Rangers Place Soucy on Injured Reserve

Posted on October 12, 2025 by Derek

During Saturday night’s 6-1 victory over the Penguins, Rangers defenseman Carson Soucy was injured early in the second period on a play involving Rickard Rakell.

With 16:22 left in the period, Soucy missed on a hit on Rakell, who just got out of the way. Instead, Soucy’s left skate made contact with Rakell’s left skate sending him awkwardly into the boards with his head exposed. Shaken up on the play, he went to the locker room and didn’t return to the game.

After taking 10 shifts and logging 6:35 of ice time, Soucy suffered an upper-body injury in the game. Two days after losing Vincent Trocheck to an upper-body injury that’ll keep him out week-to-week, it appears that the Rangers will be without Soucy for a while. He was placed on the injured reserve by the team earlier today.

In his place, Connor Mackey was recalled from the Hartford Wolf Pack. The 29-year-old journeyman skated in three games the past two seasons for the Rangers. Mackey has had a pair of fights, including a memorable one against Brady Tkachuk in 2023-24 that led to a Rangers’ come from behind win over the Senators. A serviceable defenseman, he’s been used in emergency situations. It looks like he’s up for the time being due to the salary cap.

The question for Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan is whether or not he’ll play Matthew Robertson for Sunday night’s home game against the Capitals. A former 2019 second round pick, Robertson debuted towards the conclusion of last year taking part in two games. Now 24, he made the roster as the seventh defenseman. With Soucy going down, is this his time? That depends on the coaching staff.

With Soucy going down after a more promising start than when he came over from the Avalanche at last year’s trade deadline, Sullivan has a decision to make regarding the Rangers blue line. Will he keep Braden Schneider and Urho Vaakainen together and use them more? Or will he elevate Schneider up to play with Will Borgen on the second pair? Neither Mackey nor Robertson should play in the top four. Their minutes must be sheltered. It’s a bit easier to do with the final change at home.

Updating things, Colin Stephenson of Newsday tweeted that it’ll be Schneider moving up to play with Borgen on the second pair. Robertson is a go for tonight’s game. He will start with Vaakainen on the third pair. That’s the right decision.

Morrow Stays With Wolf Pack

Meanwhile, prospect Scott Morrow skated with the Wolf Pack last night in a 2-1 loss to the Wikes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. The plan is for Morrow to stay in the American Hockey League and continue to develop for the time being. That can always change depending on how things go with the big club.

In the loss, Gabe Perreault picked up a primary assist on a goal scored by Trey-Fix Wolansky. Brennan Othmann picked up a secondary helper. Along with Brett Berard, the Rangers have four young players in the AHL. For now, they can remain patient. However, if more injuries occur to the main roster, it could change what the organization’s plans.

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Fox Leads Rangers in Dominant Win over Penguins

Posted on October 12, 2025 by Derek

Four days later, it was the New York Rangers who returned the favor against the Pittsburgh Penguins. In a rematch of the season opener, the Rangers took it to the Penguins in a dominant 6-1 win at PPG Paints Arena.

Adam Fox led the way with a standout performance. He had two goals and an assist for a three-point night to highlight the Rangers’ second straight victory. It was an inspired effort from the 27-year-old defenseman who didn’t have many big games last season. If he can get back to the level that made him an elite player on the blue line, it would be huge for the Rangers’ chances this season. He finished the game with an even strength goal, a power-play goal, and a plus-3 rating in 23:41 of ice time.

Following a sluggish start that required Igor Shesterkin to make some crucial saves, Fox made a great play in the defensive zone. While killing a Juuso Parssinen minor penalty, Fox made a good lead pass to Sam Carrick in the neutral that created a two-on-one with Mika Zibanejad. Carrick made no mistake by passing the puck across for a Zibanejad shorthanded goal.

A good penalty killing forward, Zibanejad is up to a dozen shorthanded goals as a Ranger, which is tied with Bill Fairbairn for fifth on the franchise list. Ironically, if he gets another shorthanded tally, he’ll draw even with former teammate and close friend Chris Kreider. On the same night that Kreider scored his first two goals for the Anaheim Ducks, Zibanejad picked up his first of the season.

With the Blueshirts playing without injured center Vincent Trocheck for a while, it falls on Zibanejad to pick it up while centering Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere on the top line. He’s skated with more purpose and continued to look for his shot. That trend must continue. Maybe he can rediscover the form that made him a 30-goal scorer three times, with the last coming in 2022-23 when he had 39.

Despite getting outplayed and outshot (9-4) by the Pens, it was the Rangers who took a one-goal lead to the locker room. They needed Shesterkin to be at his best in a first that saw them kill off two penalties, including a Vladislav Gavrikov one late in the period.

In his first three games thus far, Gavrikov has yet to establish himself. With the Rangers still ahead early in the second period, he forced a stretch pass at the Pens blue line that led to a turnover. After receiving a feed from Caleb Jones, Pens rookie Ben Kindel gained the Rangers zone and beat Shesterkin high glove to tie the score. Despite that mistake, Gavrikov and Fox finished with a 57.14 Corsi according to Natural Stat Trick.

Following Kindel’s first career NHL goal, it was the Rangers that responded well. A strong shift from the fourth line led to Fox getting his first of the season. On some good work from Matt Rempe down low, Adam Edstrom retrieved a loose puck and set up a Fox shot from the point that beat Arthur Silovs with Carrick providing a screen in front.

The Blueshirts took control following the Fox go-ahead tally. It was the second power play unit that made a difference to convert on a five-on-four advantage. With Kindel in the box for holding Urho Vaakainen, the second unit put in some work. After taking a Rempe pass up top, Noah Laba moved the puck down low for Conor Sheary, who came out and made a nice backdoor feed for Will Cuylle in front for his first of the season. With an assist on the play, it was Laba’s first career NHL point.

After killing off another Gavrikov minor, the Rangers went back on the power play due to the Pens getting caught with too many men on the ice. This time, the number one unit came through. On a clean Miller faceoff win, Panarin moved the puck across to Fox, who waited before firing a high shot past Silovs for his second of the game to make it 4-1. Miller drove to the net and created enough of a distraction for Silovs, who couldn’t track the shot. The power-play goal matched Fox’s 2024-25 season total. If he thinks shot more, that could bode well.

Before the period concluded, Laba caught Blake Lizotte with a clean hit. He didn’t take too kindly to it. Pens rookie Harrison Brunsicke responded by punching Laba to pick up a roughing minor.

In the third, it was the supporting cast that put the game away. On some sustained pressure, Carrick set up a shot from Edstrom, who thought he had his first. However, the replay showed that Edstrom’s shot banked off a Penguin and touched Rempe before going in. Rempe was credited with his first instead, making it 5-1.

With the game out of reach, Laba made a nice backhand pass in front that Taylor Raddysh put away for his first as a Ranger. Laba made it possible by outskating the Pens to create the goal. In his third game, he recorded two assists for the first two points of his career. He continues to grow in confidence.

Unlike his last win, Shesterkin didn’t face a lot of rubber, finishing with 18 saves on 19 shots. In three games this season, he’s 2-1-0 with a 0.67 goals-against-average and .976 save percentage. It’s exactly the quick start he needed. With the Rangers getting ready for the second game of a back-to-back on Sunday night at Madison Square Garden, he’ll get a breather.

Jonathan Quick will make his first start of the season against the Washington Capitals. They should present more of a challenge. A strong defensive team who have good skaters, the Caps beat the Islanders 4-2 last night to even up their record. They don’t allow a ton of shots or scoring chances. We’ll see if the Rangers are up to the challenge. They had problems with the Capitals last season, losing all three meetings to them. The two old Patrick Division rivals will play four times, including two in late December before Christmas and on New Year’s Eve. The final meeting isn’t until April 5, 2026.

