The New York Rangers will be without forward Brendan Lemieux when they begin it’s play-in series against the Carolina Hurricanes. Lemieux is suspended for two games due to interference against Joonas Donskoi of the Colorado Avalanche. NHL Player Safety announced the suspension late Monday afternoon.
NY Rangers’ Brendan Lemieux has been suspended for two Stanley Cup Qualifying games for interference on Colorado’s Joonas Donskoi. https://t.co/H3C0ZFD4f1
— NHL Player Safety (@NHLPlayerSafety) July 20, 2020
Rangers Brendan Lemieux Suspended
Lemieux has been a sturdy option for the Rangers in 2019-20. The 23-year-old has six goals and 18 points in 59 games while averaging 12:52 per game. Lemiuex’s value primarily comes from his physical style where he contributed 164 hits and 52 blocks. The Rangers used Lemeiux as a secondary power play option but had below average possession metrics.
The Buffalo Sabres originally selected Lemieux in the second round of the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. They traded him to the Winnipeg Jets in 2015, who traded him to Rangers near the trade deadline in the 2018-19 season. Lemieux has a total of 19 goals and 36 points in 131 games. He also has 305 hits and 84 blocks. Lemieux is an old-school physical player but teams often look for that sort of style on its fourth line or bottom-six.
What This Means for the Future
The Rangers will not miss Lemieux’s offence but they might need him if they want to advance past the Hurricanes. Players like Lemieux can often benefit from the playoff-style of play since games are rougher and called more loosely. New York will likely replace him with someone like prospect Julien Gauthier. Gauthier had 26 goals and 37 points in 44 games for the Hurricane’s AHL affiliate Charlotte Checkers before he went to New York in exchange for Joey Keane. In 17 career NHL games between New York and Carolina, Gauthier has recorded three assists.
This suspension could impact Lemieux’s future with New York. He was scheduled to reach restricted free agency this summer but he could be a trade chip if the team loses to Carolina without his help. This suspension is not a huge blow to the Rangers’ chances against Carolina but no team wants to be short-handed going into the NHL’s restart.
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