The New York Rangers have gotten off to an amazing start so far this preseason going 3-0. They started by beating the Boston Bruins in Boston and in the next game, they scored six goals in the third period to come back against the New York Islanders. Then, they beat the Bruins once again, but this time it was at Madison Square Garden. Everything has been looking pretty good so far and this is the start you want to a season in which the team is looking to win a Stanley Cup.
Zac Jones, New York Rangers (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)
While it is just preseason, there are still some battles going on for roster positions and other players are looking to stand out and show that they deserve a shot to start the season with the Rangers. While some players have stood out more than others so far, here are four takeaways from the first three games of this preseason for the Rangers.
Zac Jones Proving Why He Has Earned a Roster Spot
Zac Jones has been in the Rangers’ organization since he was drafted in 2019. He made his NHL debut in the 2021 COVID-shortened season and since then, he has been up and down from the American Hockey League (AHL). Last season, he was the seventh defenseman on the team and only got to play when other players went down with injuries. Now, after letting Erik Gustafsson go in free agency and not signing an immediate replacement, it showed that the Rangers had full faith in Jones to take that spot and become the third-pairing defenseman this season.
His first preseason game was very exciting. The Rangers were down 3-0 in the third period against the Islanders and he scored the first goal of the game on a breakaway. Then, when the goalie was pulled late in the game, he scored another goal to cut the deficit to one goal. The Rangers went on to win the game and he played a massive role in that comeback. While he can provide offense, he also has looked very solid defensively, which hasn’t been the strongest part of his game in the past. If he can keep up his good defensive play while also chipping in offensively, Jones will have truly earned himself a permanent spot on the Rangers this season.
Victor Mancini Is Opening Eyes This Preseason
After these first three preseason games, one of the most talked about players for the Rangers is Victor Mancini. He was drafted in the fifth round of the 2022 NHL Draft and he spent three seasons at the University of Nebraska-Omaha before joining the Hartford Wolf Pack in the AHL late last season. He has come into training camp and has really impressed in the two games he has played so far. He has proven that he can be relied on defensively and he can use his size and speed to help him in that regard. He has also shown a little offensive upside, scoring the first goal for the Rangers this preseason.
With Ryan Lindgren already getting injured and likely being out for a few weeks, this gives Mancini a chance to maybe make the Rangers’ roster to start the season. Out of all the defensemen that are looking for a roster spot, he has played the best and he looks like he has all the tools to make it in the NHL. Will he be a consistent NHL player this season? Probably not, but he has shown that if they need a player to come up and play in a few games, he is capable enough to play that role.
Filip Chytil Looking Better Than Ever
After missing most of last season due to injury, Filip Chytil has come back this season with something to prove. He wants to show that he isn’t scared and fragile and that he is ready to get back to playing at the highest level. He has played in all three games and has scored in two of those games. He has also taken a few big hits and it has not impacted him. He did have to leave the Islanders game for a few minutes after a knee-on-knee hit from Scott Mayfield, but other than that, he has looked fantastic.
Chytil is looking faster and stronger than ever before. He is handling the puck extremely well and even has gone coast to coast a few times, carrying it up the ice all by himself. The Rangers are going to need this kind of play from Chytil this season as his absence from the lineup was a huge hole they had to fill and they couldn’t quite do it. Now, he can hopefully stay healthy and provide some good offense in a third-line role and maybe if he’s playing extremely well, he can earn a shot as the second-line center like he was supposed to be last season before his injury.
Brennan Othmann’s Up and Down Play
One of the players fighting for a roster spot is 2021 first-round pick, Brennan Othmann. He played three games for the Rangers last season, but never truly got the chance or the ice time to show what he can do. He scored 21 goals and 49 points in 67 games with the Wolf Pack last season and now, he is trying to show that he deserves a shot in the NHL to start the season. He has played in all three preseason games and he has had a few good moments, but also a few bad moments.
He scored his first goal of the preseason against the Bruins at MSG and throughout the game, he was all over the ice. He even had an assist and was throwing his body around. However, his other two games were not good. He was physical in the first game against the Bruins, but other than that, he wasn’t noticeable. He was even worse against the Islanders where he was invisible on the ice and took a dumb slashing penalty when he knocked the stick out of the goalie’s hand. He has had an up-and-down preseason so far and if he wants to show that he deserves a roster spot, he needs to step up his game the rest of the way.
The Rangers have three more preseason games left and these four players will be ones to watch if they play in those games. While there will be other players and storylines to follow, these four have something to prove going into the season and it will be interesting to see how they play as the preseason begins to wind down.
