The Rangers have added a bit more pushback, a bit more edge and a bit more nasty to their lineup in the form of 22-year-old wing Brendan Lemieux.
My immediate thought upon hearing that Lemieux was coming to the Blueshirts was that he could serve as a Sean Avery or Brandon Prust type in a bottom-six role. What made Avery and Prust valuable was that they were effective forwards through a combination of skill and agitation.
Lemieux recorded 11 points through 44 games this season for the Winnipeg Jets, which is pretty impressive when you consider his limited 7:25 average ice time. He averages 2.02 points per 60 minutes. Though that’s from a small sample of games, it’s higher than new teammate Jimmy Vesey’s mark of 1.95. Granted, I don’t think Lemieux is capable of outproducing Vesey per 60 minutes over the course of a full season, but this statistic speaks to his offensive potential.
Head coach David Quinn likes players who possess an in-your-face attitude, and Lemieux fits that mold to a T. Rangers fans will be eager to see what he brings to the ice in his Garden debut against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday night.
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It’s no secret that Lemieux attempts to emulate his father, four-time Stanley Cup winner Claude. You can guarantee that he’s going to be buzzing across the ice Wednesday, seeking out physical battles and getting under the skin of opponents.
He’s going to be hard to play against, hard in the corners and hard-nosed in front of the net. Quinn plans to place Lemieux on a line with center Lias Andersson and wing Pavel Buchnevich. Lemieux will also get the chance to impress on the second power-play unit, adding up to an increase in minutes and greater responsibility.
Lemieux fits the prototype of the modern NHL bottom-six forward. He brings aggression, speed, a good two-way sense and an ability to score hard-nosed goals. Garden goers hated his old man, but I’m sure they’ll warm to Brendan pretty quickly once he’s inflicting havoc on the Rangers' opponents.