The Rangers closed out the preseason in convincing style, but the work isn’t necessarily finished.
New York’s final tune-up against the Islanders looked a lot like the lineup the club expects to use when the games start counting next week, and the result was just as lopsided as the roster suggested. Facing an Islanders group heavy on AHL-bound players, the Rangers cruised to a 6-1 win.
Even after that strong finish, the roster math still isn’t settled. The Rangers need to trim two more players to get down to 23, and the scratches for that game - forwards Jaroslav Chmelar and Taylor Raddysh, plus defensemen Matthew Robertson and Scott Morrow - could be among the names on the way out.
But the bigger wrinkle is this: New York may not be done adding.
A center remains the most obvious possibility. Vincent Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic wrote that he would not rule out the Rangers going after one before opening night, noting that the team usually likes to keep an extra center around and that the current group is thin on reliable options.
The Rangers have already sent down two centers, Justin Dowling and Juuso Pärssinen, after both cleared waivers and were assigned to the Hartford Wolf Pack. Glenn Gawdin was placed on waivers Friday, Sept. 25.
Unless something unexpected happens - such as Cole Beaudoin or Dylan Roobroeck cracking the opening night roster - the most likely path to another center could be through waivers, with New York potentially claiming someone another team lets go.
That possibility is worth watching closely because the Rangers hold the third-highest waiver position, giving them a strong chance to land a player if Mike Sullivan and Chris Drudy decide the fit is right.
“Philosophically, I’ve always been a strong believer that you can never have enough center-ice men on your team, just because it gives you versatility,” he said. “It’s a lot easier to move a center to wing than the other way around.”
The roster picture still has some sharp edges. Morrow and goalie Dylan Garand are among the players on the bubble who are not waiver-exempt, and if the Rangers want to bring someone in from outside the organization, another player would need to be exposed to waivers to make room.
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A strong night against the Islanders gave the Rangers a little preseason momentum as they headed toward the Boston Bruins and the start of games that count. New York jumped early and kept pouring it on in a 6-1 win, with Oliver Bjorkstrand, J.T. Miller, Tye Kartye, Will Cuylle and Mika Zibanejad all getting on the scoresheet while Adam Fox set the tone with three assists.
For a team trying to build some early confidence, it was the kind of performance that checked a lot of boxes without asking the staff to read too much into the result. The Rangers have now strung together two straight preseason wins, and after the offensive showing on Long Island, they have at least given their fans a reason to feel better about where things stand before the opener in Boston. [Read more 🡒]
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Still, the real question is whether the rest of the roster can do enough to turn that stability into wins. New Yorks season could swing quickly depending on health and the growth of its younger forwards, with the gap between a playoff berth and a frustrating year likely resting on whether the offense finds enough consistency to support the pieces already in place. [Read more 🡒]
Will Cuylle Is Giving Rangers Fans Real Reason To Believe
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Cuylle is expected to settle into a third-line spot when the 2026-27 season begins, which makes his preseason showing especially relevant for a Rangers team looking for youthful legs and dependable depth. He has already built a reputation as a promising young piece, and the next question is how much of that preseason confidence carries into games that count. For a club that always seems to be searching for more secondary offense, Cuylles rise is one of the more interesting subplots worth watching. [Read more 🡒]