Rangers use new depth to lighten stars' workload

The New York Rangers are actively managing player workloads early in the 2026-27 season, with head coach Mike Sullivan redistributing special teams and defensive responsibilities to reduce the burden on top stars like J.T. Miller, Mika Zibanejad, and Adam Fox. Management, led by president and general manager Chris Drury, added versatile depth players in the offseason to enable this strategy. Through three games, the Rangers have been shorthanded an NHL-leading 10 times, yet Miller has logged just 32 seconds on the penalty kill and Fox only 49 seconds, with Sullivan limiting Fox's ice time after his injury-plagued 2025-26 campaign. Sullivan is also making situational lineup adjustments, such as moving Tye Kartye up to the second line Friday against Detroit to spark the offense. The coach hopes these changes will preserve top players' energy for offensive situations while developing younger skaters like Noah Laba.