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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: Micheal Haley #38 of the New York Rangers prepares to fight with Brandon Baddock #34 of the New Jersey Devils during the first period at Madison Square Garden on September 18, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – SEPTEMBER 18: Micheal Haley #38 of the New York Rangers prepares to fight with Brandon Baddock #34 of the New Jersey Devils during the first period at Madison Square Garden on September 18, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images) /

Fighting for a future

Micheal Haley  #38 – Haley is the only player in this game who played in the opener on Wednesday.  The NHL veteran is fighting for a job and helped his case by scoring a goal against the Devils (thanks to Greg McKegg who did all the work) and by dropping the gloves.  It’s clear that the team is giving him a long look, since he fulfills the need for toughness (if that is still a need in the new NHL).

Joe Morrow # 70 -Morrow is with the Rangers on a Professional Tryout and is fighting to win the job as sixth or seventh defenseman.  He has spent the last four years in the NHL with Boston, Montreal and most recently, with Winnipeg.

Morrow won’t be a scorer, but the lefthanded shooter can play the right side and is helped by the DeAngelo holdout.  He is a solid, experienced defenseman, along the lines of Fredrik Clausson or Adam McQuaid and he could find a role with the Rangers considering that it looks like two rookies (Adam Fox and Libor Hajek) will be making the team.  The 26 year old could replace Brendan Smith as the depth defenseman, though most of the savings from burying Smith in the AHL would be negated by Morrow’s deal.

Mason Geertsen #54 – Geertsen  is a 24 year old defenseman was was a fourth round draft pick by Colorado in 2013.   He’s big at 6’4″, 212 pounds and is a lefthanded shot.   A longshot to make the Rangers, he could be fighting for a job with the Wolf Pack after spending the last two seasons as a regular in the AHL.

This lineup is the opposite of the roster the Rangers started on Wednesday night.  Nearly everyone in the lineup has something to prove so it will feel like a more traditional preseason game.   Despite the absence of players like Kaapo Kakko and Jacob Trouba, there are storylines worth following.

Gametime is 7pm and it will be televised on the MSG Network.

Hot. DeAngelo signs. light

Author’s note:  This article was published before the signing of Tony DeAngelo.   The impact will be that Joey Keane will definitely be headed to Hartford this season and the odds of Joe Morrow or Mason Geertsen sticking with the Blueshirts are incrementally smaller.

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