Expectations for all of the players at training camp

The challengers

This the most interesting group of players, the Rangers who will be fighting to stick with the team and displace established players.  It’s the group that Gallant will be watching closely to see who wants it more, who buys into the mission of “working hard and playing hard.”

FORWARDS (6)

• Morgan Barron (C): Of all the young forwards, Morgan Barron has the best chance of cracking the roster.  He impressed in the five game he played in New York last season and he was one of the top players for the Wolf Pack last season. He turns 23 in December and is NHL-ready.
• Julien Gauthier (RW): Time is running out for soon to be 24-year-old Gauthier.  While coaches are enamored of his size and speed, he has yet to prove that he can be anything more than a top AHL scorer.  Starting with a clean slate with the new coach will help Gauthier. It’s up to him to impress and win a job, if not he’s destined for Hartford, but will have to clear waivers.
• Dryden Hunt (LW): Hunt was signed as a free agent after spending the last  few seasons with the Coyotes and Panthers as a call up from the AHL.  He’s a high energy player who will be fighting for a job and could stick.
• Greg McKegg (C): McKegg was a free agent signee who returns to the Rangers after a season on the taxi squad for the Bruins. He played in only seven games last season after appearing in 53 games the prior season with the Blueshirts. He’s a known commodity and Gallant coached him in Florida.
• Lauri Pajuniemi (RW): Pajuniemi just turned 22 and this is his first experience in North America after two seasons as a top scorer in Liiga in Finland.  He showed off a deadly shot in the Prospect Camp and has a slim chance of making the Rangers. It’s much more likely he will be sent to Hartford to get experience on the smaller ice surface, but if he excels, we could see him on Broadway.
• Justin Richards (C): Justin Richards played in one game for the Rangers last season after a full season in Hartford. Don’t look for him to be a big scorer, but he was one of the best defensive forwards in the NCAA.  He can win faceoffs and he is highly regarded by team management.  He’s a dark horse to make the team.

Barron is the one forward with a solid shot at winning a regular job in New York. The other five players all have a legitimate chance to impress Gallant and sneak onto the team, but it will take an outstanding training camp.  Remember what Gallant said yesterday: “We love surprises…maybe it doesn’t work out right away. Maybe down the road…we want every kid coming in here, doing his best and pushing for a spot on the roster.”

DEFENSE (8)

• Libor Hajek (LD): The Czech blueliner is a known commodity and is a veteran of 77 NHL games including 44 of 56 games last season.  He’d have to clear waivers to go to Hartford and the belief is that Detroit’s Steve Yzerman would snatch him up if he is available.  For that reason, while he may not start, he could be on the roster as the seventh defenseman.
• Zac Jones (LD):  Jones is one of the most highly regarded prospects on the team and he proved he can handle the NHL in a 10 game audition last season.  If he doesn’t make the top six, the team may prefer that he gets regular playing time in Hartford.
• Nils Lundkvist (RD):  Arguably the top prospect in the Rangers pipeline, he is a gifted defenseman whose arrival has been anticipated for years. While it appears a job on the third pair with Nemeth has been handed to him, if he falters in training camp, he could start the season in Hartford.
• Tarmo Reunanan (LD):  The Finn’s status on the Rangers is a big question.  There is no doubt that he is an excellent offensive blueliner who was 13th in the AHL in defense scoring, despite playing far fewer games than the competition.  In four games with the Rangers he showed off his offensive skill, but can he crack such a loaded defense corps?
• Matthew Robertson (LD): As one of the top defensemen in the WHL last season, Robertson is ready to play regularly as a pro.  It’s likely that he will do that in Hartford, but will get a long look in training camp.
• Braden Schneider (RD): Schneider was selected as the top blueliner in the WHL last season and with his size and snarl, he is a dark horse to make the team. He just turned 20 so he doesn’t have to return to juniors and will probably play in Hartford on the top D pairing.  Gerard Gallant knows him well from the World Championships and he will challenge Lundkvist and Jones as the top kids with a chance to make the team.
• Hunter Skinner (RD):  Skinner was on the cusp of not being signed by the Rangers, but when the OHL season was cancelled he signed to play  in the ECHL and excelled, earning a contract and 10 games with the Wolf Pack.  The odds are the 20-year-old will end up in the AHL, but he will get a chance to impress in training camp.
• Jarred Tinordi  (LD): He was the first call up last season for the Boston Bruins and is a tough customer with size (6’6″, 23 pounds).  The 29-year-old is used to being a seventh defenseman and knows his role on the team.  He will do his best to unseat Hajek in the role of seventh defenseman.

With a full time job on the third pairing up for grabs, it will be a dogfight between Lundkvist, Jones and Schneider with no way of knowing how it will work out.  This battle will be the most interesting one to watch in the preseason.  Lundkvist is the most gifted offensively with Jones close behind.  If the Rangers are looking for snarl, Schneider could sneak his way into the lineup.

GOALIES (1)

• Keith Kinkaid – Kinkaid took advantage of the tutelage of Benoit Allaire and had a bounceback season.  He’s a very capable backup goalie and while he may challenge Alexandar Georgiev for that job, he is likely going to be the top goalie in Hartford and first call up when there are injuries.  The Rangers could do much worse.

With 60 players in camp, they will reduce that number in just a few days.  There are a number of players who are in camp to sample an NHL training camp, but are destined to play in the minor leagues.