Rangers willing to try an Adam Fox-KAndre Miller defensive pairing

If there were a silver lining to losing Ryan Lindgren in the second exhibition game, it’s that it happened early enough for the Rangers to spend a majority of the preseason figuring out how to best realign the defense.No pairing was off the table, and no prospect has been overlooked.With Friday’s exhibition game being the last one on the preseason schedule, just about every defensive combination that makes sense has been looked at by head coach Peter Laviolette at some point.Connor Mackey and Victor Mancini, both with the team’s AHL affiliate last season, have gotten reps in Lindgren’s usual spot next to Adam Fox.We’ve seen Zac Jones, on pace to be in the Rangers Opening Night lineup for the first time, with captain Jacob Trouba at times.The right-handed Chad Ruhwedel, obtained at last season’s trade deadline and extended this summer, has been plugged into both the right and left of multiple different partners.A duo we haven’t seen much of, however, could still be a viable option.

Fox and K’Andre Miller skated together with the non-game group on Monday after logging just 63:31 of five-on-five ice time as a pair last season.“We’re going to give it a look,” Laviolette said.“It’s a lefty-righty combo.

I feel like they’re both top defenseman for us.We’re looking to see.

I think [Lindgren’s injury] opened up something, you’re not expecting that.Of course, there’s injuries, they always happen, right? But then when something happens, you have the stability, and then something happens and you don’t.

And you got to find the right pieces and the right partners.“It’s really just an evaluation process.Mancini on the left, Ruhwedel on the left, maybe a Miller-Fox combination.

Those things, we’ll look at.”Depending on how Laviolette is weighing things, perhaps the second-year Rangers coach will want to see Miller and Fox in action Friday.The final exhibition game is usually when teams try to deploy the lineup they want to start ...