Following the fourth preseason game, as promised the Rangers made more cuts whittling down the roster to 25. The Rangers official Twitter sent out a tweet.

No surprises. Brady Skjei goes down to Hartford where he can develop in his first full pro season. Ryan Graves also will play for the Wolf Pack. Mat Bodie was returned too. That gives Hartford a trio of young defensemen with upside. All three should be worth tracking.

Among the forwards was Ryan Bourque, who just can’t get his big break here. Unfortunately, he’s been passed by Oscar Lindberg who’ll make the roster. I’d love to see Bourque get a chance with another organization. He has nothing left to prove. At 24, the ’09 third round pick is a solid secondary player who can kill penalties.

As for the 25 players left, Dylan McIlrath remains along with Tanner Glass and Jayson Megna. Here is the breakdown:

Not much else to see here. McIlrath and Raphael Diaz had good nights. Diaz offensively with two power play goals. McIlrath defensively also nearly winning the experimental overtime shorthanded. Is the plan to keep eight D due to not wanting to expose McIlrath to waivers? He deserves the chance. If they go with eight, that means only one extra forward which spells the end for Glass.

Emerson Etem has been a disappointment. He has played his way out of a starting spot in my opinion. If he weren’t acquired for Carl Hagelin, he would be sent to Hartford.

The Blueshirts finish with two home preseason tilts next week against the Flyers and Bruins. Two more games before it starts up for real at the Blackhawks.