Rangers’ Roslovic Finally Finding Stride in Playoffs

For the Rangers, it wasn’t just Roslovic’s perfect setup that led to the opening goal of a 4-3 win that was so encouraging. It was that the trade-deadline pickup again appeared to finally be in perfect harmony with his linemates.

Roslovic was acquired minutes before the March 8 deadline and subsequently thrown right into the fire, leaving the going-nowhere Columbus Blue Jackets for a Rangers team that would finish with the best record in the NHL and its eyes on the Stanley Cup. Under the bright lights of Broadway, Roslovic faced what was perhaps his most difficult task: Finding synergy with Zibanejad and Chris Kreider, long-time linemates and best friends, with Zibanejad serving as Kreider’s Best Man at his wedding last summer.

Though the big stage didn’t seem to faze Roslovic, his production was muted for much of the regular season, as he recorded only three goals and five assists in 19 regular-season games in a Blueshirt. The 27-year-old managed two goals over the last 15 of those.

If Roslovic was struggling with the pressure of teaming up with Zibanejad and Kreider, having been acquired as the latest (temporary?) solution to stop the revolving door on the right side of the duo that’s been spinning for three seasons now, he didn’t say. Whatever the case, signs like the series-opening tally against Carolina suggest that the unassuming player has fully broken into the friend group – just in time to make a significant impact.

Signs Pointed to Roslovic Eventually Working Well With Zibanejad, Kreider

Zibanejad and Kreider are alternate captains and team leaders, but meshing with two core players who are especially close couldn’t have been easy. Yet there were indications that Roslovic could eventually be a good fit on their line. He plays with pace and is a pass-first player, which in theory should work well with two forwards who are standout finishers. Roslovic is also a strong one-on-one winger, able and especially willing to try to deke past defenders and find open ice, which should also open up lanes and opportunities for Zibanejad and Kreider to get into position to receive his feeds.

That’s what happened in Game 1 on May 5, as Roslovic drove wide past Dmitry Orlov and created an alley to get the puck to Zibanejad, who took advantage of Carolina’s defensive focus on neutralizing Roslovic’s rush behind the goal. The primary assist was Roslovic’s fifth point in five playoff games after the underwhelming start to his Rangers tenure.

Though he didn’t record a point for the first time in this postseason in Game 2 on May 7, Roslovic recorded three shots on goal and again pushed the Hurricanes’ defense with his speed, playing a strong game as the Blueshirts prevailed 4-3 in double-overtime to grab a 2-0 lead in the series heading to Raleigh.

Roslovic scored two goals during the four-game sweep of the Washington Capitals in Round 1, including an empty-netter on a Rangers power play in Game 4 that sealed the series victory. He looks comfortable now, in synch with his linemates and less like a trade piece trying to find his way in a new situation with each passing game.

Roslovic sounded as if he could barely contain his excitement about finding his way into a better situation after being obtained for a conditional fourth-round draft pick in 2026, and even though it took a while for his production level to catch up, his underlying metrics with Zibanejad and Kreider indicated that good things were on the horizon. The trio posted an expected goal share of 54.7 in their 19 regular-season games together, outchancing opponents 88-66.

So is Roslovic, a pending unrestricted free agent, the latest deadline addition who will end up being a difference-maker for the Rangers in the playoffs? There are perhaps some early parallels with Martin St. Louis, who like Roslovic tallied only eight points in 19 regular-season contests after being acquired at the deadline in 2014. As it appears to have been with Roslovic, that stretch also turned out to be a necessary adjustment period for St. Louis, who would go on to deliver eight goals and seven assists in 25 games as the Blueshirts reached the Stanley Cup Final.

More recently, 2022 deadline adds Andrew Copp (14 points in 20 postseason games) and Frank Vatrano (13 in 20) played key roles as those Rangers advanced to the Eastern Conference Final.

Zibanejad and Kreider haven’t had a consistent running mate since general manager Chris Drury’s 2021 trade of Pavel Buchnevich for salary-cap purposes, but Drury has at least managed to plug that hole relatively effectively in the three postseasons since, albeit by having to trade away future assets to do so. Vatrano was the best one so far, an all-but seamless augmentation to the line two years ago.

Laviolette’s One-Game “Benching” of Roslovic Paid Dividends

Perhaps Roslovic can end up being even better with the BFFs than Vatrano was, considering the Rangers are still early in the playoffs.

“He brings some speed, he brings some skill and he’s contributing,” coach Peter Laviolette said after Roslovic’s power-play goal broke a 2-2 tie in the Blueshirts’ eventual 4-3 win over Washington in Game 2 of that series April 23. (From ‘Rangers’ Jack Roslovic Came Up Big In Game 2 Victory’, New York Post, 4/25/24)

Laviolette can perhaps take some credit for Roslovic’s rise. The coach played him for only 8:07 in a 4-3 win over the Detroit Red Wings on April 5, and Roslovic was scratched for the following game in a decision Laviolette refused to refer to as a benching – even if the intent seemed clear. Roslovic was back in the lineup one game later, and it appears from his subsequent play the message was received.

Laviolette was able to convey to Roslovic his importance as the playoffs approached, and that he needed more out of him, as the Rangers didn’t have many options to handle that right-wing vacancy in the top six. Kaapo Kakko’s stints with Kreider and Zibanejad haven’t lasted long, as the Finn doesn’t seem to be a good fit with their games. Needing Roslovic to blend and produce on the line, Laviolette stuck with him down the stretch while also delivering a small wake-up call.

That game off, time together with Kreider and Zibanejad, and steadily acclimating to a new team and new situation has Roslovic well-positioned to continue making key contributions this spring. For the Rangers to finally capture another Stanley Cup in a wide-open playoff tournament, they’ll almost certainly need them.