Here are today’s news and links:

Rangers News:

• Highlights: NJD 4, NYR 3 (5:05 video via NHL.com)
• Game Recap In Pictures: Goals from two of the Rangers offseason additions weren’t enough to defend home ice against the Devils (Newsday)
• Colin Stephenson suggests sending Brendan Smith to AHL Hartford in order to clear enough cap space to bring Tony DeAngelo back into the fold (Newsday)
• Brett Cyrgalis thinks that the Blueshirts’ offseason additions have made their power play look much different than before (NY Post)
• Vincent Mercogliano examines the battle to fill out the bottom of New York’s forward group (LoHud)
• Mercogliano also relays word that Artemi Panarin was held out of the ending of last night’s game due to a mild groin strain (LoHud)
• Dave Shapiro ponders if Chris Kreider or Mika Zibanejad should be named the 28th captain in franchise history (Blue Seat Blogs)
• Frank Curto attempts to draw parallels between how the Rangers will handle Henrik Lundqvist’s succession plan and watching career .500 quarterback Eli Manning get sent to the bench again (Elite Sports NY)
• Rick Carpiniello di$cu$$e$ why the 1$t defen$ive pairing could be the mo$t comfortable $pot for Brady $kjei (The Athletic)/

Around the NHL:

• Emily Sadler reports that restricted free agent forwards Mikko Rantanen and Patrik Laine aren’t close on agreeing to contract with the Colorado Avalanche and Winnipeg Jets, respectively (Sportsnet)
• Adam Gretz hears that Winnipeg Jets’ defenseman Dustin Byfuglien has taken a leave of absence from the team as he ponders his future in the NHL (NBC Sports)
• The Edmonton Oilers have agreed to a professional try out with former KHL forward Anton Burdasov (TSN)
• Ken Campbell believes that in spite of a deal not being imminent, the Tampa Bay Lightning and forward Brayden Point are on a crash course to sign a bridge deal (The Hockey News)/