TARRYTOWN − True to Peter Laviolette's word, Kaapo Kakko was skating in a different jersey color for Tuesday's practice at the MSG Training Center.

The injured forward switched from red, which typically indicates no contact, to yellow. The Rangers' head coach joked, "I wouldn't go on a grading system, like a stop light." But fittingly, the yellow did seem to represent a caution sign for teammates.

Kakko is still restricted from being hit, but he participated in every drill and was clearly engaging more than players who typically receive a non-contact designation. Call it an in-between stage.

"He's allowed to compete inside of practice," Laviolette explained.

The 22-year-old forward has missed 19 games since sustaining a left-leg injury on Nov. 27, but he avoided a season-ending situation and looks poised to return less than two months later.

Kakko isn't expected to play in Thursday's 8 p.m. game in St. Louis, but he's clearly inching closer. It's unlikely the Blueshirts would ask him to play in back-to-back games against the Washington Capitals this weekend, but a return for the second contest at home on Sunday or next Tuesday's meeting with the Seattle Kraken could be on the table.

"There's going to be a process for him when he does come back, when he is cleared, when he does get into games," Laviolette said. "There might be a ramp-up period. He's been out for a little bit. We’ll see how many practices he gets. We’ll see how he looks in practice. I thought he looked good today. I thought he was moving well, competed well, and so that's a positive step."

Will Cuylle moves to 1RW

Reintroducing No. 24 would give the reeling Rangers some much-needed reinforcements up front. But in the meantime, they're trying something a bit different.

The lengthy experiment of playing veteran Blake Wheeler on the top line with Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad has run its course. Laviolette dropped Wheeler down in the lineup during Monday's ugly 6-3 loss to the Vancouver Canucks, then rotated four different forwards in that vacant spot for the final two periods.

Postgame takeaways: Rangers' defensive issues come to the forefront

One player who didn't get a turn there was rookie Will Cuylle, but he appears to be the next man up. The 21-year-old spent Tuesday's practice in the ever-changing 1RW position, despite playing every game up to this point − and throughout his pre-NHL career − at his natural left-wing position.

"It was an opportunity to pop him in there and see how he does," Laviolette said. "He’s probably one of our more physical guys. He gets in on the forecheck, he bangs bodies. He and Kreids both go to the net front. Kreids makes a living there and Cools, he was the reason for that (Adam Fox) goal (in Montreal on Saturday) just because he provided that screen. For me, he's a guy that can jump up there and make some noise. He's also scored seven goals, so he's put the puck in the back of the net."

Cuylle was all smiles about the chance to play with "a couple of Rangers' legends" and didn't seem concerned about making the switch to RW.

"I've never really played right, but I don't really see much difference in it," he said. "In the (defensive) zone, it's just the side you're on. Pretty much getting passes from the (defensemen) is the only difference. And then in the offensive zone, there are really no positions."

Where does Kaapo Kakko fit?

That move left Wheeler feeling a bit out of place on what had been a checking line with Barclay Goodrow and Jimmy Vesey. But once the Rangers decided to bump him down, their options were limited.

Clearly, the 37-year-old didn't click with Kreider and Zibanejad the way they were hoping. In 228:06 time on ice together, that trio posted a 45.69% xGF, according to Natural Stat Trick.

Wheeler appears past the point in his accomplished career where he can consistently keep up with such a demanding role, but he's also become an easy scapegoat for a line that's underwhelmed for long stretches. Kreider and Zibanejad have combined for 28 five-on-five points through 39 games played, which is the same amount that Artemi Panarin has produced on his own.

Now Cuylle will get a chance to provide a boost, but he could also be keeping the seat warm for Kakko.

"Sometimes it gets lost in there that we have players missing from the lineup, so that changes things," Laviolette said. "If you’re healthy, I'm not sure that would be the move. But we're not. When you don't have all your assets available to you and you have to fill in different spots, at times you can try things, you can give it a little bit of time, you can look at things – but you may change it, as well."

There's no denying the Rangers' forward depth is in a precarious state due to the ongoing absences of Kakko, Filip Chytil (concussion) and Tyler Pitlick (lower-body injury).

They won their first three games without Kakko but have gone 8-7-1 in their last 16. A low point came in Monday's loss to the Canucks, highlighting defensive issues that have cropped up post-Thanksgiving.

Kakko was having his own struggles prior to the injury, particularly offensively. The No. 2 overall pick from the 2019 NHL Draft was stuck on just three points (two goals and one assist) through 20 games, despite playing most of them alongside Kreider and Zibanejad.

The production was lacking, but the interesting part is that their underlying numbers suggest they were doing just fine. That trio posted a 58.29% xGF and 55.56% shot share, which indicates they had the advantage when it came to possession and generating quality scoring chances. They only cashed in for two goals in 120:57 time on ice together but allowed just one. Defensively, they were rock solid, with reasons to believe the goals would eventually come.

Will Laviolette turn back to that combination once Kakko is healthy? Perhaps not right away as he eases the young Finn back into action, but don't be surprised if that's where he ends up. It beats the current alternatives, unless Cuylle does enough to change his coach's mind in the next few games.

"You're always thinking as a coach," Laviolette said. "You're always looking down the road at your team and scenarios – power plays, lineup, penalty kill – and where it might be the next day, or where it might be in five days."

Brennan Othmann reassigned

Solving the top-line dilemma is the top lineup priority, but questions persist about the makeup of the bottom six.

Putting Kakko with Kreider and Zibanejad would allow Cuylle to slide back into a checking line spot with Goodrow and Vesey, where he seemed to be an ideal fit. But it's increasingly clear that Laviolette's trust in the other bottom-six combination is wavering.

The little-used trio of Brennan Othmann, Nick Bonino and Jonny Brodzinski have each logged 10:32 TOI or less in the past two games, with their shifts being drastically cut down late in contests. A trade feels imminent, but uncertainties regarding exactly how much salary cap space team president Chris Drury will have to work with could delay that process.

In the meantime, there isn't an obvious answer for where to turn next.

We know there will be at least one new skater on that patchwork line after Othmann was reassigned to AHL Hartford prior to Tuesday's practice. The 2021 first-round pick had a memorable NHL debut in last week's 4-1 win over the Chicago Blackhawks, leading the team with five shots on goal, but he managed only one SOG total in the next two games while being held to 7:33 TOI or less in both contests.

"For young players, things can become a little bit more challenging when you play some of the upper-echelon teams in the league," Laviolette said. "But I thought he did well. There are no major flaws. The first game, he had some impact offensively. I thought it was a little bit less the second game."

The Rangers' hope getting a taste of life in the NHL will aid the 21-year-old's development and provide valuable insight for what's expected next time he gets the call, similar to what happened with Cuylle last season.

To replace Othmann, center Jake Leschyshyn was recalled from Hartford. The 24-year-old missed over six weeks with an upper-body injury before returning on Dec. 27. He's posted six points (three goals and three assists) in 14 AHL games, including a pair of goals in Saturday's 5-3 win over Hershey.

It was a bit of a surprise to see Leschyshyn, who struggled mightily while failing to register a point in 35 NHL games last season, chosen over a more productive veteran in Alex Belzile, who leads the Wolf Pack with 28 points (11 goals and 17 assists) in 31 games. Adam Edström (upper-body injury) and Riley Nash (lower-body injury) may have been considered if they were healthy, but both forwards are currently out of the banged-up Hartford lineup.

Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers beat reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Read more of his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Rangers lineup analysis: Where does Kaapo Kakko fit when he returns?