Happy Sunday, and hopefully you are enjoying the long weekend for Labor Day. Today is August 31, and not only does it mark the final day of August, but three weeks from today the New York Rangers will be back in action for their first preseason game against the New Jersey Devils. The offseason, one that started much earlier than usual due to the Blueshirts missing the playoffs a year after winning the Presidents' Trophy, is almost over!
New York will hit the ice on September 21 at 1:00 pm to take on the New Jersey Devils at the Prudential Center, and it will be the first of six games played between then and October 4 to get the squad ready for their season opener at Madison Square Garden vs. the Pittsburgh Penguins on October 7.
We should soon learn about the official start of training camp for the Blueshirts, the roster of players competing for a spot in the lineup, and we could learn about some potential players who join the group on a tryout. The roster is already pretty overcrowded as it is, but you can't rule anything out.
Over the next few weeks the Rangers will need to find the answers to a few questions, and here are just a couple that are top of mind.
Where will Gabe Perreault start the season?
The Rangers' top prospect had a cup of coffee with the Blueshirts after making the jump to the NHL after Boston College was eliminated. He showed flashes of brilliance in the five games, but it is no guarantee that he will start with the varsity squad. Perreault needs to log as many minutes as possible, and the roster as constructed would suggest he's looking at a potential spot on the third line. While easing him into NHL action on the third line isn't the worst idea in the world, the team could opt to have him log top-line minutes in Hartford for a few weeks to see how he responds.
Who is going to play center on the third line?
Mika Zibanejad is slated to start the season on the right wing and play on the top line with J.T. Miller. That means Vincent Trocheck will be the second-line center, and it opens up a competition for the third line. Options to be considered include Juuso Parssinen, Sam Carrick, Jonny Brodzinski, and Adam Edstrom among others. Carrick seems likely to claim a spot in the bottom six, and if he doesn't win the 3C job he can occupy a spot on the fourth line same as he did last season. Brodzinski is someone the Rangers may not want to risk losing to waivers because of his versatility, and if he's not good enough for a starting job he could be a solid 13th forward. Edstrom could end up playing on the wing, and that leaves Parssinen who is someone the Rangers have faith in. This training camp battle is going to be fascinating, and having so many skaters for just one spot will hopefully ensure that the best fit wins out.
Where will Scott Morrow play?
Morrow was acquired in the K'Andre Miller trade from Carolina, and turns 23 this November. He has 16 games of NHL experience to his name, and spent 52 games in the AHL last season in which he scored 13 goals and tallied 26 assists for 39 points. Offense is a strong part of his game, he tallied 94 points in 109 NCAA games (0.86 points per game) but defensively he has areas where he can improve. There isn't any other defenseman on the Blueshirts roster that is a great fit to be the quarterback of the second power play unit, and for that reason it's possible Morrow makes the team for that reason alone.