Welcome to your New York Rangers offseason grades! It ultimately did not end the way the organization wanted it to, but there was a lot of jog and excitement. It is summertime for the Rangers, but that does not mean we cannot reminisce on the season. Today we will look at Tyler Motte’s offseason grade.
New York Rangers Offseason Grade
Report Card: Tyler Motte
This next New York Rangers offseason grade is a familiar face. Last season at the trade deadline, general manager Chris Drury made multiple trades. One of those happened to be Tyler Motte. Motte is a fourth-line grinder that brings energy and physicality. In addition, he is not shy about lighting the lamp and chipping in offensively when on the ice. This is a player that not only Drury, but Gerard Gallant was familiar with in the lineup. He played well last year and was one of those guys you want to keep around. So how did things go the second time around?
The Season
For the second season in Ranger Blue, Tyler Motte fulfilled his role on the roster. In 24 games, he went on to score five goals, five assists, and ten points. Despite the small sample size, he went on to finish 9th in individual expected goals. Primarily playing fourth-line minutes, this is not a bad thing. In addition, with him on the ice he accounted for 13 expected goals for and 13 against. For a guy that plays a hard-nosed game, one area he thrived in was the high-danger area. Motte was on the ice for seven goals in the area and chances were 64-55. Using his big frame and size he loved going to the dirty areas and going to the front of the net.
Motte is a physical player and is never afraid to deliver a hit. He went on to finish the season with 118 hits. His 60 blocked shots had him ranked eighth on the team. He was acquired to bring in a physical element and energy that was lacking in the bottom part of the lineup.
The Playoffs
Like two others, this is where the New York Rangers offseason grade took a swan dive. As mentioned in their respective offseason grades, three players went on to have a scoreless first-round series against the New Jersey Devils. Those players were Jacob Trouba, Alexis Lafreniere, and Tyler Motte. Spending time on the fourth line, they only managed to notch two points as a line. Given his amount of time on the ice, he went on to record just eight hits and six blocked shots.
When he was on the ice things did not go well in his favour. Shot attempts were 86-55, 4.2-3.19 xGoals, and 46-22 scoring chances. Overall it was not a great showing as New Jersey managed to get damage done when he was on the ice. It did not appear Motte brought the same element he did last postseason when the team reached the eastern conference finals.
The Verdict
This New York Rangers offseason grade is similar to another player on the roster. Tyler Motte was brought in to bring an element missing from the team. Partnered with Barclay Goodrow, a recipe for building one that is hard to play against was in play. Motte is a great role player and does his job well for what he is asked to do. Fourth-line players still have their part to play and roles to fill on the ice. Motte was not great in the playoffs, but he was fine in the regular season when he was brought in.
Grade: C-
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