The Rangers’ first training camp groupings offered a pretty clear look at how Mike Sullivan is sorting the roster, and the biggest takeaway is that the staff seems to have split things into NHL regulars, AHL depth, and a handful of players straddling the line between the two.
There were a few placements that jumped out right away. Alberts Smits landed in the NHL group, which was a bit of a surprise, while Adam Sykora showed up in the AHL group.
The goalie setup also drew attention, with Joonas Korpisalo grouped on the NHL side and Dylan Garand on the AHL side. That last one brought both intrigue and criticism.
The goalie picture is probably where the loudest reaction will come from, but Garand’s placement doesn’t necessarily mean he’s headed to the AHL. The read here is that he was the goalie facing NHL-level competition to get him sharp quickly.
Korpisalo, by contrast, is already accustomed to NHL talent and doesn’t need that same kind of ramp-up. Korpisalo was also listed as Igor Shesterkin’s backup in the initial camp groups, with Garand starting.
Even so, there’s still a strong sense that Garand could end up as the backup because he may not make it through waivers. In that scenario, Korpisalo would slide to the AHL and serve as the third-string goalie, which would be a notable upgrade over Spencer Martin.
Up front, the lines were more straightforward. Sullivan kept Alexis Lafreniere, Mika Zibanejad, and Gabe Perreault together on what was listed as the second line, and that looks like a deliberate choice.
That trio should get more offensive-zone starts and a bit of shelter, with the goal of squeezing as much production as possible out of all three. Perreault’s offensive growth matters a lot here, especially because the Rangers need that kind of scoring punch.
Lafreniere is coming off the best defensive season of his young career, but he still needs more consistent offense.
The top line started with Pavel Dorofeyev and JT Miller, with Oliver Bjorkstrand on the left side. That wasn’t exactly a shock, either.
Bjorkstrand has already shown he can be a 30-goal, 60-point type of player, even if last season in Tampa was a down year. The bigger question with him is about fit and balance rather than raw talent.
Will Cuylle and Eeli Tolvanen are both expected to get looks with Dorofeyev and Miller at some point, whether that’s in the preseason or later in NHL games.
Another interesting early look came on the third line, where Cuylle, Tolvanen, and Noah Laba were grouped together, with Bjorkstrand eventually rotating in. That setup should help bring more offense out of Laba, whose scoring numbers last year were rough even though his defensive work was excellent.
The coaching staff appears to be putting him in a position to show more on the offensive side. If that doesn’t happen, the fallback could still be a fourth-line role down the line.
Sykora’s omission from the NHL group on the fourth line was another mild surprise. Jaro Chmelar and Tye Kartye were with Joe Veleno, while Matt Rempe and Taylor Raddysh were listed as spare forwards.
This looks like a direct battle between Sykora and Kartye, and Kartye may have the edge because Sykora can be sent to the AHL without waivers. Kartye would need to clear waivers, which often matters just as much as the on-ice debate.
That could be the shape of things when the season opens, with Sykora likely returning and perhaps serving as the first call-up when injuries hit.
On defense, the groupings were mostly in line with expectations. Adam Fox and Vlad Gavrikov were paired together, while Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson formed the new second pair.
The one placement that stood out a bit was Smits on the third pair with Braden Schneider. Matthew Robertson and Scott Morrow were together as the likely front-runners for the 7/8 defense spots, and Urho Vaakanainen was with the AHL group, which also raised eyebrows.
Smits is going to get every chance to make the team. Playing next to Schneider gives him the best partner he’s likely to see on that third pair, and that matters. Schneider’s best stretch with a defense partner came during his extended time with Gavrikov, though that was on the top pair.
Schneider also remains the Rangers’ best trade chip if they decide to address the need to get younger at center. Right now, though, there doesn’t seem to be any urgency. The way the camp groups were set up suggests the Rangers want to see what they have in Laba before making any move toward someone like Shane Wright, or even the long-shot dream of Adam Fantilli.
Sullivan told Colin Stephenson that these initial groups should stay together for at least another day or two. With a shortened preseason, there isn’t much time to experiment, so this first version of the lineup may be the closest thing to what opens the season. Someone will still have to force the issue to shake things up, the way Laba did last season.
And that’s the key point: the opening-night lineup won’t be the final version. But with an 84-game schedule and a short preseason, the first month or so is going to serve as a longer look at what Sullivan has in front of him. This is where he gets his chance to settle things in and learn what sticks.
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Rangers Face An Early Blue Line Decision They Can't Rush
Alberts mits has already made himself part of the conversation at Rangers training camp, earning strong reviews from the coaching staff as the club sorts through its blue-line options. Head coach Mike Sullivan has seen enough to believe the defenseman looks physically ready for the NHL, which is no small compliment at this stage of camp, especially with roster spots still up for grabs and the back end under close watch.
Still, the Rangers are not in a hurry to force the issue. Sullivan has made it clear the organization wants to keep the bigger picture in mind as it weighs mits next step, and the competition on defense remains tight with Matthew Robertson among the players chasing a place on the opening-night roster. For a team trying to balance immediate needs with long-term development, the decision on the last left-side spot could be one of camps more delicate calls. [Read more 🡒]
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The energy around Del Gaizo picked up during scrimmages, where his compete level was hard to miss and his exchanges with Matt Rempe added some edge to the morning. For a player trying to establish himself in a crowded camp, those moments can matter, especially when coaches are sorting through the details of how hard guys are willing to push in the gray areas of practice. [Read more 🡒]
Chris Drury May Soon Face Two Tough Rangers Trade Calls
The Rangers are in the middle of a transition, and that puts Chris Drury in a familiar but uncomfortable spot: trying to sort out which young pieces fit long term and which ones might be better used as currency. Will Cuylle and Braden Schneider both have NHL mileage, both have value to a team trying to stay competitive, and both come with the kind of contract questions that can force a front office to weigh cost against impact.
Schneider has drawn the more obvious trade attention because of where he stands contract-wise, but Cuylle is part of the same larger conversation even if he is not always the first name mentioned. If the Rangers decide they need a more dangerous scoring piece to support their next step, either player could become part of that calculation, which is exactly what makes this stretch so tricky for Drury and the rest of the decision-makers. [Read more 🡒]