open-ice knee-on-knee hit.

So now with their top-pairing defenseman expected to be sidelined for the beginning of the regular season, the Rangers find themselves looking for potential replacements on the opening night roster. 

Head coach Peter Laviolette said that everyone is an option at the moment, and he didn’t rule out using a right-handed defenseman on the left side in an effort to put together the best defensive corps that they can. 

With that being said, here are some options for the Rangers to consider…

Chad Ruhwedel

With Zac Jones all but locking up his spot as a regular in the starting lineup, Ruhwedel has long been viewed as one of the top candidates to serve as the team’s seventh defenseman to begin the season. 

The veteran filled that role down the stretch last year, appearing in just five regular season games after being acquired for a future fourth-round pick in a trade deadline deal with the Pittsburgh Penguins. 

Now that he’s re-signed with the club and there is an opportunity for the taking, many would expect Ruhwedel to be one of the favorites to slide into the opening over the first few games of the season. 

The 34-year-old isn’t a star by any means and he doesn’t bring much to the offensive zone, but he’s proven to be a reliable bottom-pairing depth defenseman throughout his time in Pittsburgh.

He is a righty, but has some experience playing the left side as well.  

Ben Harpur

Harpur is a natural fit being a left-handed defenseman, and he is one of the more experienced options when it comes to the Blueshirts’ depth, having played 198 games at the pro level. 

The 29-year-old veteran first landed with the organization two years ago as he ended up turning an AHL professional tryout down into a contract extension with the big-league club. 

Harpur appeared in 21 consecutive games that season as part of the Rangers' third defensive pairing before ultimately losing out on his role at the trade deadline, and he hasn’t been able to crack the pro ranks since.

New York opted to place him on waivers on Friday after he looked rusty during his preseason debut against the Isles, so it looks like he'll be starting the season back down in Hartford.

Victor Mancini

Mancini is a guy who has been generating a ton of buzz for his standout play on both ends of the ice throughout rookie camp and the first few weeks of training camp and preseason action. 

When Laviolette called for the youngsters to show him something during these tuneup games, Mancini certainly heard him, as he recorded a goal and an assist in last weekend’s opener against the Boston Bruins. 

The veteran head coach said he felt he played a “really strong game” and that he’s been “really noticeable” throughout the practices and scrimmages that the team has held over the past couple of weeks. 

Mancini is a right-handed defenseman, but he has said that he's comfortable playing on the opposite side, and he's open to doing whatever it takes to help the team.

He skated alongside Fox during Friday's practice, perhaps signaling that he's up there among the favorites to slide into that spot to begin the regular season.

Connor Mackey

Mackey is another left-handed option for the Rangers to consider. 

He spent the majority of last season skating in the AHL with Hartford, but the Rangers were so impressed with his play that they decided to bring him back on a two-year extension. 

He did get into one game at the NHL level as the Blueshirts’ blueline was plagued with injuries, and he logged three blocked shots and dropped the mitts with Ottawa’s Brady Tkachuk across his 16 minutes of action. 

The year prior, Mackey appeared in 30 games with the Arizona Coyotes and Calgary Flames. 

The 28-year-old isn’t a star by any means and he won’t contribute much on the offensive end, but he is a defenseman who could bring plenty of size and physicality to the Rangers’ blueline. 

He received his opportunity to skate alongside Adam Fox during Thursday’s preseason game, and while he struggled defensively, he showcased some of that physicality by scrapping after a tough hit in the corner.

Matthew Robertson

Robertson already came into camp looking like a bit of a long shot for a backend of the roster spot and his chances have taken even more of a hit, as he remains day-to-day with a lingering lower-body issue.

The 23-year-old was in the lineup for the preseason opener against the Bruins, but his minutes were very limited due to the injury. 

Robertson is still looking to make his NHL debut having been passed over by the likes of Mackey and Brandon Scanlin when the Rangers were in need of defensive replacements last season. 

His stock remains on a bit of a downswing but the Rangers still decided to extend him the qualifying offer this offseason, before they ultimately brought him back on a cheap one-year deal. 

Robertson finished with four goals and 17 assists last season with Hartford.