The Rangers, 3-0 so far this preseason, take on the Devils tomorrow and Tuesday in a home-and-home. Following that contest, the Blueshirts end their practice schedule Thursday at the Islanders. New York is down to 43 players in camp after passing three players through waivers yesterday. A few jobs, which will be decided this week, remain up for grabs.
Friday, forwards Alex Belzile and Jake Leschyshyn as well as defenseman Ben Harpur were passed through waivers and assigned yesterday to the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League (AHL). All three players were unlikely to break camp with the team. Harpur had the best chance with Ryan Lindgren's injury but he was surpassed by Victor Mancini in camp.
#NYR Transactions: The team has assigned forwards Alex Belzile and Jake Leschyshyn as well as defenseman Ben Harpur to the Hartford Wolf Pack of the American Hockey League (AHL): https://t.co/FXMdqzogpY
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) September 28, 2024
This is how practice started today, which was similar to Friday.
Kreider - Zib - Smith Panarin - Trocheck - Laf Cuylle - Chytil - Kakko Vesey - Carrick - Rempe
Mancini - Fox Miller - Trouba Jones - Schneider Mackey - Ruhwedel
Mancini is once again with Adam Fox. swap Jacob Trouba and Braden Schneider and I think most of us would be happy. Connor Mackey and Chad Ruhwedel are battling for the seventh d-man spot.
The tweet below from Colin Stephenson is the main difference. Brennan Othmann was impressive offensively Thursday, rebounding after two rough games, scoring a goal and an assist. But if the open spot is on the fourth line, Adam Edstrom fits there better than Othmann. If the decision is made to move Will Cuylle down a line, then Othmann is a consideration for that spot.
Today, Jimmy Vesey suffered a lower-body injury in practice. Initial view is that it is not serious but he will be evaluated. Any absence by Vesey further opens the door for Adam Edstrom to grab a roster spot.
At #NYR practice today, Adam Edstrom is with the A group, and Brennan Othmann is not. Edstrom is rotating in on the fourth line, with Vesey, Carrick and Rempe. Brodzinski is rotating onto the third line, with Cuylle, Chytil and Kakko. And Victor Mancini is with Fox again.
— Colin Stephenson (@ColinSNewsday) September 29, 2024
As good as the power play was last year, we know in the playoffs they slumped mightily. One of the criticisms lobbed at coach Peter Laviolette was his unwillingness and failure to tweak the lines, especially when Alexis Lafreniere deserved to be moved up. I give Lavy credit for mixing things up, which in this case, has been keeping lines together as units to build connectivity. In addition, Fox and Miller switched between the two groupings. I would have liked to see Mancini get a shot on the power play point.
PP1: Fox-Zibanejad-Kreider-Chytil-Smith
— Mollie Walker (@MollieeWalkerr) September 29, 2024
PP2: Miller-Trocheck-Lafrenière-Panarin-Kakko
These were the first #NYR groups we saw, but there’s been some rotating, including Miller with PP1 instead of Fox.