David Quinn insisted there is nothing to read into the fact that his announced top line has a different right-winger for the first preseason game, Wednesday night at the Garden against the Devils.
The Rangers’ head coach made it very clear that Pavel Buchnevich was going to get the first crack at the right side of the top line next to Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad. But Buchnevich is not set to play on Wednesday, and taking his spot next to Panarin and Zibanejad will be Kaapo Kakko, the No. 2-overall pick from June’s draft.
“Over the course of a lot of exhibition games, there are a lot of different line combinations,” Quinn said after Tuesday’s practice.