THREE STARS OF GAME

3rd Star Noah Laba 2 assists for the first 2 points of his NHL career

2nd Star Edstrom-Carrick-Rempe goal, 4 assists, +7 combined

1st Star Adam Fox 2 goals, assist, 4 SOG, +3 in 23:41

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Rangers to Be Without Trocheck Due to Upper-Body Injury

Posted on October 11, 2025 by Derek

All is not well for the New York Rangers, who despite earning their first win of the season by shutting out the Buffalo Sabres 4-0 on Thursday night, will be without Vincent Trocheck for a while. The key center sustained an upper-body injury early in the second period on Oct. 9 against the Sabres.

After blocking a pair of shots during a shift early in the second period, Trocheck only took one more shift while the Rangers were shorthanded, killing an Urho Vaakanainen minor penalty with under 14 minutes remaining. Afterward, Mika Zibanejad took his place by shifting over to center Artemi Panarin and Alexis Lafreniere.

Back in the first period, Trocheck was involved in the Rangers’ first goal of the season scored by Lafreniere. He was able to get a piece of a Panarin shot that rebounded out to Lafreniere, who had just enough wiggle room to tuck it in. Before he left the game due to the injury, Trocheck took had an assist, two blocks, and went 7-for-11 on faceoffs in 12 shifts (7:48 TOI).

A very important player due to his capability at both even strength and on special teams, he’ll be sorely missed. The 32-year-old Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania native has been a constant for the Blueshirts, as their best faceoff guy. Over his 803-game NHL career that’s included playing for the Florida Panthers and Carolina Hurricanes, he’s won 54.1 percent of draws. Without him, the Rangers will need both Zibanejad and J.T. Miller to win their fair share in the faceoff dots.

Miller has been good throughout his career, winning 54.4 percent. The 31-year-old Rangers captain had a good game against the Sabres, posting his first goal and assist of the season. Both came in a strong third period that saw the Blueshirts outscore the Sabres 3-nothing. After helping set up the first of the season from Carson Soucy, Miller redirected a Braden Schneider shot to put the game away with 2:49 left in regulation.

In addition to Zibanejad moving back to center to play with Panarin and Lafreniere for tonight’s game at the Pittsburgh Penguins in PPG Paints Arena, former Penguin Conor Sheary will move up to play with Miller and Will Cuylle. At the moment, the Rangers don’t have a lot of players who can play a top six role. With prospects Brett Berard, Brennan Othmann, and Gabe Perreault all set to play for the Hartford Wolf Pack in the AHL, Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan is going to mix and match with his lineup for the time being.

When asked about moving Zibanejad back at center, Sullivan indicated that he wants to have balance moving forward. “Because I think we need balance… and we need to give some of our other offensive people a center iceman that can think the game at their level and give them an opportunity to set them up for success.”

At the very least, rookie Noah Laba is winning faceoffs. In his first two games, he’s gone 12-and-4. That included going 7-for-9 versus the Sabres. After having a good NHL debut, Laba didn’t spend as much time in the offensive zone with Sheary and Taylor Raddysh. Let’s see how he responds in a rematch of the season opener against the Pens.

With Sheary getting bumped up in the lineup, Juuso Parssinen will make his season debut on the third line. He’ll play on the left side with Laba and Raddysh. Parssinen is a good skater with size and solid defensive instincts. He deserves more of a chance to show what he can do. I didn’t agree with him being a healthy scratch. He needs to play.

The only line that’ll remain unchanged is the checking unit. Sam Carrick continues to center Adam Edstrom and Matt Rempe. That line had a better second game. In fact, on a make shift line, Rempe had a good forecheck that led to Lafreniere setting up Schneider at the point for a shot that Miller deflected home. Following Sabres coach Lindy Ruff’s ridiculous decision to lift Alex Lyon for an extra attacker down three, Carrick got the lone helper on Adam Fox’s empty netter.

Shesterkin Off and Running

So far, so good for Igor Shesterkin. In two starts, he’s allowed only one goal on 66 shots. That included a 37-save shutout to pick up his first win of the season against the Sabres.

He was tested often during the lopsided second period in which the Sabres dictated the action. With the Rangers in the box three times, Shesterkin made the key stops to keep Buffalo off the scoreboard. In total, he had nine shorthanded saves for the game. For the period, he stopped all 14 Sabres’ shots.

The 29-year-old turned aside a dozen more shots in the third period to record the 22nd shutout of his career. With the Rangers looking like they’ll struggle offensively, they’ll continue to need the very best from Shesterkin.

With the Rangers having a quick turnaround to host the Washington Capitals tomorrow night, it’s probably a good bet that Shesterkin will get the night off. In what will be the first of 12 back-to-backs, expect Jonathan Quick to make the start.

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A Season Opener Dud For Rangers

Posted on October 8, 2025 by Derek

If last night was any indication, it explains why my expectations were realistic going into the season. It was a season opener dud for the Rangers, who were shut out 3-0 by the Penguins at the World’s Most Expensive Arena. From reading one post on Twitter, a fan shelled out $350 for seats and spent over twice more on a Centennial jersey and fancy drinks. No word on if those drinks came with a magic elixir to fix the team.

Facing his former team who he coached for a decade, new Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan quickly discovered what life could be like on Broadway. Madison Square Garden is very different from PPG Paints Arena. It didn’t take long for boos to rain down as some disgruntled fans jeered the team as they left the ice after failing to score on a goal on household name Arthur Silovs. He hardly broke a sweat in posting the first regular season shutout of his career. After helping the Canucks to the second round in 2024, he lost his confidence and rebuilt it by leading Abbotsford to the Calder Cup last spring.

Regardless, it was a bad way for the Rangers to usher in the centennial season. At least the traditional jerseys that date back to the franchise’s inception looked good. I really like the white for the both the team name on the front and jersey numbers on the back. Whatever they did, it looks sharp. Hopefully, the team can put in better performances on other nights when they wear the old fashioned blue and white sweaters.

As expected, the lineup was what I gathered. Here’s how they lined up on Tuesday night:

50-8-93

10-16-13

43-42-14

84-39-73

44-23

24-17

18-4

If you were optimistic coming in, your concern level had to be raised early on. None other than Sidney Crosby went around Vladislav Gavrikov with ease to get a dangerous scoring chance that Igor Shesterkin stopped. It wasn’t the only time the ageless Pens legendary captain turned Gavrikov inside out. It wasn’t a good Rangers debut for the former Kings defenseman. But he was far from alone. Adam Fox was caught out of position several times. The more we see Fox, the further away he gets from his Norris season in 2020-21. He continues to look slower. Ever since the injury that occurred due to a knee on knee collision with Sebastian Aho, he hasn’t been the same player.

Maybe the worst part of the game was how few of the top players showed up. If you went based off analytics, Gavrikov and Fox were pinned in their end for most of the night. New captain J.T. Miller looked out of sorts returning from the injury that kept him out most of the preseason. Will Cuylle didn’t fare any better. It was a rough night for the third-year forward who will shoulder a lot of responsibility without Chris Kreider. Cuylle still paced the Blueshirts with eight hits.

If you were looking for a positive, Mika Zibanejad had a lot of jump. He finished with a game-high seven shots in a dozen attempts. Unlike last season, he wasn’t shy about shooting the puck. In fact, with the Rangers behind 1-0 in the second period, Zibanejad created the best scoring chance. He intercepted an errant Erik Karlsson pass, broke in on Silovs, and had his forehand shot stopped. Silovs was able to get his glove up in time to deny the bid.

