The New York Rangers have one game remaining in the regular season. A first-round matchup against the Montreal Canadiens is next on the slate. As Rangers coach Alain Vigneault tinkers with his lineups and rests his veterans going down the stretch run, one glaring issue remains.
The Rangers currently have nine defensemen on their roster. At this point, it’s almost a guarantee that their top-six for Game 1 of the playoffs will include captain Ryan McDonagh, Dan Girardi, Marc Staal, Brady Skjei, Brendan Smith, and Nick Holden or Kevin Klein.