The time has finally come, hockey season is right around the corner as the Rangers kick off their official training camp today and play their first preseason game in less than a week. Late yesterday afternoon, they announced the full, official training camp roster:
5 Jarred Tinordi (D)
6 Zac Jones (D)
8 Jacob Trouba (D)
10 Artemi Panarin (F)
12 Julien Gauthier (F)
13 Alexis Lafreniere F)
14 Matt Bartkowski (D)
15 Gustav Rydahl (F)
16 Vincent Trocheck (F)
17 C.J. Smith (F)
20 Chris Kreider (F)
21 Barclay Goodrow (F)
22 Ryan Carpenter (F)
23 Adam Fox (D)
24 Kaapo Kakko (F)
25 Libor Hajek (D)
26 Jimmy Vesey (F)
28 Turner Elson (F)
29 Dryden Hunt (F)
31 Igor Shesterkin (G)
37 Andy Welinski (D)
38 Adam Sykora (F)
39 Ty Emberson (D)
41 Jaroslav Halak (G)
42 Tim Gettinger (F)
44 Matthew Robertson (D)
45 Braden Schneider (D)
47 Bryce McConnell-Barker (F)
48 Bobby Trivigno (F)
49 Lauri Pajuniemi (F)
50 Will Cuylle (F)
53 Hunter Skinner (D)
54 Louka Henault (D)
55 Ryan Lindgren (D)
56 Talyn Boyko (G)
57 Zach Jordan (F)
58 Brandon Scanlin (D)
59 Karl Henriksson (F)
60 Olof Lindbom (G)
62 Alex Whelan (F)
63 Blake Hillman (D)
70 Louis Domingue (G)
71 Cristiano Digiancinto (F)
72 Filip Chytil (F)
73 Matt Rempe (F)
74 Vitaly Kravstov (F)
75 Ryan Reaves (F)
76 Jonny Brodzinski (F)
77 Easton Brodzinski (F)
78 Brennan Othmann (F)
79 K’Andre Miller (D)
80 Parker Gahagen (G)
82 Patrick Khodorenko (F)
83 Ryder Korczak (F)
84 Adam Edstrom (F)
85 Austin Rueschhoff (F)
86 Tanner Fritz (F)
87 Zach Giuttari (D)
89 Maxim Barbashev (F)
90 Luke Martin (D)
91 Sammy Blais (F)
92 Ryan Lohin (F)
93 Mika Zibanejad (F)
96 Jayden Grubbe (F)
97 Sam Alfano (F)
98 Dylan Garand (G)
(Names in red are either on AHL contracts, unsigned or not yet eligible for the NHL)
While for the most part, the Rangers 22/23 man roster is relatively easy to guess at this point, there are still a couple question marks and decisions that will need to be made based on how camp and preseason go. At the start of each training camp, I always like to play head coach and piece together potential line combinations that showcase different options that can help make these final roster decisions. With that in mind, let’s go over some of the question marks going into preseason and then look at some different line combinations that can help answer those questions:
Who Is Going to Play the Left Side of the Third Pair of Defense?
With Patrik Nemeth out of the picture and Nils Lundkvist having his trade request honored, the Rangers are all of a sudden pretty thin on the defensive side of the depth charts. While Libor Hajek is still lingering within the organization, it certainly seems as though there’s a job opening on the left side of Braden Schneider. With Hajek better suited as the seventh defender, Zac Jones and Matthew Robertson will likely battle it out for that spot on the third pair with Jones being the favorite.
Jones has appeared in 22 games with the Rangers over the last two seasons, racking up six assists in the process. He had some struggles at the AHL level last year but overall had a decent year, putting up nine goals and 26 assists. Jones was given the option of attending the Rangers rookie camp this year as he’s no longer really considered a rookie. However, Jones decided to take the opportunity and run with it as attending camp gave him an advantage to get his legs under him and to set a bit of an example for those younger players. A great decision by the 21 year old who ended up proudly wearing a “C” on his jersey for some prospect scrimmages during camp.