Alexis Lafreniere also had some opportunities, finishing with six shots. If they are to be successful, a lot will hinge on how the former 2020 number one pick performs. He needs to be much better than last year. Following an encouraging start that earned a big contract extension that pays him a cap hit of $7.45 million through 2032, it’s up to the 23-year-old forward to deliver. He must move on from the disappointing 17-goal 45-point season in which defensive lapses and inconsistency really hurt the Rangers. He’s still playing with Vincent Trocheck and most notably Artemi Panarin, who was kept to the perimeter by the stingy Penguins defense under former Rangers assistant Dan Muse, who picked up his first career win as the Pens bench boss.

If there was a play that was a flashback to 2024-25, it came with 32 seconds remaining in the first period. Following a pair of Shesterkin saves on Brazeau due to Fox leaving the front of the net to help Gavrikov, the Pens struck on a faceoff win from Evgeni Malkin. Instead of winning it back, he went forward with the puck and made a nice pass for an unmarked Brazeau, who had enough time to go forehand, backhand top shelf for a 1-0 lead. The coverage breakdown was due to Lafreniere, who vacated the area too soon. With Urho Vaakanainen leaving to go after Malkin, it was the responsibility of Lafreniere to stay home. That led to Brazeau notching his first goal.

Although the Rangers were better in the second period by outshooting the Pens 13-8, they couldn’t solve Silovs. He was equal to the task stopping all 13 shots, including the critical save on the Zibanejad solo effort. Had he been able to tie the score, who knows what would’ve happened.

Aside from the pair of Zibanejad and Lafreniere combining for over half their shot total, Panarin had the next most with two shots. Neither of which seriously threatened Silovs, who closed everything up on one attempt to get a stoppage.

It was the more locked in Pens who closed it out by playing a more aggressive final period. They easily could’ve scored more on Shesterkin, but the league’s highest paid goalie prevented it. He made 13 of his 28 saves to keep the Blueshirts in it. They never generated much due to Pittsburgh using their team speed and discipline to make life easier on Silovs, who only had to make five saves in the third.

With over two minutes left, Sullivan made an iffy pull of Shesterkin for a six-on-five. Even though the Rangers got the puck in, they never had clean puck possession. The move backfired with Anthony Mantha and Malkin combining to clear the puck out for Brazeau to get his second into an empty net with 2:12 left. Blake Lizotte added another one 20 seconds later for the final margin.

On a night when Crosby didn’t hit the score sheet despite his line with Rickard Rakell and promising rookie Ville Koivunen generating quality chances, the Pens got strong performances from Malkin and Brazeau. Young rookies Ben Kindel and Harrison Brunicke had good NHL debuts.

The Pens were the better team from start to finish. The Rangers will see them again following a visit at the Sabres on Thursday night. When asked to assess the first loss of the season, Sullivan was diplomatic. He spoke about wanting to move forward. The one big quote was, “I think my first observation is we’ve got a long way to go to become the team we want to become.”

Sullivan doesn’t like to dwell. He’s a straight shooter. There won’t be any bull in his postgame following losses. If you’re looking for a lineup change at Buffalo, it isn’t happening. Even if neither the third or fourth line have much skill, aside from rookie Noah Laba, who didn’t look out of place in his first game. He won five of seven faceoffs while having a positive effect on line mates Conor Sheary and Taylor Raddysh. The fourth line will also remain intact with Adam Edstrom, Sam Carrick, and power play specialist Matt Rempe looking to make an offensive contribution. We’ll see how long the Rempe experiment on the second unit lasts.

The Rangers will need a stronger effort when they face the Sabres. They’re one of the fastest skating teams in the league. That means both Fox and Gavrikov better get into gear. They can’t be at the bottom of a chart. Neither can Miller, who admitted that he struggled. He’s clearly not 100 percent yet. Of course, he’ll play through it. Is it worth dressing him if he isn’t effective? That’s for the Rangers 29th captain to answer over the next three days with games on Thursday and Saturday night.

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New Season Commences With Tripleheader on ESPN

Posted on October 7, 2025 by Derek

A new season is finally upon us. Hockey fans have been counting down the days to the start of 2025-26. With it comes the possibility of the Panthers dynasty ending. They’ll be without captain Aleksander Barkov for the entire season due to right knee surgery to repair torn ACL and MCL ligaments. Matthew Tkachuk isn’t due back until January. The Panthers should still have enough to reach the playoffs in an Eastern Conference that lacks a dominant team. There will be a lot of parity.

Without Barkov and Tkachuk, the two-time defending champs will be in action later this afternoon when they host the Blackhawks as the first part of a tripleheader exclusive on ESPN at 5 EST. I’m not sure whose brilliant idea it was to have the first game so early. They’ll be going against playoff baseball with the Tigers and Mariners on Fox Sports 1 starting an hour earlier. The diehards will get to see the Panthers raise their second Stanley Cup banner. What do Connor Bedard and Frank Nazar have in store for the Panthers? The Blackhawks remain a work in progress. Former Panther Spencer Knight goes against Sergei Bobrovsky in net. How’s that for a storyline?

While most of the focus will be on a remaining Panthers core that still features Sam Reinhart, Sam Bennett, Carter Verhaeghe, Anton Lundell, Brad Marchand, Eetu Luostarinen, Aaron Ekblad, Gustav Forsling, and Bobrovsky, the second game of the night has the Rangers hosting the Penguins at 8 EST. Sidney Crosby remains one of the league’s greatest players. His team has missed the playoffs the past three years. An aging nucleus that still includes Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, Bryan Rust (out), Rickard Rakell, and Erik Karlsson will have some fresh faces, with Ben Kindel and Harrison Brunicke both starting the season as teenagers. Ville Koivunen is expected to start with Crosby and Rakell on the top line. Keep an eye on the rookie this season.

I had plenty to say about the Rangers in my team preview. To summarize, they’re counting on the top six led by new captain J.T. Miller and top scorer Artemi Panarin to carry an offense that’s paper thin. They’re expecting a lot from Vladislav Gavrikov, who will team up with Adam Fox on the number one pair. The same can be echoed for Igor Shesterkin. Outside of that, there remain many questions. The Matt Rempe experiment on the second power play should be interesting to watch. So will promising freshman Noah Laba. Hopefully, Gabe Perreault joins him at some point.

With the Yankees and Blue Jays on at the same time playing in the Bronx, I’m curious as to how many fans will tune in to the hockey game at Madison Square Garden. Had Aaron Judge actually hit in the clutch and they’d gotten the Blue Jays out, maybe I wouldn’t be so down about their chances. It looks like more of the same from the Yankees. An all too familiar feeling that Rangers fans can identify with. No wonder I’m not that positive on their outlook.

If you’re not exhausted, the third ESPN game probably is the best matchup, with the Avalanche visiting the Kings at 10:30 EST. If you know anything about network TV, that won’t start until almost 11 here. That’s too bad because that could be a playoff series preview. It depends on how good the Kings are in Anze Kopitar’s swan song. A brilliant two-way player who’s a Hall of Fame lock, Kopitar has been a pleasure to watch. He still remains a top player and great leader for Los Angeles. They should score enough with a core that features Adrian Kempe, Kevin Fiala, Quenton Byfield, Kopitar, Andrei Kuzmenko, and Alex Laferierre. Can their defense contain a loaded Avalanche cast led by Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar? The Avs get a full season of Martin Necas, Brock Nelson, and the return of inspirational captain Gabe Landeskog. Can Mackenzie Blackwood duplicate last year’s success? Ironically, another former Devil Scott Wedgewood is the backup. Colorado is stacked.

