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New York Rangers: Scouting the Future Blueshirts, Cristoval Nieves

Cristoval Nieves‘ immediate future with the New York Rangers could become considerably more clear Jun. 20 when his team will hold its breath and watch as the Vegas Golden Knights select one of its players in the expansion draft.

That player could be fourth-line center Oscar Lindberg, who would likely end up being a serious loss. If Lindberg is the selection, the 6-foot-3, 219-pound Nieves could be in line for an opportunity to replace him as the fourth-line pivot.

The club’s second-round pick in 2012 (59th overall) who then spent four years at the University of Michigan, has NHL size and exceptional straight-line speed, and the Rangers have to be hoping he’s ready to make the leap as they are likely to lose a valuable bottom-six forward to Vegas — or perhaps trade one or more forwards in a deal to upgrade the defense.