Matthew Robertson on the other hand, is without a doubt going to give Jones a run for his money as he hopes to crack the Rangers opening night roster following his first full season of professional hockey. In his first year with the Wolf Pack, he put up a goal and ten assists and made great strides toward what the Rangers see in his future. He’s a big bodied, mobile defenseman with great vision and a high hockey IQ that could compliment Braden Schneider’s style of play just as well. There’s no question that Robertson will be one of the names to keep an eye on as the competition between him and Jones should certainly be intriguing.
Will Gallant Keep His Word With Lafreniere & Kakko in the Top-Six?
Following the end of the Rangers exciting playoff round which included a controversial decision to scratch former second overall pick in Kaapo Kakko for game six, Head Coach Gerard Gallant assured that Kakko has a bright future and that both he and Alexis Lafreniere will be top-six forwards going into the next season. Well, that next season is about to begin and the question has to be asked, will he keep his word and start the season with both of them in the top-six? If that is indeed the case, Lafreniere will have to stick on the right side given their continued surplus of left wingers. All signs point to Lafreniere being okay with that and he seems to have solid chemistry with Rangers veterans Chris Kreider and Mika Zibanejad but you have to wonder if anything will change, especially in the next couple of weeks. It’s also worth noting, both Sammy Blais and Vitaly Kravtsov are left handed shots but prefer playing on the right side and if Kravtsov comes to camp ready to make an impression, could he potentially take a job from Lafreniere or Kakko? On the flipside could all three of the kids play so well that Chris Kreider’s role gets put into question and he gets moved to the third line? While it’s pretty likely that Lafreniere will stick to the right side of Kreider and Mika and Kakko with Panarin and Trocheck, these are definitely ideas worth exploring when putting together potential preseason lineups.
How Will The Rangers Bottom-Six Forward Group Play Out?
When you assess the Rangers training camp roster there are at least ten names that are pretty much locked into an opening night roster spot at the forward position. Zibanejad, Kreider, Panarin, Trocheck, Chytil, Lafreniere, Kakko, Goodrow, Blais and Reaves. You could even go as far to include Dryden Hunt in those names which only leaves you with one or two openings, three if they opt to carry a 23 man roster. Ryan Carpenter is a free agent signing most likely to be included with the aforementioned players given his style of play, experience and history with Rangers Coach Gerard Gallant but by no means is his roster spot guaranteed. Players like Julien Gauthier, Gustav Rydahl, Jonny Brodzinski and Jimmy Vesey who is on a professional tryout will look to make roster decisions very difficult for the Rangers coaching staff. On top of that, Vitaly Kravtsov pretty much needs to make the team if the Rangers hope to fully amend all of the disconnect that has occurred with him over the years. Kravtsov however, isn’t the only prospect hoping to make an impact in preseason and push for an opening night roster spot as Brennan Othmann is coming off a 50 goal season in the OHL and is not eligible to play in the American League. This means the Rangers are going to have to make a real tough decision in deciding to send him back to the league he essentially spent the last year running or to give him a chance at proving he’s ready for the show. We’ll look at different line combinations later in this piece to see how the bottom two lines could play out but when looking at the big picture, you have to think this is what opening night will look like and where there are jobs for taking:
Kreider - Zibanejad - Lafreniere
Panarin - Trocheck - Kakko
Goodrow - Chytil - ?
? - ? - Blais
_____ / Reaves
I love Reaves as much as anyone and am one of the people who still believe he is an important piece to the team, but it’s pretty evident that he’s not going to be an 82 game player at this point in his career. With that in mind, you have to think he will spend most nights as the thirteenth forward which would leave two openings on the fourth line as well as one on the third. Hunt, Kravtsov, Othmann, Gauthier, Carpenter, Brodzinski, Rydahl and Vesey will likely be the ones contending for those openings but there are certainly some dark horses worth considering. Tim Gettinger, Will Cuylee, Bobby Trivigno just to name a few could work their way into the running for whatever positions do indeed remain available.
Will Any of the Players on PTO’s Get Contracts?