If you really love hockey, Wednesday night is even better. Four games are on tap, with the traditional season opener between the Canadiens and Maple Leafs in Toronto. Both teams made the playoffs. The Habs now have the best defenseman in the rivalry with Lane Hutson. Cole Caufield should finally eclipse 40 goals. Who’s better? Auston Matthews or Nick Suzuki. I’ll still take the well-rounded Matthews, who probably needs to go 50/50 to offset the loss of Mitch Marner. I’m looking forward to the 1-2 punch of Matthews and William Nylander.

I’m not sure how many people care about the Capitals and Bruins. But Alex Ovechkin needs three goals for 900 in his brilliant career. Will the Caps take a step back after having the East’s best record? They’re still very good defensively. It’ll probably depend on Logan Thompson. The Bruins boast David Pastrnak, who’s a great player. He can score 50 to 60, but the supporting cast isn’t good. Morgan Geekie will be hard pressed to duplicate the 33 goals he put up. Jeremy Swayman should be better. Expect Boston to be sellers.

The schedule maker didn’t do fans any favors by having the Battle of Alberta start at the same time as the heated rivalry between the Kings and Golden Knights. Both go off at 10 EST. If you’re looking for some rough stuff, you can usually count on those teams to provide it.

The Flames and Oilers remain fascinating to watch. From an entertainment standpoint, it’s excellent. Connor McDavid extended for two more years at a team friendly $12.5 million cap hit. That gives Edmonton a window to win with McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. They extended defenseman Jake Walman, going seven years at $7 million AAV. How much will Evan Bouchard cost? I’m most curious to see what Isaac Howard and Matt Savoie can bring to an explosive offense. Can they win with Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard? At what point is Connor Ingram recalled?

Calgary nearly made the postseason last year. Nazem Kadri’s scoring returned to form, and Matt Coronato started to finish. Jonathan Huberdeau played better down the stretch. The additions of Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost will both need to provide more consistency. Connor Zary and Yegor Sharangovich need to be better. If Rasmus Andersson is to stay put, the Flames will have to convince him. Dustin Wolf is a stud in net. He stole a lot of games in his rookie season. What can he do in Year 2?

Marner will make his Vegas debut playing with Jack Eichel and Ivan Barbashev, who should see a spike in production. It’s a safe bet that Pavel Dorofeyev won’t be their leading goal scorer. It’s amazing how easily Reilly Smith fits when he plays with sidekick William Karlsson. Pittsburgh and New York fans couldn’t wait to get rid of him. Brett Howden scored a career-high 23 goals and had a career best 40 points last year. Another former Ranger who’s done better elsewhere. He’s got a Cup. Henrik Lundqvist and Shesterkin don’t. That stings. The Knights should be very good, but they are an older team. Will that become a factor next spring?

Demidov Leads A Strong Rookie Class

If you love rookies, this could be your year. There’s a slew of promising first-year players to watch. I mentioned Koivunen before. He went to Pittsburgh from Carolina in the Jake Guentzel trade. A former second round pick, Koivunen debuted with seven assists in eight games last season.

The much hyped Ivan Demidov scored a goal and assist in his first two games with the Canadiens. In the first round, he had two assists against the Caps. An explosive skater with great hands, the 2024 fifth overall pick could turn the Habs into a better offensive team. He doesn’t turn 20 until December. Most NHL pundits list him as the favorite to win the Calder.

The Islanders boast number one pick Matthew Schaefer after winning the NHL Draft lottery. Just from catching glimpses of him in preseason, he looks like another future star on the blue line. The skating, acceleration, and skill is top notch. He also recovers quickly. What can Schaefer do in his first season as a teenager?

Both the Flames and Wild each feature promising rookie defensemen. Zayne Parekh scored in his NHL debut and finished a plus-3 against the Kings. The 2024 first round pick is expected to make an impact on the Calgary back end. Minnesota boasts 2024 first round selection Zeev Buium. After helping USA repeat at the World Juniors, he finished his second year at the University of Denver before debuting with the Wild. He had an assist in four games. A smooth skater who possesses all the tools to become an top pair defenseman, Buium will be a big part of the Minnesota blue line.

Team USA will be well represented in this year’s rookie class. Both the Caps and Blues boast promising American forwards. Ryan Leonard was also part of USA’s gold medal victories, scoring setting up some big goals during he WJC. A player who has power forward potential due to the combination of his skating and size, the 2023 first round pick didn’t score in eight games. However, he’s expected to play a key role for Washington. That should include receiving power play time. Leonard loves to battle in front of the net.

Jimmy Snuggerud has the look of a good finisher in St. Louis. A 2022 first round pick who scored a goal and three assists in seven games, he fared better in the playoffs – putting up two goals and two helpers for four points. Like Leonard, he represented Team USA at the WJC. After putting up five goals and eight assists for 13 points in 2023, Snuggerud had five goals and three helpers for eight points in 2024 as part of the gold medal winning championship team. A right-handed shot, expect him to become another finisher for the Blues.

Other rookies to watch include Isaac Howard and Matt Savoie from the Oilers, Michael Misa and Yaroslav Askarov with the Sharks, and Sam Rinzel of the Blackhawks. If he plays himself into a role, Gabe Perreault probably will be on the third line for the Rangers.

Season Rankings and Predictions

At the start of the season, I like to rank teams in each division and put up some predictions. Let’s see how wrong I can be. 😉

ATLANTIC DIVISION

  1. Lightning
  2. Maple Leafs
  3. Panthers
  4. Senators
  5. Sabres
  6. Canadiens
  7. Red Wings
  8. Bruins

METROPOLITAN DIVISION

  1. Hurricanes
  2. Devils
  3. Capitals
  4. Rangers
  5. Blue Jackets
  6. Flyers
  7. Islanders
  8. Penguins

CENTRAL DIVISION

  1. Stars
  2. Avalanche
  3. Jets
  4. Mammoth
  5. Blues
  6. Wild
  7. Predators
  8. Blackhawks

PACIFIC DIVISION

  1. Golden Knights
  2. Oilers
  3. Kings
  4. Flames
  5. Canucks
  6. Ducks
  7. Kraken
  8. Sharks

EASTERN CONFERENCE

FIRST ROUND

(M1) Hurricanes over (WC2) Rangers

(M2) Devils over (M3) Capitals

(WC1) Senators over (A1) Lightning

(A3) Panthers over (A2) Leafs

SECOND ROUND

(M1) Hurricanes over (M2) Devils

(A3) Panthers over (WC1) Senators

EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS

(M1) Hurricanes over (A3) Panthers

WESTERN CONFERENCE

FIRST ROUND

(C1) Stars over (W2) Blues

(C2) Avalanche over (C3) Jets

(P1) Golden Knights over (W1) Mammoth

(P2) Oilers over (P3) Kings

SECOND ROUND

(C1) Stars over (C2) Avalance

(P1) Golden Knights over (P2) Oilers

CONFERENCE FINALS

(C1) Stars over (P1) Golden Knights

STANLEY CUP CHAMPION

Dallas Stars

NHL Award Picks

Art Ross Connor McDavid

Vezina Jake Oettinger

Norris Quinn Hughes

Hart Mikko Rantanen

Calder Zayne Parekh

Selke Sam Reinhart

Adams Andre Tourigny

Gavin McKenna Lottery Winner Penguins

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Devils season begins with a cloud of increasing expectations and injuries

Posted on October 7, 2025 by hasan4978

I admit I wasn’t following the Devils enough in the preseason to know much of anything other than the seemingly neverending Luke Hughes contract speculation, which finally ended a few days ago when the young defenseman signed a much-anticipated seven-year $63 million deal. It wasn’t the eight years which would have been slightly more optimal from a team perspective, nor was it the five years which would have been the nightmare scenario (lining Luke’s contract to end the same year as brother Jack’s). Proving once again we speculate on negotiations and know nothing, it came out afterwards apparently Luke and his agent wanted a six-year deal throughout the process. Be that as it may, at least a compromise was reached before the camp holdout cost the team any games of Luke’s services in the regular season.

