The New York Rangers rolled over the Florida Panthers at the 2026 NHL Winter Classic 5-1, and despite the recent success, Mike Sullivan is shaking things up to start the upcoming homestand.
Fresh off a dominant 5-1 win over the Florida Panthers in the 2026 NHL Winter Classic, the New York Rangers are still making notable adjustments as they prepare for their next homestand. During Sunday’s practice, head coach Mike Sullivan unveiled new line combinations that hinted at a willingness to tinker despite the momentum. Justin Dowling and Anton Blidh were slotted into roles in the bottom six, Urho Vaakanainen worked on the third defensive pairing, and both Brett Berard and Matthew Robertson were left out of the projected lineup.
Sullivan addressed the reasoning behind the changes, emphasizing that much of it centers on comfort and flexibility down the middle of the ice.
Sullivan likes having versatility of dressing additional centers
Sullivan explained that he values lineup flexibility, particularly the ability to dress extra centers who can slide into different roles if needed. He also spoke positively about Anton Blidh’s ability to bring energy and disruption on the forecheck, traits the coaching staff believes can spark the bottom of the lineup.
Reading between the lines, it appears Brett Berard could be headed back to Hartford in the near future. The young forward has struggled to earn consistent trust from the staff and has seen limited ice time. He has yet to make a noticeable impact, creating a familiar debate: is his lack of production the reason for reduced minutes, or are the reduced minutes preventing him from finding his rhythm?
Regardless, once Miller and Noah Laba return to full health, they are expected to reclaim their spots in the lineup. Until then, Dowling and Blidh’s ice time seems more like a temporary solution than a long-term plan.
Robertson’s expected scratch is curious decision
On the blue line, Vaakanainen is on track to make his first meaningful appearance since December 15. His only action since then came on December 21 against Nashville, when he played just 3:59, hardly enough to be considered a true return.
What stands out most is the decision to sit Matthew Robertson. He put together a strong December, logging 214 minutes at five-on-five and posting impressive underlying numbers, including a 67.88 GF%, 54.31 CF%, and 56.04 xGF%. If the goal was simply to shake things up or get Vaakanainen some reps after a long layoff, Carson Soucy appeared to be the more logical candidate. Soucy endured a difficult December, recording weaker possession and expected goal metrics over a similar workload.
Player
GF per 60
GA per 60
xGF per 60
xGA per 60
Robertson
3.04
1.44
2.16
2.40
Soucy
1.59
1.08
3.45
2.70
The contrast in these Evolving-Hockey splits is striking, especially considering the nearly identical ice time. With such a small gap in minutes, it’s hard to argue Robertson benefited from significantly more sheltered usage.
Projected Lineups
New York Rangers
Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, Will Cuylle
Gabe Perreault, Vincent Trocheck, Alexis Lafrenière
Jonny Brodzinski, Justin Dowling, Taylor Raddysh
Anton Blidh, Sam Carrick, Matt Rempe
Vladislav Gavrikov, Adam Fox
Carson Soucy, Will Borgen
Urho Vaakanainen, Braden Schneider
Igor Shesterkin
Utah Mammoth
Clayton Keller, Nick Schmaltz, JJ Peterka
Lawson Crouse, Barrett Hayton, Dylan Guenther
Michael Carcone, Jack McBain, Daniil But
Liam O’Brien, Kevin Stenlund, Alex Kerfoot
Mikhail Sergachev, Sean Durzi
Nate Schmidt, John Marino
Ian Cole, Nick DeSimone
Karel Vejmelka