As most teams do, the Rangers signed a couple of league veterans to professional tryouts to up the ante as the competition for roster spots increases. 34 year old defenceman Matt Bartkowski and former Blueshirt Jimmy Vesey were the lone PTO’s given out before the start of Training Camp approached. It was no secret the Rangers were in the market for a veteran defenceman to fill the skates of Patrik Nemeth and while there may have been better options available for the majority of the summer, once names started coming off the board, the Rangers elected to give Matt Barkowski the chance to get back in the league. Bartkowski, who played in 72 games with the Wilkes/Barre-Scranton Penguins of the AHL last season, has only appeared in three NHL games since 2018. With no disrespect to Bartkowski, unless the Rangers see something in him that not many others do, it’s pretty likely that if anything, he will get signed just as added AHL depth as it’s hard to imagine him surpassing even Jarred Tinordi in the depth charts.
As for Vesey, the Rangers are no stranger to what he is capable of as this has the potential to be his second campaign with the organization. In 68 games with the Devils last season, Vesey put up 15 points and proved himself to be a great role player. With some openings on the Rangers fourth line, Vesey absolutely has the potential to continue in that type of role with the Rangers this year if he earns himself a contract at the end of preseason. Perhaps not on an every night basis, but if injuries and other situations arise, it’s always better to have depth options, especially on a team that is looking to go even further then where they ended up last year which was pretty darn close to all the way.
Vitaly Kravtsov or Brennan Othmann?
Similarly to the battle between Jones and Robertson for an opening night roster spot, Othmann could be making a real strong push for one of those forward openings. Now if the Rangers do decide that Othmann is NHL ready, at least to start the season, the question then becomes is it Othmann and Kravtsov, or is it Othmann OR Kravtsov. Despite the handful of games Kravtsov has played in the NHL the year before last, the Rangers are working at amending the relationship after Kravtsov refused to report to Hartford last season after not making the opening night roster. Given the circumstance, you have to think that Kravtsov will make the team considering the alternative would essentially destroy any future relationship the player has with the organization. This could affect the Rangers plans for Othmann, at least for this season. If they don’t feel comfortable with having both Othamnn and Kravtsov on the third line, they will ultimately have to decide between the two and if they feel strongly that Othmann doesn’t need another season of Juniors, then Kravtsov’s role could be negatively impacted. The easy answer is to assume that Othmann will go back to the OHL for another season and Kravtsov will walk onto the third line but this will certainly be something the Rangers coaching staff keeps an eye on throughout camp and preseason.
So now, let’s look at some line combos I would want to see if I’m in the coaching staff’s shoes:
Game 1
Kreider - Zibanejad - Lafreniere
Vesey - Carpenter - Blais
Cuylee - Goodrow - Gauthier
Smith - Khodorenko - Rueschhoff
Miller - Trouba
Hajek - Schneider
Bartkowski - Emberson
Jimmy Vesey will undoubtedly be one of the busier players throughout preseason as he will get a fair amount of action so management can decide whether or not they want to give him a full contract. He will be competing for a role as either an extra forward or potentially on the fourth line so putting him with Carp and Blais will be a good way of seeing how he would do in that sort of role. Will Cuylee as we mentioned is a sleeper pick for guys competing for those final roster spots and given his performance in rookie camp, he will look to make an impact right out the gate. As for that fourth line, Cj Smith was another free agent signing whose main purpose will likely be to build depth in Hartford but is worth giving a look in at least one game. Patrik Khodorenko and Austin Rueschhoff are also safe to assume AHL bound but will likely earn at least one game to show what they have.
As for the back end, the organization clearly values Libor Hajek so they will give him as much of a look as anyone for that opening on the bottom pairing. Ty Emberson was acquired in the Patrik Nemeth deal and has a connection with K’Andre Miller so it’s safe to assume the Rangers will give him a good look to see what they got in him as a result of that trade.
