Roster construction in the modern National Hockey League has evolved away from traditional, single-role enforcers toward physical, heavy-checking forwards who combine gritty physical play, forechecking pressure, and the willingness to drop the gloves to protect teammates. While the era of the classic designated fighter has largely faded, the Rangers routinely incorporate physically assertive forwards into their bottom-six forward group to establish an intimidating physical presence and maintain competitive toughness along the boards.