Brad Penner-Imagn ImagesOn Saturday, for the New York Rangers' matchup against the Dallas Stars, Mike Sullivan decided to scratch Drew Fortescue from the lineup, replacing him with Urho Vaakanainen.
This is the first time Fortescue has served as a healthy scratch in his young NHL career.
By not playing in Dallas, Fortescue missed out on an $80,000 bonus, which he would've gotten after 10 games played, and he’s played in seven games with just two games remaining.
Sullivan explained his reasoning for why he decided to pull Fortescue from the lineup on Saturday.
“It's just part of the learning process. We felt like against a team like Dallas that has the size that they have that – we talked about it before the last game,” Sullivan said. “One of one 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. He's talked to [David Quinn] about certain things to look for. They're going to go through the film... I've 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 that they present both challenges, size and speed. We thought this was an opportunity to give Drew a chance, after having a handful of games underneath his belt now, to see it from a different vantage point and this is just another learning tool that we have.”
Since signing his three-year, entry-level contract with the Rangers on March 21, the 20-year-old defenseman has played in seven games, recording two points, while averaging 14:58 minutes.
The Rangers ultimately lost 2-0 to the Stars, marking the tenth time they’ve been shut out this season.