It’s likely because I haven’t been following that I’m having trouble finding a starting point for my season preview blog. Might as well start it with…the start of the season, a not-so-easy three game road trip through Carolina, Tampa and Columbus before our first home game against what’s left of the two-time champion Panthers (following a devastating season-long injury to Aleksander Barkov, and the LTIR absence of Matthew Thachuk) next Thursday for the home opener. Hopefully we’ll get some points on the road and the crowd – including me – won’t be in an antagonistic mood.

In what’s a first for me since the SportsChannel days, I won’t be able to watch the opening game of the season on basic TV. The fact that the Devils’ season opener is on Hulu/ESPN plus streaming should annoy me – but given we’re just going back to the house of horrors where our last season ended, perhaps it’ll just save me from unnecessary angst the first game in this season. I could just listen to the radio telecast but I can’t legitimately remember the last time the Devils played well when I listened to the radio so that’s probably out too.

Anyhoo, let’s get into the actual makeup of the team itself – which really hasn’t changed since early free agency to be honest.

You’ve heard of the term soft quitting in recent years, it seems like the entire NHL soft quit doing business after the free agency frenzy once everyone got a boatload of fresh cap space this offseason with the promise of more still to come. Pretty much nothing at all changed on defense or in net, with Jake Allen having returned on basically a lifetime contract in July, with talks of an extension for starter Jacob Markstrom now being rumored. Guess we’ve seen the last of Nico Daws, waived and now in Utica for the time being as he and any of the other young goalies will only be injury fill-ins for the foreseeable future.

Admittedly. when we had an older than dirt Martin Brodeur and Johan Hedberg as our goaltending tandem I didn’t worry too much about the age factor then – but it was hard to given Marty’s generational durability and the win-now nature of that group anyway. I’m a little more concerned about pushing all our chips to the middle of the table on two 35+ year olds now, even if the young goalie depth is much better on paper than it was during the end of the Lou era. Plus, let’s be honest it’s not like Markstrom and Allen were totally lockdown last year anyway. They weren’t disasterrific – but definitely inconsistent at times – and you never know when the injury bug will bite as it did for Markstrom in January last year.

On defense, most of the camp consternation was about Luke’s contract, but with that done we return to the same picture we had in July, albeit one now clouded even more for young Seamus Casey, as a long-term injury pretty much rules him out of the next few weeks at least. It does appear that the starting six are pretty well set on paper with Simon Nemec getting his last, best chance to nail down a starting spot here with Jonathan Kovacevic still nowhere close to a return. Shockingly, after all the talk about a possible career-ending injury in last year’s playoffs (and one detailed by the player himself in camp) Brenden Dillon will once again be one of the six when the puck drops in Raleigh.

For the moment, all of Dillon, Jonas Siegenthaler and Dougie Hamilton are healthy to start last season after varying injury issues marred the end of last season in all three cases. While stability is a good thing for the most part, I’m still not sure this blueline has enough transition to keep pace with younger, faster teams. Perhaps Nemec will help with that, and maybe a healthy Hamilton can have one last vintage bounceback season, before cap and roster crunch issues could force a move next offseason. While defensively we were solid for the most part, including with half a defense in the playoffs, we just didn’t get enough offensively from the blueline last year and Hamilton’s struggles with Luke’s inconsistency and a lack of help around them was a big reason why.

Up front has been where the most change has happened this offseason, to the point where I even forgot about Connor Brown being a part of the mix now. I did already talk about him and the other FA adds in my previous blog about free agency so I won’t really add anything else on him or Evgenii Dadonov, and neither of them are the most intriguing new face on the block anyway. To me I’m most looking forward to seeing 24-year old Arseny Gritsyuk, who’s come off like the real-life Russian version of Dani Rojas in the Ted Lasso series, a ball of positivity and fun who also has some talent too.

It does appear as if Gritsyuk will start on the fourth line with Paul Cotter, as the two reportedly had chemistry in camp but we’ll see how long that last and whether Gritsyuk can earn his way higher up the food chain or at least be a big upgrade over the fourth liners we were running in and out last year.

Of course, we’ll ride or die mostly on the health and contributions of the big four up front – Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt and Timo Meier, even if the latter is still a bit too inconsistent for my liking. But what can you really say about any of them now? We hope they stay healthy and are as productive as possible, great. In a sense the same can be said for Dawson Mercer, but he’s got a bit more to prove after two down years following a great sophomore season, and with GM Tom Fitzgerald reportedly calling him out for not being strong enough physically. A breakout from Mercer would certainly help the secondary scoring issue.

Speaking of Fitz, there isn’t much to say on the GM either…if he’s not on the hot seat this year he probably should be, at the very least this team needs to make the playoffs without any of the angst they had in the second half of last year. It was embarrassing having the Devils slog it out with the likes of Cinderella Columbus and fresh-faced Montreal for the last spot, little did I know that would be just an appetizer for what the Mets would pull later on, but I digress. The Devils have underperformed expectations for two straight years now since their breakout 2022-23 season and need to take a step forward this season, not just in making the playoffs but at least win a round and get back to the 2022-23 level. What they should, and will do might be two different things though. I’m not here to make predictions, too much is going to happen between now and April for that.

Admittedly it’s been hard for me to get into the Devils thus far, and I’m not sure how often I’ll be blogging going forward. Part of it is sports related, after the disaster that was the end of the Mets season followed by the entire Jets season piled onto the Devils’ own second half mini-collapse last year (as bad as our second half was, the Mets topped it so spectacularly I can’t even call what the Devils pulled from early January on a collapse anymore) has me a bit bleh on sports at the moment. I just don’t have the excitement that needs to be there to maintain any kind of regular correspondence, not even taking into account non-sports stuff I need to address – mainly my next full-time job/career.

I did want to do this blog both as a vehicle to get myself more into the upcoming Devils season and as one to inform any readers (including Derek) that I’m unfortunately just not sure how often I’ll be doing blogs this season. My loose plan is to maybe post a monthly recap of the team and goings on at the arena, plus whenever something major happens with the Devils in the regular season and possibly get into it more frequently as the playoffs approach but I don’t want to lock into that or anything else at the moment. My next blog could be two weeks from now, or two months, or never. While part of me does want to keep up some form of a Devils recap, I just don’t want to do this by rote, and at times especially the last couple of years it felt like I have.

Anyway, that’s enough of my indulgence…Happy Hockey Season everyone!

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Laba Makes Roster, Rangers Enter Season On Bubble

Posted on October 6, 2025 by Derek

On Monday afternoon, the New York Rangers announced their roster for the beginning of the 2025-26 regular season. A day before opening up at home against Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Rangers made one final move to set their roster at 23. As expected, they sent down Brett Berard to the Hartford Wolf Pack in the American Hockey League.

Despite having a good training camp, Berard became the odd man out due to the numbers. With Conor Sheary impressing head coach Mike Sullivan enough to make the roster, he signed to a one-year contract worth $775,000 for the league minimum. It’s a two-way deal. Sheary becomes the final player on the 23-man roster. He’s expected to line up on the third line against his former team on Tuesday night.

