Blake Wheeler dazzles in his first practice as a New York Ranger, playing alongside Filip Chytil, and superstar Artemi Panarin.
Tarrytown, New York- Group A took the ice today in what would be a high-octane drill session for the New York Rangers.
Peter Laviolette spoke to the vision he had for the team's pace, in training camp, practice, and in the upcoming season. That was on full display in today's camp. The team skated in a mixture of fast-moving 3-on-2 drills, in zone 5-on-5 work, conditioning skates, had a break and came back to the ice surface for more intensive line work exercises.
The first unit consisted of what will likely be the NHL roster for the Rangers this season. Veteran addition Blake Wheeler slotted in with Filip Chytil and Artemi Panarin to start the camp.
Wheeler was one of a few new additions the Rangers signed from the free agent market in the off-season, along with a new head coach in Peter Laviolette, “ It’s nice for the newer guys, so everyone’s learning at the same time, we are all in the same boat.”
When asked about the locker room attitude, Wheeler echoed the common theme his new teammates have stated, “The guys are excited, the vibe I get is everyone worked super hard. Certainly, things didn’t end the way the guys wanted it to last year and myself included in Winnipeg.”
The former Winnipeg Jets captain talked about the group itself and the window of opportunity that is present with the club this season, “The core group of these guys are sort of entering the prime of their careers and that in and of itself creates a level of, you called it seriousness, but I think it’s just knowing there is a window and everyone chasing the same goal.”
The 37-year-old winger also discussed his thoughts on Peter Laviolette, who he faced off against in Central Division matchups between the Jets and Predators, “ Playing his teams are always tough…You feel like you're always chasing the puck against them. There is a purpose behind everything and he explains everything.”
Laviolette explained that the lines would change over the course of the camp and emphasized that again today, "There'll be a switch tomorrow. The lines are going to move around. I said that from the beginning just to take a look at guys."
The impression is that the mixing of lineup hopefuls and NHL regulars will cascade over the next couple of weeks, but the first group today will likely be the squad in Buffalo on October 12th.
No matter where Wheeler ends up on the line chart, he is well-conditioned and supplemented his linemates well in the Ranger's first practice.
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