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Less star power in the 2nd preseason game

By Steve Paulus

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 18: Jacob Trouba #8 of the New York Rangers holds up Jesper Boqvist #90 of the New Jersey Devils during the third period at Madison Square Garden on September 18, 2019 in New York City. The Devils defeated the Rangers 4-3. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 18: Jacob Trouba #8 of the New York Rangers holds up Jesper Boqvist #90 of the New Jersey Devils during the third period at Madison Square Garden on September 18, 2019 in New York City. The Devils defeated the Rangers 4-3. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 18: Damon Severson #28 of the New Jersey Devils hits Lias Andersson #50 of the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on September 18, 2019 in New York City. The Devils defeated the Rangers 4-3. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 18: Damon Severson #28 of the New Jersey Devils hits Lias Andersson #50 of the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on September 18, 2019 in New York City. The Devils defeated the Rangers 4-3. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

The New York Rangers take the ice in the second preseason game in a rematch with the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center in Newark.

The New  York Rangers squad that will play in the second preseason game will definitely be lacking in star power.   The stars that made their debut  at Madison Square Garden will all be watching.  However, there will be some pretty good players wearing the Rangers jersey.

First of all, Henrik Lundqvist will be splitting the goaltending duties with Adam Huska.  Lundqvist will get an awful lot of attention this season as he starts a season when he is two years away from the end of his contract and is facing a logjam in goal with Alexandar Georgiev and Igor Shersterkin.

As for the rest of the team, it is made up of a  lot of players who will fighting for jobs with only six of the 18 skaters reasonably assured of a job with the varsity.

Filip Chytil and Pavel Buchnevich have already been annointed to positions on the top two lines.  Ryan Strome and Vlad Namestnikov will make the varsity with the only question being what position and on what line.  Hardworking Jesper Fast is a sure thing as is veteran Marc Staal on defense.   After that, it’s all up in the air.

On the cusp

Brett Howden #21 – Howden is already penciled in for a role as center on the third or fourth line, but if he is facing some tough competition this season from newcomer Greg McKegg along with holdovers Namestnikov and Strome. A surprise to make the team out of training camp last season, he needs to continue to grow.

Vinni Lettieri #95 – It seems like Lettieri is always on the cusp .  Last season he made the team out of training camp and had seen action in 14 games by mid-November, but unable to notch even a point, he found himself back on the New York-Hartford shuttle.

Lettieri was re-signed to a one year deal and is an arbitration eligible RFA after this season. A proven scorer in the AHL, he needs to show that he can do it in the NHL.  This could  be his last shot with the Blueshirts no matter how much David Quinn likes his shoot-first style of play.

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