Most notably, rookie Noah Laba made the Rangers due to a strong showing in camp. The former 2022 fourth round pick had two goals and four assists for six points during preseason. The 22-year-old forward was practicing at center on the third line with Sheary and Taylor Raddysh earlier today. Laba also took some reps on the penalty kill. At the very least, Sullivan liked enough of what he saw from Laba to start him as his checking center. On an entry level contract, he can always be sent down.

Parssinen A Likely Healthy Scratch

Despite having a solid camp, it looks like Juuso Parssinen will likely be a healthy scratch for the season opener at MSG. The 24-year-old forward who was acquired from the Colorado Avalanche last season as part of the Ryan Lindgren trade, was outplayed by Laba during preseason. Also a center with similar size to Laba, Parssinen is signed thru 2026-27 with a $1.25 million cap hit. He’s versatile enough to shift over and play the left side. However, he’s the odd man out along with veteran Jonny Brodzinski for now.

As expected, Sullivan decided to keep the fourth line together. The cohesive trio of Adam Edstrom, Sam Carrick, and Matt Rempe have good chemistry. The energy they provide is why they’ll start the season intact. How long that lasts is to be determined. Given the metrics of both Carrick and Rempe, it’ll be interesting to see how they’re deployed. Both Parssinen and the versatile Brodzinski are better skaters. The coaching staff has better depth than last year. Hopefully, they make good use of it.

Miller and Panarin Are Both Ready

Both J.T. Miller and Artemi Panarin are ready to go for the first game. The Blueshirts sat them out as a precaution, with Panarin missing the whole preseason. We’ll see if he can knock the rust off like he did last year. Almost a year to the day, he picked up two assists in a Rangers 6-0 win over the Penguins on Oct. 9. In fact, he began last season on an eight-game point streak tallying six goals and nine assists for 15 points – helping lead the Blueshirts to a 6-1-1 start.

In his second tour of duty on Broadway, this will be Miller’s first season as captain. A no-nonsense player who wears his emotions on his sleeves, most of the focus will be on Miller to help lead the team back to the postseason. It’ll fall on his shoulders to set the tone. He will be centering Will Cuylle and Mika Zibanejad tomorrow night. They had strong chemistry over the final two months of 2024-25. We’ll see what they have in store this season.

Defense Remains Unchanged

The Rangers decided against putting in a claim for any defenseman earlier today. Instead, they’ll go with the same seven defensemen they’re left with at the start.

Much will depend on the top pair of Adam Fox and Vladislav Gavrikov. Fox is looking for a better year after some inconsistency. Gavrikov was brought in to help Fox. A strong defender who uses his skating to help get out of trouble, the former Los Angeles King is being counted on at even strength the penalty kill. If given the opportunity, he’s capable of contributing offensively.

As for the bottom two pairs, that’s where it gets dicey. It would be a surprise if Braden Schneider didn’t start with Urho Vaakanainen on the third pair. They played together before. However, Sullivan has hinted that he wants to mix in Schneider into the top four at times. With the tandem of Carson Soucy and Will Borgen likely beginning as the second pair, hopefully we can expect Sullivan to stick to his word. It’s imperative for Schneider to become part of the blue line’s success.

Matthew Robertson will be the extra defenseman. Having only two NHL games underneath his belt, the 24-year-old former 2019 second round pick is the backup D if anything goes wrong. Hopefully, he’s up to the challenge.

Goalie Strength

If there’s one strong point, it remains in net. Igor Shesterkin his sixth full season. Still considered one of the game’s best goalies, the key for the former Vezina winner is finding more consistency.

He started out on fire last year, but succumbed to the malaise that doomed the Blueshirts. Despite 61 starts, Shesterkin saw his numbers dip, posting career worsts in goals-against-average (2.86) and save percentage (.905). He still recovered to have six shutouts, matching his career-high set in 2021-22 when he dominated the NHL as the league’s best netminder.

There were way too many defensive breakdowns in front of him. A lack of structure under former coach Peter Laviolette led to opponents taking advantage of wide open scoring chances off odd-man rushes and poor coverage. Along with the unnecessary off ice distractions, there was a dark cloud hanging over MSG. Even after being paid as the league’s highest goalie, when he signed a record contract extension for an $11.5 million cap hit that doesn’t expire until 2033, Shesterkin’s focus wasn’t there. He showed a lot of frustration after being pulled in several blowouts.

In what will be his age 30 season, he’s looking for a bounce back season. If the Rangers are to challenge for the playoffs, they need Igor to win at least 35 games and post a save percentage close to his career average (.917). Fortunately, he still has a dependable backup who can give him a breather.

Jonathan Quick will again reprise his role behind Shesterkin. The future Hall of Famer is signed for one more year at $1.55 million. He went over 400 wins last season. It took longer due to how poorly the team played, but he eventually got there. He brings a calm presence and the capability to steal the occasional game. However, his numbers suffered last season. Quick went from a 2.62 GAA to a 3.17, while his save percentage dropped from .911 to .893.

He is mostly used when the Rangers have back-to-backs or when they play three games in four nights. Quick can be counted on for 20 starts. He remains popular with fans. To think, he once outplayed Henrik Lundqvist to backstop the Kings past the Rangers for the Stanley Cup. To be fair, Quick had the better team. It has to be fun for Lundqvist to get the chance to watch and analyze Quick, who is the lone throwback goalie left with Marc-Andre Fleury calling it a career in a preseason cameo with the Pens.

It’s Sully Time

By bringing in his close friend Sullivan to coach the Rangers after he left the Pens, Rangers team president and general manager essentially traded former assistant coach Dan Muse for Sullivan. In an ironic twist, the Pens hired Muse to replace him. Now, they’ll be matched up against each other in 24 hours.

The experienced Sullivan prefers to play a strict defensive system that emphasizes a zone. The man-to-man that Laviolette employed broke down due to a lack of communication between the defense and forwards. In the latter stages of preseason, Sully experimented with his system. The Rangers blew a lot of leads last season, including in the third period. They frequently allowed the first goal early in periods and gave up backbreaking goals with under a minute left. It’ll be interesting to see if Sully can the bad habits.

Sullivan won two Cups with the Pens, going back-to-back. But that was coaching a prime Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, Kris Letang, Jake Guentzel, Bryan Rust, and many other good players. Since that point, they only advanced past the first round once and have missed the postseason the past three years. Can a new setting under the bright lights revive Sully?

Keeping Expectations Realistic

The Rangers have moved on from Chris Kreider, Lindgren, Jacob Trouba, and K’Andre Miller. They replaced Miller by signing Gavrikov, who is an upgrade over what they had playing with Fox. Borgen got a big extension after playing less than two months. His play deteriorated. Is he really a second pair defenseman? Miller wasn’t the easiest player to watch due to his turnovers and blown assignments. However, he was a good skater who drove play. Like I’ve echoed throughout, the defense remains sketchy after the top pair.

Offensively speaking, they’re going to again lean heavily on the top six. That means both Panarin and Miller must lead the way. Zibanejad must have a bounce back season while playing with Miller and Cuylle, who brings some of what Kreider brought. Alexis Lafreniere must get at least 25 goals and between 55 to 60 points. He can’t have as many brain cramps, either. Vincent Trocheck remains a gritty second line center who plays in every situation. His line has to produce like they did two years ago while paying more attention to detail.

What about the supporting cast? If Laba works out, he can probably score 10 goals and put up 25 to 30 points. But he’s a true first-year pro who hardly played in the AHL. Expectations have to be realistic. Who knows what to expect. How much will Sheary and Raddysh score? What about the fourth line? There are a lot of questions remaining.

