Will Cuylle’s first professional top-six task within the NHL has are available in simply his second season.
Tuesday’s matchup with the Senators at Madison Sq. Backyard might have counted because the 22-year-old’s seventh straight recreation on the left wing of Mika Zibanejad and Reilly Smith, however Cuylle has began 19 complete contests on both the primary or second strains.
Although probably the most profitable stretch of Cuylle’s particular person marketing campaign — and his younger NHL profession — unfolded whereas in his third-line function alongside Filip Chytil and Kaapo Kakko earlier this season.
The Child Line 2.0 had numerous the identical attributes as the unique model with Alexis Lafreniere, however Cuylle introduced a bodily edge to the unit that made them a fair larger ache to defend.
Skating in 13 of the primary 15 video games of the season collectively, after which one other 4 video games earlier than Kakko was a wholesome scratch in St. Louis on Dec. 15, the trio was on the ice for 13 Rangers targets and simply two towards at five-on-five in 184:16, in keeping with Pure Stat Trick.
The wholesome scratch and Kakko’s response expedited the Finn’s commerce to Seattle, but it surely additionally prevented one of many workforce’s most profitable items from ever reuniting once more.
Cuylle racked up 10 targets and dished 12 assists by the primary 19 video games of the season.
Since then, previous to Tuesday’s recreation, he’s posted 5 targets and 5 assists with a minus-six score up to now 27.
“Not essentially [a different role], they get somewhat bit harder opponents typically,” Head coach Peter Laviolette mentioned of Cuylle’s function now in comparison with with Chytil and Kakko. “Will’s a younger participant that we’re continuously — in a constructive manner — attempting to be sure that defensively he’s good. Which he’s, for probably the most half. It turns into completely different whenever you begin taking part in towards prime strains on a regular basis. The function of penalty kill, the function of on the market late within the recreation.
“It’s not all the time excellent, and also you return and you’re employed and also you present and also you educate and also you do issues out on the ice. However we see him as an actual good two-way participant that’s bodily. We would like him to play nice protection towards different workforce’s prime strains and we wish him to have the ability to contribute offensively towards these strains, as nicely.”
Zibanejad and Smith will not be the primary set of top-six forwards Cuylle has skated with this season.
The 6-foot-3, 212-pounder has additionally lined up subsequent to Vincent Trocheck and Smith, Brett Berard and Zibanejad, Artemi Panarin and Chytil, Trocheck and Kakko, Lafreniere and Chytil, in addition to Chris Kreider and Chytil.
Not one of the aforementioned trios performed collectively lengthy sufficient to attract any concrete conclusions, however Cuylle’s manufacturing drop-off might be drawn again to all his motion all through the lineup.
In 71:55 of ice time for Cuylle-Zibanejad-Smith getting into Tuesday’s recreation, they’ve been on the ice for only one Rangers objective and 5 towards throughout five-on-five play.
They’ve been out-attempted 40-31, however have additionally held a watch catching 19-9 edge in high-danger probabilities.
“I feel they’ve been good,” Laviolette mentioned. “They’ve been taking part in towards prime strains and I feel they’ve executed a reasonably good job. Defensively, I feel they’ve executed some good issues. Offensively, they’ve contributed, as nicely.”