Oliver Bjorkstrand was reduced to a bottom-six role last season in Tampa Bay.
Prior to strictly skating on the third and fourth lines for the Lightning, however, the Danish wing spent nearly the first decade of his career working to establish himself as a reliable middle-six forward with an offensive upside worthy of the top two lines of an NHL lineup.
It was another shot at a top-six opportunity that drew Bjorkstrand to New York.
“I gotta grab it,” Bjorkstrand told The Post before pulling on the Rangers jersey for the first time in the second exhibition game against the Islanders on Tuesday night. “There’s definitely opportunity in this lineup. But, you know, nothing’s going to be given to you. You might get a shot, but you’ve got to prove that you deserve to be there. It’s on me to find a way to grab a meaningful role if it’s top six or top nine or whatever it is — whatever that meaningful role is — and run with it and keep that. That’s kind of my mindset. It’s just finding a way to have a big impact on this team.”
