On Tuesday New York Rangers head coach David Quinn announced that former Capital Kevin Shattenkirk will likely be scratched for their game Thursday against the Sharks.
The Rangers signed Shattenkirk to a four-year, $6.65 million AAV contract during the summer of 2017. The Rangers still owe Shattenkirk $19.95 million over the next three years.
It was made pretty clear that Kevin Shattenkirk will be a healthy scratch Thursday at the Garden against the Sharks. He said he needs more “urgency” in his game, and Quinn said he needs to regain his confidence after what happened last year. #NYR
— Brett Cyrgalis (@BrettCyrgalis) October 9, 2018
It's possible off of reports from Rangers practice today that Kevin Shattenkirk will be scratched against San Jose on Thursday. That's telling of Shattenkirk's play so far and a big move by David Quinn, who is clearly demonstrating this is his team and wielding the power he has.
— Dan Rosen (@drosennhl) October 9, 2018
The Capitals acquired Shattenkirk as a rental in March 2017, giving up forward Zach Sanford, a 2017 first-round draft pick, and a conditional second-round pick. General Manager Brian MacLellan wanted to address the Caps’ need for a skilled defenseman as the team pushed for playoff success.
Shattenkirk contributed two goals and twelve assists in nineteen games with the Capitals. The defenseman never fully acclimated to the team, and he left for his hometown Rangers quickly after the Penguins eliminated the Capitals in the second round.
Like defenseman Karl Alzner, Shattenkirk made comments about the Capitals’ lack of playoff success as reasons for leaving. After agreeing to his deal in New York, Shattenkirk said, “I’m looking forward to joining a team that I think is capable of winning the Stanley Cup.” The defenseman made similar comments when he joined the Capitals.
The Rangers signed Shattenkirk expecting him to be their number one defenseman. The Capitals had similar expectations when they traded for him.
“I think everybody thought of him as a 1-2 (top-pairing defenseman), and he really wasn’t,” former Capitals head coach Barry Trotz said last season. “He was a little lower.”
Shattenkirk played in the first forty-six games of the 2017-18 campaign until his season ended when with a torn meniscus in January. The defenseman became a scapegoat for Rangers’ fans, as the team’s expected goals plummetted when he was on the ice.
Via Hockeyviz.com
Shattenkirk has yet to play up to expectations of Rangers’ fans. The 2018-19 season is already off to a rough start, and Shattenkirk logged the fewest minutes of his career during Sunday’s loss to the Hurricanes. The twenty-nine-year-old defenseman will look to earn his spot in the lineup back as the season progresses.
Shattenkirk on his likely benching: " I think all the ‘D’ have earned a spot on the roster and I’m probably the guy that needs to fight a little bit harder to get my spot back….This is probably a good little kick to get me going and get me out of this." #NYR
— Brett Cyrgalis (@BrettCyrgalis) October 9, 2018
Headline photo: Washington Capitals
