Rangers' Mika Zibanejad still an option to play center during season

GREENBURGH – With lower-body injuries keeping both J.T. Miller and Sam Carrick from practicing Tuesday, the Rangers found themselves short a couple of centers at practice.

So Mika Zibanejad stepped in for Miller as the first-line center, working with three wingers – Alexis Lafreniere, Gabe Perreault and Jonny Brodzinski – rotating around him. It was a chance, for a day, for Zibanejad to play the position he has owned for the Rangers for the past seven years.

Zibanejad has spent all of training camp and the preseason playing right wing on the first line, alongside Miller. Both he and Miller have made the point that they share forward and wing responsibilities, however. For instance, since Miller is a lefthanded shot and Zibanejad a righthander, each can take faceoffs in the offensive or defensive zone when it is on his strong side.

Still, Zibanejad said it was nice Tuesday to be able to run through the center’s responsibilities in new coach Mike Sullivan’s zone defense, which differs from the man-to-man Sullivan’s predecessor, Peter Laviolette, employed the last two seasons.

“It's nothing completely new; I've played this type of defensive zone before,’’ Zibanejad said. “But it was nice to get some reps.’’

Both Miller and Carrick are day-to-day, the Rangers said, so at the moment there’s no concern either will miss the regular-season opener next Tuesday against Pittsburgh.

But in the event Miller does have to miss time – or if Sullivan decides the Rangers just need a new look to their lineup for a game – the coach said it is absolutely possible that he could split Miller and Zibanejad up at points throughout the season and have Zibanejad play center on a separate line.

“We know that that's, without a doubt, an option that we have on the table,’’ Sullivan said. “Might you see that at some point along the way? Yes, you might.’’

Othmann among those sent down 

The Rangers trimmed their roster by sending 11 players to their AHL affiliate in Hartford Tuesday, the biggest name among them being 2021 first-round pick Brennan Othmann.

Sullivan said Othmann going down doesn’t mean he can’t come back at some point.

“Rosters in the NHL are fluid,’’ he said. “They can change in a day. They can change in 24, 48 hours. They can change next week.

“As I said to ‘Otter,’ just because this decision was made today doesn't mean that there’s finality to it and that the opportunity no longer exists,’’ he said. “It very much exists and will continue to exist.’’

Sullivan said he’s had “a number of conversations’’ with Othmann about what he needs to do to stick with the Rangers.

“It's attention to detail in all zones, on both sides of the puck, in particular on the defensive side of the puck,’’ Sullivan said.

The other players going to Hartford were: goalies Dylan Garand and Talyn Boyko, defensemen Blake Hillman and Derrick Pouliot, and forwards Anton Blidh, Justin Dowling, Trey Fix-Wolansky, Bryce McConnell-Barker, Dylan Roobroeck and Casey Terrance.

In addition, a source said defenseman Connor Mackey and forward Brendan Brisson were placed on waivers. If they clear waivers Wednesday, they will be assigned to Hartford. Also, defenseman Brandon Scanlin, who has been unable to participate in camp because of a foot injury, will continue his rehab at Hartford.

Twenty-seven players remain in Rangers camp, including prospect forwards Perreault, Brett Berard and Noah Laba, and prospect defenseman Scott Morrow.

By Colin Stephenson

colin.stephenson@newsday.comColinSNewsday

Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.