Rangers could be forced into another lineup shuffle with Kaapo Kakko injury

More lineup shuffling could be in store for the Rangers should Kaapo Kakko have to miss more time with the injury he suffered in the shutout win over the Red Wings on Saturday afternoon.

Thanks to the slew of trades president and general manager Chris Drury made before the March 21 trade deadline, however, the Rangers have a bit of depth to dip into. Even though that depth has already taken a hit with Tyler Motte ruled out for the remainder of the regular season, the Rangers still have a safety net.

Ryan Reaves has been the odd forward out five times since Motte, Andrew Copp and Frank Vatrano joined the Rangers, so it’s likely that the veteran winger would draw back into the lineup to make up for the loss of Kakko.

With a player like Reaves waiting in the wings, the Rangers are able to maintain their desired level of play for the most part. Reaves may give the Rangers a different-looking lineup than a skill player like Kakko, but it’s not necessarily a less effective version.

The trade-deadline additions have given the Rangers lineup some balance and head coach Gerard Gallant views the top two lines as interchangeable, as well as the bottom six. Reaves has skated on the right wing of the fourth line throughout his first season in New York.

“I don’t know if there’s a fourth line, I look at those two lines as both third lines to be totally honest with you,” Gallant said Saturday after the win. “So I wouldn’t say fourth line, I just don’t agree with that.” … I wasn’t going to break up the other line [of Kakko, Barclay Goodrow and Filip Chytil], they were our best line the other night in Philly.

“So you found a spot for [Alexis Lafreniere] and then when Kaapo went down early, there was guys all over the place a little bit in those lines. But I wouldn’t say that’s the fourth line, for me”

Lafreniere has seen time on every line this season, but he started on the fourth line for just the second time on Saturday. It’s likely that Lafreniere would replace Kakko on the third unit after the 2020 first-overall pick scored twice in the shutout of Detroit.

“We’re so deep, so it doesn’t matter what line you play on — you play with good players,” Lafreniere said. “Every time I have to go out there, it doesn’t matter with who. I’m just trying to play my game and be as good as I can.”

With a goal and assist on Saturday, Mika Zibanejad established a new career high of 77 points in his 21st multipoint game of the season.