The panic over the New York Rangers’ roster before the preseason has even begun is getting ahead of itself. The complaints are already out there: Marcus Pettersson, Oliver Bjorkstrand, and Eeli Tolvanen are supposedly standing in the way of Rangers prospects. But that idea doesn’t hold up yet.
This is camp. Players are still being sorted out, and this is also the first year of a new, shortened preseason and camp. Coaches are going to start by looking at what they believe the NHL roster should be, then adjust from there based on how camp and preseason unfold.
And when you look at the actual group, there just aren’t many prospects who are clearly ready to jump in right now. Alberts Smits is the one real NHL-ready prospect, and there’s already an open spot for him.
Scott Morrow and Vincent Iorio seem to be in similar territory, though the only veteran truly standing in Morrow’s way is Braden Schneider. Matthew Robertson is 25 and no longer qualifies as a prospect.
The most eye-rolling complaint is the idea that Pettersson is blocking Smits. That’s a tough sell when Smits was in the initial NHL lineup alongside Schneider.
Nobody is expecting Smits to be shoved into the top four right away, even if he plays well. The smarter move is to ease him in with sheltered minutes next to Schneider and let him get comfortable with the NHL game.
The expected setup had Vlad Gavrikov and Adam Fox holding down the top pair, with Pettersson and Sean Durzi forming the second pair. The bigger picture is simple: Smits can work his way into the top six if he earns it, and the Rangers would welcome that kind of pressure on the lineup.
Up front, the noise is centered on Adam Sykora, who has 11 NHL games on his résumé. Some fans are acting as if Bjorkstrand and Tolvanen are blocking him from middle-six minutes, but that’s not really the fight he’s in.
Think of it more like a Conor Sheary situation, where a veteran holds a spot until a younger player is ready. Sykora isn’t Gabe Perreault, and nobody is saying he is, but he is still an interesting young winger.
Sykora’s profile coming out of the draft was that of a pesky middle-six winger who fits best on the third line and can survive on the second. He looked fine in his 11 NHL games last season, but he wasn’t forcing the issue.
His 3-1-4 line was solid enough, just not the kind of production that demands a guaranteed lineup spot. He’s 22 now, but he only feels like a long-term prospect because he arrived in the AHL at 19.
He’s also in a similar lane to Tye Kartye, who would need waivers and is projected for a fourth-line role. Neither Sykora nor Kartye, and not Jaro Chmelar either, has the kind of offensive ceiling Bjorkstrand and Tolvanen have shown.
Bjorkstrand has been a 30-goal, 60-point player in rough terms, and Tolvanen has hit the 20-goal, 40-point range in the right setting. Sykora and Kartye are fun players, but they are not threatening 20 goals.
For now, Sykora is really battling Kartye and Chmelar for fourth-line minutes. Chmelar appears to be sticking, and Sykora does not need waivers, so this is mostly a numbers game until injury or poor play changes the picture. He’ll get chances to keep developing his offense, especially with more talent coming into Hartford this season.
The same basic point applies across the roster: there are no vets blocking Rangers prospects right now. In fact, by the cleanest definition, there won’t be for most of the season.
Up front, only Bjorkstrand, JT Miller, and Mika Zibanejad are over 30. Even Taylor Raddysh is only 28.
This is more a transition year than a hard veteran chokehold.
That matters because the Rangers have several players at a crossroads. Kartye, Will Cuylle, Matt Rempe, and Noah Laba are all RFAs, and Cuylle and Laba are likely headed for meaningful raises.
At some point, teams move on from players if younger, cheaper options are waiting. This season is as much about evaluation as anything else, especially for players reaching their third and fourth contracts.
Miller is part of that picture too. His no-move clause becomes a 15-team no-trade list on July 1, 2027, and he is also due a $3 million bonus on July 1.
In theory, that could make him a more attractive trade target for another team, since an acquiring club could get him at what amounts to a $2 million per year discount. But that’s a discussion for another day.
On the blue line, Smits is the only true NHL-ready prospect expected to make a significant impact. The only real block there is Schneider keeping Morrow from getting a proper look with a real NHL partner.
But with Morrow’s contract matching the much less promising Vincent Iorio’s deal, that situation looks settled for now. Not every prospect turns into a solution.
The defense pairs could still change if Smits forces his way in, and Pettersson would be the kind of top-four defenseman who can handle all three zones and move the puck well. If this were the late-career version of Ryan Lindgren, the conversation would be different.
For now, though, the answer is straightforward: there are no vets blocking Rangers prospects. That could change later if someone like Liam Greentree pushes his way in and a veteran like Bjorkstrand or Tolvanen struggles. But right now, that’s jumping ahead.
In Other News...
Matt Rempe Suddenly Has Real Pressure In This Rangers Roster Fight
Matt Rempe got one of the more telling looks of Rangers preseason so far when he dressed against the Devils, even as most of the regulars stayed home. For a player trying to carve out an opening night role, those are the kinds of games that matter because every shift feeds into how the staff sorts out the bottom of the lineup. The roster battle around him is no longer just about energy or size, but about who can actually fit into the teams plans when the games start to count.
Rempe is in the mix for a fourth-line right wing spot, and the decision is complicated by the practical side of roster building. The Rangers have to weigh not just what each player brings on the ice, but how easy it is to move him if he does not make the club. That reality gives the competition a sharper edge, and it leaves Rempe facing a familiar but very real preseason test as the opening night roster takes shape. [Read more 🡒]
Former Rangers First-Round Pick Just Had A Wild New Start
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The night also showed how quickly things can turn for a player trying to carve out a role. Othmanns aggressive play drew a major response and a game misconduct, leaving him with a stat line that was as eventful as it was brief, while Flames coach Ryan Huska still came away seeing a noticeable impact from the short stint on the ice. [Read more 🡒]
Matt Rempe Has A Real Chance To Force The Rangers Hand
Matt Rempe is back in the picture for the Rangers at just the right time, cleared to dress for the preseason opener against the Devils after a thumb injury cost him the back half of last season. He has not played since February and is now fully healthy, giving him a chance to remind the coaching staff what he brings at a moment when roster spots are still up for grabs.
For Rempe, the assignment is straightforward: show he can help force the Rangers to make a harder decision. He is slated to work on the fourth line with Hartford center Carey Terrance and Jacob Battaglia, and every shift will matter as he tries to turn a healthy return into a serious push for a place in the lineup. [Read more 🡒]