Earlier today, the New York Rangers cut their roster down to 27. Among the players who were assigned to Hartford was Brennan Othmann.

For Othmann, he was unable to establish himself during training camp. Aside from scoring a power-play goal, he didn’t do enough in the preseason to convince the Rangers to keep him around.

Instead, other players have passed him on the depth chart. They include Brett Berard, Noah Laba, and Gabe Perreault. All three forwards remain with the Rangers, vying for a spot on the roster. Considering the number of veterans who are still around, including Conor Sheary on a pro tryout, there’s probably room for one young player to stay.

Currently, there are 27 players left in camp. Eventually, the Rangers must get down to 23. They’ll likely carry 14 forwards, seven defensemen, and two goalies. Assuming Jonny Brodzinski sticks around as the 13th forward like last year, that would leave one spot open. Berard probably makes the most sense. He plays with a lot of spunk and can slide in on the third line.

With Sheary likely to be signed, and Taylor Raddysh probably slotted in on the third line, it doesn’t leave any room for Perreault. A 2023 first round pick who’s displayed the speed and skill that make him the Rangers’ best prospect, starting at Hartford makes better sense for him. Only 20, Perreault can play top line and power play minutes with the Wolf Pack. At this point, that’s best for his development.

If there’s a player who really deserves to make the roster, it’s Laba. A smart two-way center who has a goal and four assists in the preseason, Laba remains with the team. With Sam Carrick day-to-day, Laba found himself centering Adam Edstrom and Matt Rempe in practice this afternoon. If an injury prevents Carrick from being ready for next Tuesday’s season opener, Laba could find himself in the lineup, making his NHL debut.

Rangers captain J.T. Miller is also day-to-day with a lower-body injury. It isn’t expected to be serious. Without Miller, Perreault practiced with Mika Zibanejad and Alexis Lafreniere.

As expected, Juuso Parssinen was in between Sheary and Raddysh. Berard and Brodzinski were the extras who rotated in.

Defense Down to Nine

As expected, Connor Mackey was placed on waivers at 2 PM. If he clears, he will be assigned to Hartford. Brandon Scanlin was also sent down as he continued to rehab a lower-body injury.

Casey Fitzgerald, Scott Morrow, and Matthew Robertson all remain in camp. The Rangers can only keep one. With the top six set on defense, it’ll likely come down to Morrow or Robertson. Morrow provides better skating and is capable offensively. Robertson is a no frills defensive defenseman with size.

For now, it looks like the Rangers will start the season with these pairings:

Vladislav Gavrikov-Adam Fox

Carson Soucy-Will Borgen

Urho Vaakanainen-Braden Schneider

If that’s how they line up, Morrow probably will go down. It’s better for him to play major minutes than waste away in the press box. I doubt they’ll keep Fitzgerald over Robertson. Fitzgerald is a 28-year-old journeyman with 63 NHL games. He last played for the Florida Panthers in 2022-23.