New York Rangers: Re-Acquiring Brian Boyle for the Stretch Run
The New York Rangers let a highly successful fourth liner leave after their trip to the Stanley Cup Final in 2014. Brian Boyle bolted to the Tampa Bay Lightning, helping defeat the Rangers in the Conference Finals the following year. Now Boyle is on the verge of free agency, and the Rangers need a grinder. It’s time for New York to bring back Boyle.
Yes, we said the the New York Rangers should not target 2017 as the year to win the Stanley Cup, but the Rangers should still try. Part of that is making cosmetic changes.
The Rangers are lacking some grit. Grittiness has rightfully been mocked as a concept by many. Still, nearly every team in the NHL carries a big body in their bottom six for good reason. NHL teams need at least one player to rough up opposing top line players, especially in the playoffs. It’s about finding gritty players with actual talent.
New York failed to replace Brian Boyle since his exit from that role (no, Tanner Glass does not count) so the solution is to bring back Boyle. The Tampa Bay Lightning are struggling, and even if they jolt back into playoff positioning, they have the roster depth to spare the towering centerman.
Boyle’s Rangers career was terrific. Boyle played on the fourth line that delivered the Rangers to the Stanley Cup with Derek Dorsett and Dominic Moore. When healthy, New York’s current fourth line features Jesper Fast and Jimmy Vesey. Boyle can benefit from the increase in offensive talent, while providing defensive talent that Oscar Lindberg and Brandon Pirri lack.
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Say the Rangers acquire Boyle, the fourth line would suddenly feature two defensive forwards in Boyle and Fast, while not sacrificing offensive ability. Jimmy Vesey and Michael Grabner would be able to swap positioning based around game time as well. For example, Brian Boyle was on the ice to help close out the Rangers Eastern Conference Finals victory.
In an offensive scenario New York could move Jimmy Vesey to the third line, while in a defensive scenario like that, Grabner could take Vesey’s slot on a defensive fourth line.
The acquisition of Boyle would be a cosmetic change at best, but it would help remove some of the redundancy on the roster. Tampa Bay may be interested in Brandon Pirri, for example, as they suffered through scoring woes this season.
A swap of Pirri and a fringe at best prospect or middle to late round pick for Boyle would help the Rangers in their playoff run, while not sacrificing the future. Tampa Bay would gain an offensive threat and a future piece in a year they are not likely to advance deep into the postseason. It’s win-win.
As the Rangers continue on in their quest for the cup, re-acquiring Brian Boyle would be the exact type of filling out the rough spots on the roster type of minor move they should make.
Stay tuned in the coming days for additional Trade Deadline coverage.
