DETROIT — Victor Mancini caught the attention of the Rangers' coaching staff during the preseason with a series of jobs that pushed him to earn a spot in the lineup right out of training camp.
His toughness in the possession game, his ability to escape with the puck, and his knack for taking opponents out of plays have earned him a spot on a game-by-game basis while top-four mainstay Ryan Lindgren recovers from jaw surgery. continued to gain.
After Lindgren's return, Mancini remained in the lineup and played alongside Lindgren, eventually appearing in nine of the first ten games of the season.
He beat out Chad Ruhwedel on October 24, who the Rangers were willing to lose on waivers to keep Mancini.
Ruwedel was ultimately debarred and assigned to AHL Hartford.
However, for the last three games in a row, Mancini has been in casual clothes, with head coach Peter Laviolette considering options for the defensive pair in a tough stretch.
“I'm just trying to take things day by day and when I'm on the ice, trying to be as focused as possible during practice,” Mancini told the Post Saturday morning after spending time at Little Caesars Arena. Ta. Stay on the ice longer with your healthy scratch buddy Johnny Brodzinski. “When I get more time alone on the ice with the coaches, it’s just making sure I’m trying to do the right things, working on my game and honing my skills.
“Plus just being a good teammate and being cooperative. I think our team has had its ups and downs, but I think we're a really strong team. When we're clicking, things get better. We're heading in the right direction, and that's what I've been trying to do, support the players both in practice and on the ice.”
No one wants a 22-year-old who has shown so much promise in such a short period of time to be gathering dust in the press box.
Especially for young defensemen, game repetition is very important for player development.
But if Mancini develops quickly, and everything the Rangers have done with him shows, he focuses on practice, dives into video, and learns the ins and outs of daily life as an NHLer. There are certainly benefits to this. .
“I think there's a balance there,” Laviolette said earlier this week. “I think it's OK for young players to come out of a game once in a while and watch some video, look at it from a different angle, work on it in practice. I think that's fine. I don't think the stints get extended or get too long. I think we need to be careful not to.”
Rangers want Mancini to absorb and learn everything during this period, but they also want him to maintain the confidence he has gained and not take the injury streak into account too much.
It won't be long before Mancini returns to action. Otherwise, the Rangers will send him to compete on the top pair in Hartford.
While that may benefit him, working day-to-day with veteran NHL players and coaches could be beneficial for Mancini in the long run as well.
“Nobody wants to be taken out of the lineup, but when you're put in that position you have to find the positive in every situation,” he said. “You’re not the first person to be in this situation, to be in this locker room and pick the brains of players.To talk to other guys. [hear] What they did, how they dealt with it, and then just go and watch the game, watch the play, and see how I can implement what I saw into my own game. . ”
