On the Rangers’ fourth day of camp, the ice stayed quiet.
New York took a day off Sunday after three straight full practice days to open training camp, and the break comes just before a brutal stretch: four preseason games in five nights starting Monday. It’s a messy setup, and even coach Mike Sullivan isn’t pretending otherwise. The condensed schedule, he said Saturday, creates “logistical issues,” and he added “it’s not fair” to ask a player battling for a roster spot to play four times in five nights.
That likely means the real roster trimming waits until next weekend. Not much, if anything, should happen before then, because the Rangers can’t really afford to thin the group too much with that preseason crunch looming.
One player who should keep getting his chances is 18-year-old defenseman Alberts Smits. He’ll likely appear in at least two preseason games, maybe three, as he tries to force his way onto the opening-night roster. Smits already made noise Saturday by scoring in an intrasquad scrimmage, and he spent the first three days working on the third defense pair with Braden Schneider.
The Rangers are giving the No. 5 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft a real runway, and he’s making the most of it. So far, he’s earned the extended look.
The battle for the left side of that third pair is shaping up around Matthew Robertson, who is coming off a solid rookie season and has been skating with Scott Morrow in camp. Robertson took a shot to the face Saturday, briefly left practice, then returned. It looked like he’ll need some dental work.
The non-game group will be back on the ice in Westchester Monday, while the players traveling for the preseason game against the New Jersey Devils head to Prudential Center.
The early camp buzz has also centered on the Rangers’ bottom six, where Tye Kartye has already made an impression. He’s scored three goals in three intrasquad scrimmages, and Sullivan has been quick to point out that Kartye is “an easy guy to root for,” for reasons that go beyond the scoreboard.
There’s also Marc Del Gaizo, the Jersey kid Dan Bahl describes as “full of piss and vinegar,” drawing attention at camp. And Sullivan has made it clear why having Igor Shesterkin matters so much: it’s a luxury to have the game’s most important position locked down the way the Rangers do.
Around the league, Colorado’s Cale Makar won’t play in either of the Avalanche’s first two preseason games Sunday or Monday because of an upper-body injury, though coach Jared Bednar hopes he can practice fully with the team beginning Tuesday.
Elsewhere, Islanders players say Peter DeBoer has the “right ideas” and the kind of systems and intensity they need after their disappointing 2025-26 season. In Toronto, Gavin McKenna made his preseason debut with the Maple Leafs, while in Nashville, brothers Ozzy and Oasiz Wiesblatt dropped the gloves in an intrasquad scrimmage Saturday.
The Ducks signed Tim Washe to a four-year extension, Oilers forward Alex Formenton scored in his preseason debut amid fan protests over his signing, Dougie Hamilton’s No. 7 Devils jersey got a cameo in a new Netflix movie, and Blues defenseman Marc-Andre Gaudet became the first player placed on waivers since camps opened this week.
In Other News...
Rangers Face An Early Blue Line Decision They Can't Rush
Alberts mits made a strong enough impression at Rangers training camp to earn positive reviews from the coaching staff, and that alone has added a little early intrigue to a blue line picture that was already going to require some sorting out. Head coach Mike Sullivan saw enough to believe mits looks physically ready for the NHL, which is no small thing for a young defenseman trying to turn camp buzz into a real roster case.
The harder part for the Rangers is figuring out how aggressive to be with the next step. Sullivan has made it clear the organization wants to keep the big picture in mind rather than rush a decision, and the battle for spots on defense is not exactly thin. mits is in the mix with other players for one of the openings, leaving the Rangers with a familiar camp problem: a promising player who looks close, and a roster choice that still needs patience. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Camp Has An Unexpected Defenseman Turning Heads Fast
Marc Del Gaizo arrived at Rangers training camp as a depth addition, but he wasted little time making himself noticeable on the ice. The defenseman took part in the first day of camp and brought the kind of competitive edge that tends to stand out early, especially in scrimmage settings where players are still sorting out roles and making first impressions. He has NHL experience already, and his path to this point included a strong college run at UMass Amherst, where he was a key contributor and alternate captain.
For a player on a two-way deal, these first days matter because every rep is part of the evaluation, and Del Gaizo looked determined to make his case. The Rangers have plenty of veterans and familiar faces, but camp also has a way of surfacing the lesser-known names who can add organization depth if they keep showing the right mix of effort and edge. Del Gaizo is trying to do exactly that, and the early buzz suggests he has already put himself on the radar. [Read more 🡒]
Chris Drury May Soon Face Two Tough Rangers Trade Calls
The Rangers are still in the middle of a roster transition, and that puts Chris Drury in a familiar spot: weighing whether younger players with NHL experience are part of the next core or better used as trade currency. Will Cuylle and Braden Schneider both fit that conversation. They have shown enough to matter, but also enough to raise the question of whether their next contracts could ask more than their current production justifies.
Schneiders situation makes him a natural name to watch as the season unfolds, while Cuylle has drawn less public trade buzz even though he is not exactly off the table. If the Rangers decide they need to change the look of the lineup, especially if the standings push them toward a bigger shakeup, either player could become part of a larger move aimed at bringing in a more impactful piece. [Read more 🡒]