The Rangers will enter their third consecutive season without a captain.
Head coach David Quinn announced Wednesday that the team has appointed four alternate captains: Chris Kreider, Mika Zibanejad, Artemi Panarin and Jacob Trouba. Kreider and Zibanejad led the “A” last season, but the outings of Jesper Fast (Huracans) and Marc Staal (Red Wings) left the Rangers with two vacancies.
Panarin and Trouba enter their second season with the Rangers and are key members of the core team.
It has been speculated that Kreider or Zibanejad would put the “C” on this season after Quinn said the organization planned to “assess this situation” at the start of the training camp. But Kreider said the Rangers, who have not had a captain since Ryan McDonagh was hired in the 2018 deadline, do not consider having a captain an important thing.
“It may not be something people want to hear, but I think many times [the captaincy] it’s more for the fan base than anyone, “Kreider said in a Zoom call Wednesday.” In the end, you need a great group of leaders to have any kind of success. I mean, there are several guys in our room. that they are ready to take on leadership roles.And as I said before, I think even some of the younger boys, boys in their second and third year, there will be a time when they have to lead; clothing or lead with example on ice.
“There can be no passengers if we are successful. He looks at the teams that have been successful in recent years, everyone knows their role, everyone buys and does their job to the fullest. These teams have incredible depth. As long as everyone is in the same direction, I think we will be in good shape. ”
Zibanejad has continued to practice with the Rangers after testing positive for COVID-19 at the start of training camp, but his opening condition for Thursday’s season against the Islanders was still up in the air on Wednesday.
“We’ll have a clearer picture of what it will be,” Quinn said. “As for the minutes, this will only be controlled during the match. Obviously, we know he had COVID and everyone reacts differently, so it will definitely be a turn-by-turn decision. ”
Quinn announced that debutant Igor Shesterkin would get his first start on the networks in the 2020-21 season. The islanders are expected to start Semyon Varlamov.
The Rangers officially named Morgan Barron, Anthony Bitetto, Colin Blackwell, Libor Hajek, Keith Kinkaid and Matthew Robertson to their taxi crew.