Hopefully, Berard along with top prospect Gabe Perreault and forgotten first round pick Brennan Othmann can perform well for the Wolf Pack. Fringe players shouldn’t be safe. Especially if the scoring thins out. The kids should get a look eventually. Hopefully, that includes defenseman Scott Morrow. If anyone’s seen what the second power play unit looks like, it’s an abomination. Schneider can’t play the point. They actually might use Rempe on it as a net front presence. That’s insanity.

Sullivan has hinted at wanting to give Lafreniere some looks on the top unit. If it means splitting up Trocheck and Zibanejad, he should do it. Don’t be too predictable. That’s why the power play fell apart last season.

Season Prediction

I’ve debated this back and forth. The Rangers aren’t on par with the upper echelon of the Metropolitan Division. They should rank behind the Carolina Hurricanes, New Jersey Devils and Washington Capitals. All boast better offenses and are deeper. The Caps are probably the best defensive team followed by the Canes. The Devils are starting the year with guys out. But they should be formidable.

For the Rangers to be successful, they must win the games that they’re supposed to. Something they failed to do last year. There were too many no shows. They suffered bad losses to Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Nashville. The only team they handled was the New York Islanders.

The Eastern Conference remains strong up top. You can probably count at least six teams who will return to the playoffs. That should include the defending champion Florida Panthers, who are without Aleksander Barkov (out for season) and won’t have Matthew Tkachuk available until the calendar year turns. Here’s my six with three per division:

METROPOLITAN THREE

  1. Hurricanes
  2. Devils
  3. Capitals

ATLANTIC THREE

  1. Lightning
  2. Maple Leafs
  3. Panthers

If I include the Ottawa Senators, who have the foundation to return to the postseason, that only leaves one spot up for grabs. The Montreal Canadiens could be due to for a letdown. The Detroit Red Wings still can’t be trusted. The Buffalo Sabres boast even more offense and made an upgrade on the blue line, but will start the year with Alexandar Georgiev in net with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen out.The Columbus Blue Jackets are a team to watch. They have the building blocks up front. Is the defense and goaltending good enough?

Basically, what you’re left debating is a lot of bubble teams with question marks. Where does that leave the Rangers? They have the goalie and a legit top pair. They still have trusted stars. There’s actually some promising young players who could change the script. Maybe they can find their way in.

Record: 42-35-5

89 Points

4th in Metro

WC2

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Rangers Scoring Depth and Defense Worrisome Entering Season

Posted on October 4, 2025 by Derek

As the preseason wound down, with the New York Rangers dropping a 4-1 decision to the Boston Bruins on Saturday. Despite dressing a full lineup minus injured forwards J.T. Miller and Artemi Panarin, the Rangers had trouble mustering any offense against Bruins starting goalie Jeremy Swayman. Even when they had the better of the play by outshooting the Bruins by a combined 26-10 over the final two periods, they were unable to beat Swayman, who finished the game with 30 saves.

In an uneventful first period that saw Boston grab a 2-0 lead on goals from Nikita Zadorov and Pavel Zacha, the only thing that happened was Matt Rempe getting a takedown on Mark Kastelic. They’ve fought before in the regular season. So, it wasn’t a surprise. The fight wasn’t much with Rempe landing a couple of punches before he earned the decision.

Despite a more inspired second in which the Rangers held a 13-2 edge in shots along with most of the play spent in the Bruins zone, Swayman made the key saves to keep his team ahead by two.

Rempe got a dubious roughing minor for just driving to the net and getting hooked by Andrew Peeke into Swayman, who skated over to Rempe and had a few words for him. It was another reputation call on Rempe, who if he even looks in the direction of an opponent, could be sent off the ice. It’s rather absurd how he’s officiated.

The effort can never be questioned, which is why new head coach Mike Sullivan likes him. Something that’s been echoed by both current and former teammates. However, it would be wise if Sullivan uses Rempe periodically. He isn’t ever going to be good defensively due to his skating, which to his credit has improved. His strengths are using his size to win physical battles along the boards and driving the net to screen goalies. If he’s going to stick on a roster that has better depth players, Rempe should be used in certain matchups, such as Boston, Florida, Ottawa, and Washington. Other rivals have gone away from dressing enforcers.

For the Rangers, there are bigger issues that are a concern entering Tuesday’s season opener at home against the Pittsburgh Penguins on ESPN. They skated without Panarin during the preseason. Obviously, he’s their leading scorer who drives play and creates plenty of offense for teammates. Without him, they struggled to sustain anything against the Devils in a recent home defeat. Panarin is the straw that stirs the drink on a scoring line with Vincent Trocheck and Alexis Lafreniere. If he has to miss any time during the regular season, it would really hurt the offense. He also is a key on the power play, which will also need Miller as the net front presence on the top unit.

The most recent update was that Miller took regular practice with his line while Panarin skated on his own. In training camp, he dealt with two injuries. The first was an upper-body and the most recent was a lower-body issue. With the Rangers sending down Gabe Perreault to Hartford for the start of the AHL season, that likely means that Panarin should be ready for Tuesday night. Miller is expected back for the first game wearing the ‘C’ as the Rangers’ 29th captain in franchise history.

Decisions Still Need to Be Made

With the Rangers not placing anyone on waivers earlier today, they still have some decisions to be made. Currently, 15 forwards remain on the roster.

That includes Noah Laba, who scored on the power play for the team’s only goal in their preseason finale. A nice deflection of an Adam Fox point shot. Laba finished with two goals and four assists to lead the Blueshirts in scoring. If they decide to keep him, it would likely come at the expense of Brett Berard. He also had a good camp, but could start with the Wolf Pack due to the numbers game.

If they sign veteran Conor Sheary, who’s a Sullivan favorite from his days spent with the Penguins, then there would be no room to keep both Laba and Berard. Sheary had a strong showing, which included getting reps with both Laba and Juuso Parssinen on the third line. He also killed penalties. An experienced player who still has good wheels, Sheary brings grit and hustle. Similar to the younger Berard, who might need some work defensively. That’s exactly why Brennan Othmann was sent down sooner.

By signing Taylor Raddysh, the Rangers view him as a depth forward who can play on a support line. He put up 27 points on the Washington Capitals last season. He didn’t look that impressive in preseason, but Raddysh isn’t going anywhere. It’s either going to be Raddysh or Sheary who are likely penciled in on the third line to begin the season.

Sullivan had Laba remain at center and practice with Parssinen playing the left side in a recent practice. Both bring size and are responsible defensively. Each did okay on faceoffs. Sullivan prefers to use his third line for matchups. It wouldn’t be a bad idea to have Laba and Parssinen line up with Sheary. Assuming the latter is signed out of his PTO.

That would leave Jonny Brodzinski, Sam Carrick, Adam Edstrom, Raddysh, and Rempe for the fourth line. From everything we’ve gathered, Sullivan seems to prefer Carrick between Edstrom and Rempe. A line that played together in 2024-25. However, both Brodzinski and Raddysh are better skaters than Rempe. That would give him some options. It all depends on what he wants to do for select matchups, which should be based both on the opponent and on who deserves to play.

Defense Down to Seven

By assigning Scott Morrow to Hartford, it looks like the Rangers could be decided on Matthew Robertson as the extra defenseman. Having seen Robertson, he isn’t the fastest skater. He relies more on his size and positioning. A left defenseman, he hasn’t proven he should be in the top six, which remains unsettled.

