DALLAS \u2014 The New York Rangers had gone six straight games with the same lineup entering Saturday\u2019s 2-0 loss to the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center, with coach Mike Sullivan suggesting it could remain that way for this three-game road trip to close out the season.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re walking that line where, obviously, there\u2019s been a lot of young kids in the lineup that are getting opportunities to play,\u201d he said prior to the game. \u201cThe other aspect of it is the team has played extremely well over the last number of games, so when you say that the lineup hasn\u2019t changed a whole lot, that\u2019s a big reason why. I think it\u2019s an important message that performance matters, and there\u2019s a measure of accountability.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen guys are deserving to stay in the lineup, what message is that if I take them out?\u201d<\/p>\n
Shortly after making those comments, Sullivan made the contradictory call to scratch rookie defenseman Drew Fortescue.<\/p>\n
It cost the 20-year-old an $80,000 performance bonus that would have triggered if he appeared in 10 games this season \u2014 he\u2019s at seven and now won\u2019t be able to exceed nine \u2014 but the decision may have been less about saving money and more about protecting an asset for future seasons.<\/p>\n
According to the NHL\u2019s Collective Bargaining Agreement, opposing teams can extend offer sheets to any Group 2 restricted free agent. To qualify for Group 2 status, a player who signed their entry-level contract between the ages of 18 and 21 \u2014 like Fortescue \u2014 must have three years of professional experience. Players must appear in 10 games in a season for it to count toward one of those years, otherwise they\u2019ll be classified as a 10.2(c) RFA when their first contract expires and be ineligible to sign an offer sheet or apply for salary arbitration on their second deal.<\/p>\n
In short, sitting Fortescue on Saturday ensured that the Rangers won\u2019t have to worry about the offer sheet possibility when his ELC is up in the summer of 2028. But if that was the reason, Sullivan didn\u2019t let on after the game, instead framing it as a teaching moment.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the tools that coaching staffs use is when a guy sits up top and has an opportunity to look and have a different vantage point,\u201d he explained. \u201cHe\u2019s talked to (assistant coach David Quinn) about certain things to look for. They\u2019re going to go through the film, but this is all part of the learning process. I\u2019ve done this in the past with some young players that have come into our lineups. One of the biggest challenges that we feel is the size and strength of the players and the speed of the game. Those are usually the two biggest obstacles. Dallas is one of the bigger, stronger teams in the league that can really skate, so they present both challenges \u2014 size and speed. So we thought this was an opportunity to give Drew a chance to, after having a handful of games underneath his belt now, to see it from a different vantage point.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fortescue has registered two assists through seven games while averaging 14:58 time on ice, mostly while paired with defenseman Braden Schneider. His on-ice results have been largely positive \u2014 New York is outscoring opponents 8-3 through 102:57 at five-on-five, according to Natural Stat Trick \u2014 but a 42.31 percent expected goals-for rate shows there\u2019s some tightening up to be done.<\/p>\n