Rangers Roster: Sullivan Promotes Dorofeyev to Top Line

Mike Sullivan installed a new top line for the New York Rangers on Friday as the team returned to practice. The veteran head coach moved Pavel Dorofeyev into a position with Mika Zibanejad and Alexis Lafrenière. Gabe Perreault was shifted to the third unit in the process.

This specific combination was the only one Sullivan had not attempted this season. The change marks the latest effort to find the right fit for the Russian winger. Dorofeyev has played in both of the top two lines during the first 13 games of the year.

The winger dropped out of the top six for a 6-3 loss to the Los Angeles Kings on Monday. Sullivan indicated that the third line is not a long-term solution for a player of Dorofeyev’s skill set. The coach wants to keep the winger in the top six.

Dorofeyev has recorded three goals in 14 games. The most notable score came in a 2-0 home victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Another goal was added in a 6-0 win against the New Jersey Devils. His most recent goal cut the Rangers' deficit to one with less than five minutes remaining in regulation against the St. Louis Blues.

Sullivan stated that the goal is to capture the best version of Dorofeyev. The coach said he moved players around to help the winger find his rhythm and create balance in the lineup. Sullivan noted that Zibanejad’s line has been less effective recently compared to the start of the season.

The coach added that he was reluctant to make changes earlier in the year because the original line was performing well. Sullivan said the timing is right now to try this adjustment. He emphasized that this is the one top-six combination for Dorofeyev that the team had not yet tried.

Sullivan made no other changes to the roster on Friday. The defensive pairs remained the same as the previous games. Vladislav Gavrikov and Adam Fox will continue to form the first pairing. Sullivan said the pair has complementary skill sets and has played important minutes.

The coach acknowledged that Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson have shown a drop-off in play. Sullivan said the team is discussing changes for the second pairing. He noted that the current arrangement is not fixed. The final decision will depend on player performance in the coming games.