Even though they’re down to seven defensemen, with Fox and Vladislav Gavrikov locked in as the top pair, both the second and third pairs remain sketchy. Is the plan to have Braden Schneider eventually move up to play on his weak side with Will Borgen in the top four? Schneider is obviously a better skater than Carson Soucy, who has paired up with Borgen before in Seattle. But would they really trust Soucy and Borgen together when neither has the best defensive metrics. Even though I’m not big on that stuff, neither Soucy nor Borgen are great skaters. You can’t have them together against a faster and more skilled opponent. That isn’t good optics.

Schneider has teamed with Urho Vaakanainen on the third pair before. They’re familiar with each other. It really hinges on Schneider, who needs a big season in a contract year. He really does have to become part of the solution in the top four. Otherwise, it could be another long, frustrating season on Broadway.

Waiver Options to Explore

If they so choose to, the Rangers could explore some waiver options for the blue line. Former Ranger Erik Gustafsson was placed on waivers at 2 EST. A good skater who can contribute offensively both at even strength and on the power play, which lacks another quarterback aside from Fox, the 33-year-old veteran had more success in the Big Apple than he did in Hockeytown. The downside is his defense, which is abysmal. He doesn’t look like a Sullivan player. There’s also the $2 million cap hit for the season. It’s doubtful they’d claim him.

Other candidates to look at are Calen Addison and Ville Heinola. Addison has more NHL experience, playing mostly in Minnesota and San Jose over two different seasons. Despite being capable offensively, he was inept defensively, which explains why he spent last year in the AHL.

Heinola is interesting. The former first round pick that the Rangers sent over with Neal Pionk to complete the Jacob Trouba deal, he’s never really been able to crack the Winnipeg Jets roster. Now 24, he’s totaled a goal and 10 assists for 11 points in 53 career games. A left defenseman who’s a good skater, the Finnish defenseman was part of three World Juniors for his country. Taking a flyer on him wouldn’t be a bad idea.

Rosters Submitted Tomorrow

On Monday, NHL teams will submit their final rosters. At that time, the Rangers will decide if they’re going to carry an extra forward. The current roster has 24 players. We know at least one has to go down. In the past, they’ve gone with 22 to start the season. However, with better depth, 23 is a good bet. We’ll see what they decide to do tomorrow.

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Othmann Among Roster Cuts for Rangers

Posted on September 30, 2025 by Derek

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.

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Rangers Face a Tough Decision on Noah Laba

Posted on September 30, 2025 by Derek

On Monday night in Elmont, the New York Rangers played their fourth preseason game against the New York Islanders. They defeated the Islanders 3-2 in overtime on a goal by Noah Laba.

Laba continued his strong camp by taking a Gabe Perreault lead pass and beating David Rittich for the game-winner. On the play, he beat Islanders 2025 number one pick Matthew Schaefer and then out-waited Rittich tucking in a backhand for his first goal of the preseason.

In four appearances thus far, it’s the consistent two-way play of the former Colorado College product that’s stood out. The 22-year-old center has used his six-foot three, 214-pound frame well. On a night when head coach Mike Sullivan didn’t ice most of his starters, Laba found himself going up against Mat Barzal for some shifts at even strength. Playing with Brennan Othmann and Taylor Raddysh, Laba did a good job defensively against an Islanders roster that iced a full lineup at UBS Arena.

While Laba held his own with his line playing mostly in the defensive zone, Sullivan took a closer look at Juuso Parssinen. The 24-year-old forward anchored the first line between Will Cuylle and Perreault, who also continues to play well in his first real camp where he’s competing to make the roster.

In the first period, it was Parssinen who finished off a nice play with Cuylle by driving to the net to pot a rebound past Rittich for his first of the preseason. On the scoring play, Parssinen made a good entry pass for Cuylle, who purposely shot low for a rebound that Parssinen scored on. In direct competition with Laba for the third line center job, the former Nashville Predators 2019 seventh round pick had a good night, going 11-for-19 on faceoffs with a plus-2 rating.

Despite getting outshot 10-2, the Rangers held a one-goal lead after one period. Igor Shesterkin went the first 40 minutes against the Islanders A squad. He was sharp, making 18 saves on 19 shots. The only time he was beaten came on a nice play from Barzal in the corner. He was able to send a perfect backhand feed in front for Anthony Duclair to bury to tie the score over a minute into the second period.

However, the Rangers responded with a go-ahead tally from Cuylle two and a half minutes later. On a Connor Mackey pass down low, Cuylle skated around the net and surprised Rittich by beating him with a shot from a sharp angle. Perreault added a secondary helper on the play.

After serving a minor penalty, Matt Rempe came out of the box and got two scoring chances. A Scott Morrow clear came right to Rempe, who was in on Rittich. But a hustling Schaefer made a diving stick check to break up the attempt. However, Rempe stuck with it to get a good shot right on Rittich.

Playing with Dylan Roobroeck for a shift, Rempe was very active. His skating continues to improve along with his ability to make smart decisions with the puck. Rempe finished with three shots and a minus-1 in 13:43 of ice time.

For a second-year player, Roobroeck is a good skater for his size. There’s some offensive capability from another big forward listed at six-foot seven, 222-pounds. He scored 20 goals in Hartford last season. Roobroeck will certainly start there again.

In the third period, the Islanders drew even thanks to former Rangers defenseman Tony DeAngelo. After taking a Kyle Palmieri pass, DeAngelo gained the Rangers blue line and waited for some traffic before firing a low shot by Dylan Garand with 8:27 left in regulation. Although there was a partial screen, it was another shot Garand could’ve had. He gave up two bad goals in his previous outing. At this point in his career, the 23-year-old looks like an AHL goalie. Garand is already entering his fourth year. He’ll remain the starter for the Wolf Pack.

The contest went to overtime. During the three-on-three, Bo Horvat had the best chance to end it early. He faked out Braden Schneider with a toe drag before Garand blocked away his backhand.

It was Schneider’s return from off-season surgery to repair a torn labrum. He definitely was rusty while paired up with Urho Vaakanainen. The Rangers need Schneider to improve defensively to have any kind of chance at making the playoffs. They can’t rely on Carson Soucy to play big minutes with Will Borgen.

Sullivan had Morrow work with Matthew Robertson on the second pair. Neither did anything to hurt themselves. Both are competing for the seventh defenseman job. Morrow is waiver exempt, while Robertson is on a two-way deal.

Following the crucial Garand save on Horvat, Schneider passed the puck up for Perreault in the neutral zone. He drew two Islanders before making a nice cross-ice pass to send Laba in for the overtime winner at 61 seconds.

For a 20-year-old first-year player, Perreault has demonstrated the highest skill and skating that got him selected number 23 in 2023. He plays with a lot of speed and has excellent vision. Even if he starts the season with Hartford, there’s reason to believe Perreault will force his way into a call-up. His talent is too hard to ignore.

With younger prospects like Laba, Perreault, and Berard all impressing, what does that mean for veteran Jonny Brodzinski?

The likable 32-year-old forward worked hard to become a regular, scoring a career-high 12 goal in 51 games last season. He put up 19 points for a second consecutive year. As well-respected as he is, Brodzinski is only signed thru 2025-26. He’s making $788,000. If he were placed on waivers, he’d have to clear to be reassigned. Maybe there’s another rebuilding team interested in acquiring Brodzinski. He’s a good guy to have both on the bench and in the locker room.

What about signing Raddysh? How does that look with Conor Sheary playing himself into a potential role? Sheary remains on a PTO.

The Rangers definitely face some tough decisions ahead. As they continue to make roster cuts, with Justin Dowling waived, the remainder of the week will be interesting. They open up on Oct. 7 against the Pittsburgh Penguins in a week.

Has Laba played himself onto the roster? We’ll soon have the answer.

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