The New York Rangers’ Opening Night roster is set, and the final move before Tuesday night’s game against the Boston Bruins was to place defenseman Vincent Iorio on IR.
That decision completed the club’s 23-man roster, which had already been taking shape after Monday’s announcement. With training camp and the preseason in the rearview, there were no major shocks for New York, just the last bit of housekeeping before the season begins.
The bigger story for the Rangers is how different their defense looks. They’re carrying eight defensemen, a sign of the depth they’ve built on the back end. Adam Fox and Vladislav Gavrikov are penciled in together on the top pair, a combination that worked well last season when Fox was healthy and now gets another run in year two.
Behind them, New York made one of its clearest summer upgrades. Sean Durzi and Marcus Pettersson give the second pair a fresh look, and the team is clearly counting on that new combination to raise the floor of the group.
The third pair will feature Alberts Smits with Braden Schneider. The Rangers leaned heavily on Schneider a year ago, and the hope now is that the pairing gives him a better setup to succeed.
There’s also real depth waiting in the wings. Scott Morrow and Matthew Robertson remain in the mix, and the Rangers were unwilling to risk either player on waivers because of the chance they could be claimed.
As for Iorio, the next step is less clear once he’s healthy. For now, the likeliest outcome is a trip to the AHL.
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What makes the move notable is how fast the plan changed for a player many figured would need more seasoning elsewhere before settling into NHL duty. Instead, mits stayed with the main group through camp, and Mike Sullivan made it clear the rookie had done enough to belong. For a Rangers defense looking for reliability and upside, that kind of early breakthrough is the sort of development that can quietly shape the first stretch of the season. [Read more 🡒]