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3 forwards you must keep an eye on at NY Rangers rookie camp

NY Rangers rookie camp is finally upon us, so let’s check out the forwards to keep an eye on as it transforms into full force this week.

By Todd Matthews

Flint Firebirds v Windsor Spitfires
Flint Firebirds v Windsor Spitfires / Dennis Pajot/GettyImages
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A week ago, I listed three prospects to keep an eye on in training camp this year. But as we’re now entrenched in rookie camp, there are three more players, forwards, to be exact, who fans must get to know. 

This isn’t to say that they’re the only players to watch, as the list of forwards in camp this season is more than compelling. 

  • Maxim Barbashev
  • Raoul Boilard
  • Jaroslav Chmelar
  • Isaac Dufort
  • Adam Edstrom
  • Rico Gredig
  • Ryder Korczak
  • Bryce McConnell-Barker
  • Brennan Othmann
  • Adam Sykora
  • Kalle Vaisanen

You may already know a few names on this list, such as Adam Edstrom and Brennan Othmann. Edstrom scored two goals in 11 NHL games last year, and his physical play should warrant him even more time with the Blueshirts. Othmann has a lot to prove in camp this season, especially if he plans on sticking around long-term.

Others, however, have a long, long way to go, like Maxim Barbashev, whose productivity dropped in the QMJHL last season. Others, like Kalle Vaisanen, won’t be spending much time in North America, but will instead look to break out for their respective pro teams overseas. 

But none of those mentioned above have as much of an interesting take next to a passing glance - other than Edstrom and Othmann, but I’ve talked about them in the past - than the three I have listed below. Let’s break them down and explore what makes these three players so captivating this season. 

Nathan Aspinall

Like a couple of players on this list, Nathan Aspinall’s towering size will jump out at you, and also like others listed below, he was a late-round pick, but one of the Rangers most recent selections. His overall potential to create room for himself in front of the net is something you’ll see at rookie camp, but that’s not all Aspinall can do. 

His production with the OHL’s Flint Firebirds indicates that he’s a player who will slowly improve his numbers as his game develops. We saw this from what he finished with in 2022-23 compared to last season - with just four points in 29 games in 2022-23 and a respectable 34 points and 18 goals last year. 

This could be a breakout season for Aspinall, and if he enjoys an awesome camp, he’s setting the stage. 

Brett Berard

At 5’9, 174 lbs, size will be a factor with Brett Berard this season, but the 2020 fifth-round pick has made a living defying the odds. First, he was a productive player at Providence College, where he enjoyed an outstanding 2021-22 season, putting up 18 goals and 38 points in 36 contests. 

But he continued defying those odds last season with a promising rookie year for the Hartford Wolf Pack. Berard finished the year with 25 goals and 48 points in 71 regular season games, and he tacked on another six in 10 playoff outings. 

Dylan Roobroeck

Dylan Roobroeck should have quite a few eyes on him in the AHL this season, and it will be his first with the Hartford Wolf Pack. Roobroeck may have been a sixth-round pick in 2023, and that indicates he’s a long way off from seeing ice time with the Blueshirts, yet you can’t help but admire the 6’7, 205 lb forward’s production in the OHL last season. 

He was nowhere near a point per game in past campaigns, but his 2023-24 outing saw him score 26 times in 68 games, plus 72 points. And his momentum carried him into the playoffs, with 11 goals in 21 postseason appearances and 26 points with the Oshawa Generals. 

This isn’t to say there won’t be a learning curve, but Roobroeck could be one of the more impressive forwards at rookie camp. 

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