Vladimir Tarasenko and Niko Mikkola make their NY Rangers debuts tonight against the Seattle Kraken. The blockbuster trade went down yesterday, with the Rangers sacrificing nothing of value (aside from the 1st rounder) to land both players. The starting lineup is almost exactly how you would think it should play out, but with Vitali Kravtsov back in the top six and with a fourth line that isn’t just spare parts. Perhaps Gerard Gallant was simply waiting for Tarasenko to come home.
Another big change is on the powerplay. Filip Chytil gets bumped to the bumper on PP1, with Vincent Trocheck sliding down to PP2 with Tarasenko, Lafreniere, Kakko, and Trouba.