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NEWARK, N.J. – Head coach Gerard Gallant said he thought there would’ve been some disappointment in the Rangers locker room had president and general manager Chris Drury not made any moves prior to the trade deadline on Monday.
The Rangers showed management just how much they deserved reinforcements for the final 19 games of the season and the playoffs, beginning with the Devils Tuesday night at the Prudential Center. So two new forwards in Andrew Copp and Tyler Motte, and one defenseman in Justin Braun, came parachuting into the locker room.
With new faces could come a new team dynamic, but Drury was particular with his acquisitions.
The familiarity is already there, specifically for Copp and Motte. Not only were the two teammates for two seasons during their collegiate playing days at Michigan, but they also know defenseman Jacob Trouba from the U.S. National Development Team in 2011-12. Copp and Trouba also grew up in Michigan.
Additionally, all three of the acquired players know forward Frank Vatrano – who was acquired from the Panthers last week – from the USNTDP as well.
“Knowing those guys definitely makes it easier,” Motte said. “It’s nice to see some friendly faces coming in. It takes you back a little bit to our time at school and growing up with Frank and Troubs being older than me at the program with Copper, it’s just kind of surreal.”
Aside from their time with the USNTDP, Trouba and Copp also overlapped for the 2012-13 season with the Wolverines. Plus, they were teammates on the Jets from 2014 until Trouba was traded from Winnipeg to the Rangers for the 2019-20 season.
The two have been friends since they were 10 years old and they have the pictures to prove it.
“The last three years were the first years without each other,” Copp said. “He takes credit for me being in the NHL to begin with. Now, it’s like I’m following him around. It’ll be awesome though. Obviously, really close friends, stood in his wedding last year. It’ll be fun to spend some time together again.”
Since the locker room camaraderie is likely to be unchanged, the main focus on the new players are where they’ll fit into the lineup. To start, Copp slotted into the third line next to Filip Chytil and Dryden Hunt, while Motte lined up next to Barclay Goodrow and Ryan Reaves on the fourth unit. Vatrano remained on the second line with Artemi Panarin and Ryan Strome, where he’s skated since his Rangers debut against the Islanders last Thursday.
Braun knocked rookie defenseman Braden Schneider out of the right side of the third pair next to veteran Patrik Nemeth.
Identifying individual roles has been a priority for the Rangers this season, and the three new additions have a clear idea of what theirs is. Braun considers himself a defense-first defenseman, who wants to get the puck in the forwards’ hands as quickly as he can.
Up front, Copp embraces his versatility. The 27-year-old said he can play center or wing, on any line and on both special teams. Motte feels his home is on the penalty kill, but he said he likes to use his speed to push the forecheck as well. “
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