Well before Ryan Lindgren was ruled out for the next few weeks, Victor Mancini had played himself into the mix.
The 6-foot-3, 229-pound defenseman has been a pleasant surprise during this Rangers training camp, asserting himself with the opportunities he’s been given and making enough of an impression on head coach Peter Laviolette to earn some reps with the main group.
Competing in his second exhibition game of the preseason Thursday against the Bruins, Mancini said he’s been happy with what he’s shown so far, but the 22-year-old is trying to stay grounded.
“I’m just worried about myself,” he said Thursday morning after a lightly attended optional skate for the game group. “I think this team is so good, they’re gearing up for another playoff run. I just want to go out, put my best foot forward. I’m just kind of worried about myself right now, want to go out and enjoy being here. Enjoy the process and see what happens.”
Mancini is more of a dark horse on the defensive depth chart than he is a legitimate candidate to make the Rangers roster out of training camp.
If he were a lefty, his chances with the left-handed Lindgren out would’ve been slightly higher.
After getting his first taste of professional hockey with the Hartford Wolf Pack in the American Hockey League at the end of last season, however, Mancini turned some heads this preseason.
“It’s a two-way defenseman,” the Nebraska-Omaha product said of how he would describe his game. “It starts in the defensive zone. I take pride in shutting plays down, playing a tough, physical game. But being able to win pucks and then I feel like my vision is a strong part of my game.
“So using my vision to break out my team and kind of starting the offense in our defensive zone, getting the puck into the forward’s hands and on the offensive side, being able to join that second layer and find open areas.”
Drafted 159th overall by the Rangers in 2022, Mancini said he mostly plays on the right, but he has been on the left before.
He said he would play wherever the Rangers wanted him to, of course, but it’s hard to imagine the organization expecting a rookie to make his NHL debut on his off side.
Mancini even got a chance to quarterback the Rangers power play in Boston, which he didn’t do much of in college. Defending five-on-five and the penalty kill are the areas Mancini usually excels in.
“Just being that dependable player,” he said. “I feel like I can play in all situations, but, you know, wherever they want me to play and how they want me to play, that’s how I’ll do it. I feel like a big part of my game is I’m going to help the team in any way I can.”
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While spending his offseason training at home in Michigan, Mancini focused on his puck skills. He said he likes to play a lot of small-area games, in which he can work on making quick decisions in tight areas with the puck.
Mancini is preparing for the game to get faster and faster.
He wanted to focus on preparing his body to be able to play more games than he’s used to.
That’s what moving on up entails.