Game 2
Panarin - Trocheck - Kakko
Othmann - Chytil - Kravtsov
Gettinger - Brodzinski - Hunt
Sykora - Rydahl - Reaves
Lindgren - Fox
Jones - Schneider
Robertson - Welinski
Could we see a new, 2.0 version of the kid line? With the Trocheck signing, Chytil is unfortunately stuck on that third line no matter what so if both Kravtsov and Othmann impress, perhaps that could be the third line? Definitely an option worth exploring. Brodzinski will likely stay in the AHL as captain of the Wolf Pack but he’ll get a good look for the openings the Rangers have at forward as will fellow Wolf Pack vet Tim Gettinger. Hunt and Reaves have more or less already earned their spots at the NHL level but at least for Hunt, there is lots of competition there that he’ll need to be careful not to lose. Gustav Rydahl is a guy that a lot of people are excited about that could come up and sneak one of those forward positions away from guys like Hunt or Gauthier who will also need to really fight for his spot on the opening night roster. Adam Sykora isn’t eligible for the AHL and likely isn’t anywhere near ready for the NHL but is worth getting at least one game under his belt in his first year at camp with the organization.
With the defense, Adam Fox will have to prove himself and earn his roster spot.. Ha, just kidding. I can very much see Jones and Robertson playing in a lot of these preseason games with and without Braden Schneider to see which one of them wants that opening more. Andy Welinski was a free agent signing who similarly to Cj Smith is likely just AHL depth however, he’ll most likely get a couple of good looks throughout preseason, if for any reason to give breaks to some of the NHL regulars.
Game 3
Lafreniere - Zibanejad - Kakko
Kreider - Chytil - Kravtsov
Hunt - Henriksson - Gauthier
Trivigno - Edstrom - Rempe
Jones - Trouba
Robertson - Hajek
Tinordi - Skinner
The further preseason goes on, the more experimenting we can see. One thing the Rangers should definitely look at is Dryden Hunt at either side of the wing since he is one of the favorites as an extra forward. Karl Henriksson is an interesting name to keep an eye on, it’s felt like he’s been with the organization for quite a while but this will be the first year that he’s eligible for the AHL. Same can be said for Aden Edstrom, both Swedish centermen will probably get a look in at least one game. Bobby Trivigno is another dark horse that could make a push for a roster spot after an impressive season at UMASS but is more likely gearing up for his first season of pro hockey in the AHL.
Jarred Tinordi played seven games with the Rangers last season and even found the back of the net in that one game. He could make a case as the teams seventh defender but it’s pretty certain the Rangers already feel they’ve given that a shot and would rather Hajek there. Similar to Welinski, he’ll probably play a lot in preseason to keep the regulars fresh and will be one of the last cuts of preseason. Hunter Skinner will be a fun one to watch too as he’s been around the depth charts for a while starting to run out of chances to show what he’s got.
Game 4 Game 5
Panarin - Zibanejad - Kravtsov Lafreniere - Trocheck - Kakko
Othmann - Trocheck - Kakko Othmann - Goodrow - Blais
Vesey - Korczak - Blais Gettinger - Rydhal - Vesey
Cuylee - Carpenter - Rydahl Trivigno/Sykora - Brodzinski - Pajuniemi
Miller - Fox Jones - Fox
Tinordi - Schneider Robertson - Schneider
Scanlin - Welinski Hajek - Bartkowski
Game 6 Game 7
Kreider - Zibanejad - Lafreniere Lafreniere - Trochcek - Kakko
Panarin - Trocheck - Kakko Hunt - Chytil - Kravtsov
Hunt - Chytil - Kravtsov Othmann - Carpenter - Blais
Vesey - Smith - Reaves Vesey - Rydahl - Gauthier
Miller - Trouba Jones - Fox
Lindgren - Hajek Robertson - Schneider
Tinordi Welinski Hajek - Bartkowski
As for the goal tending, it's pretty obvious where everyone stands in the depth charts. Let Igor get at least one game to get his legs under him then let Halak, Domingue, Boyko, Garand and Lindbom play however many games you want to see from each.
Overall, it should be an exciting preseason with lots to keep an eye on. A busy week ahead for the Rangers as the season is right around the corner. 20 Days until opening night!
Chris Feldman
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