3 questions facing New York Rangers

NHL.com is providing in-depth analysis for each of its 32 teams from Aug. 1-Sept. 1. Today, three important questions facing the New York Rangers.

1. Will they have more success at Madison Square Garden?

The Rangers struggled at home from start to finish last season, the biggest reason they finished last in the Eastern Conference.

New York set a team record for futility at home by losing its first seven games (0-6-1) and being shut out five times despite coach Mike Sullivan saying his team was playing some of its best hockey. The Rangers were 6-15-4 there by late February and finished 14-20-7.

Sullivan said the coaching staff looked hard at the struggles on home ice and concluded the lack of scoring early led to pressure, which, unintended as it was, doubled down on the problem. The Rangers finished averaging 2.54 goals per game in 41 home games.

New York plays 10 of its first 17 games at home this season.

"I believe that if we focus on the task at hand, stay in the moment, we don't get overwhelmed by circumstances, don't dwell on the past and we try to get better every day, put our best game on the ice, that the results will take care of themselves," Sullivan said.

2. How will they replace Vincent Trocheck's contributions?

When the Rangers traded Trocheck to the Utah Mammoth on July 1, they sent away someone who checked every box for them -- second-line center, key contributor on the first power-play unit, top penalty killer and most effective center at the face-off dot, especially in the defensive zone. But they traded Trocheck believing they can replace what he did with multiple contributors, most notably second-year center Noah Laba.

"I think he has good size, he can really skate and I think he has an aptitude for the game," Sullivan said of Laba. "We liked the progress that he made in particular on the defensive side. I do think there's an offensive dimension to his game that he can continue to evolve and build, but certainly we're going to rely on putting him in defensive situations, difficult situations against other team's best players, and we think he's a guy that can handle that."

Alexis Lafreniere could bump up to replace Trocheck on the top power-play unit, joining Mika Zibanejad, J.T. Miller and Adam Fox, and newcomer Pavel Dorofeyev. Miller will return to being a primary center, replacing Trocheck there at even strength.

3. Will it be Zibanejad or Miller centering Dorofeyev?

Finding the best fit will allow Dorofeyev to make a seamless transition after he scored 72 goals over the past two seasons for the Vegas Golden Knights, including 37 in 82 games last season, when he was second in the NHL with 20 power-play goals. The Rangers acquired the 25-year-old in a trade on June 26.

With the Golden Knights, Dorofeyev often played with Jack Eichel last season, especially in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, at even strength and on the power play. Eichel, a right-handed center, had an assist on 10 of Dorofeyev's 37 goals in the regular season and eight of his 12 in the playoffs, according to NHL Stats. If the Rangers want to re-imagine that look, Dorofeyev, a left-handed shot, would be more likely to play on a line with Zibanejad, a righty. Dorofeyev also got time with Tomas Hertl, a lefty, just like Miller. Hertl assisted on eight of Dorofeyev's regular-season goals and four in the playoffs. Zibanejad, Miller and Dorofeyev should all be on New York's top power-play unit.

The key is to get Dorofeyev the puck in favorable scoring positions because New York needs him to be the type of scorer he was with Vegas.