The New York Rangers have been eliminated from playoff contention following an embarrassing 7-3 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. With eyes set to the offseason and next season, the Rangers still have two final games left to play.
Head Coach Peter Laviolette has announced that defenseman Matthew Robertson will make his NHL debut, and both Brennan Othmann and Gabe Perreault will be slotted in for Monday’s contest against the Florida Panthers.
Matthew Robertson will make his NHL debut tomorrow for #NYR vs. Panthers, per head coach Peter Laviolette.
— Mollie Walker (@MollieeWalkerr) April 13, 2025
Expect Gabe Perreault and Brennan Othmann to play, too.
This is a very important time of the year, even though there is no meaning to it. With nothing left to fight for, these younger guys are going to get some reps in against NHL talent.
Let them shine, let them shine
Robertson’s debut comes after the news of Braden Schneider going down for the remaining two games with an upper-body injury. Over the upcoming days, we will start to see how each player handled injury throughout this season and how severe it was.
Braden Schneider will be out these next two games with an upper-body injury, which is apparently something he has been dealing with this season.
— Mollie Walker (@MollieeWalkerr) April 13, 2025
Now that #NYR are officially eliminated, they want him to start the recovery process.
He is expected to be ready by the start of… https://t.co/VqaDHuhCSV
In 60 games with the Rangers AHL affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack, he had a goal and 24 assists for 25 points. The former second-round selection in 2019 has been waiting for this oppurtunity for a long time, and six years later, it comes true. It might not matter to the Rangers, but it means a lot to him.
It will also be time for both Perreault and Othmann to continue their rookie campaigns. They both seem to be in action already, and it should be fully expected that the Rangers play them both to finish out what was a very disappointing season. Othmann has appeared in 20 games this season, and has tallied two assists while averaging 9:46 per game. Perreault has appeared in just three games, and he's still looking for his first NHL point.