Four Takeaways From the Rangers-Flyers Rookie Series

Prospects from the New York Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers took to the ice in Allentown, Pa., over the weekend for the annual Rookie Series. The sides played a pair of contests, with the Flyers taking a 4-3 overtime win on Friday and the Rangers responding with a 5-2 win on Saturday.

Now, with full training camp set to start this week, let's discuss four takeaways from the two-game set.

1) Othmann, Morrow Prepared for Training Camp Battles

As the two oldest skaters on the Rangers' Rookie Camp roster, Brennan Othmann and Scott Morrow needed to be the team's best players.

Both men lived up to the challenge.

Morrow lead the Rangers with five points, recording two assists in Friday's contest while adding a goal and two assists on Saturday. Morrow skated on the top defensive pairing for the Blueshirts and quarterbacked the top power play unit. He looked strong with the puck, commanding the offensive zone, setting up premium chances for his forwards, and running a strong top power play unit.

The Rangers' defensive corps, outside of the top pair of Vladislav Gavrikov and Adam Fox, is a massive question mark. Morrow has put himself in great position to earn one of the other four spots, as well as the quarterback role on the second power play unit.

Othmann, meanwhile, recorded a goal on Friday plus two assists on Saturday (he actually had three assists, but was not credited with one on Morrow's goal). Skating on the top line, Othmann showcased his natural offensive ability that we've seen at the AHL level over the past two seasons.

Othmann also showed some physicality on the weekend, highlighted by a hard hit on Philly defenseman Ethan Samson on Friday.

The combination of offensive ability and physicality is promising to see from Othmann. He played with tenacity in his rookie AHL season, but his upper-body injury last year caused him to play a bit of a softer game. After a full offseason to heal, he looks to be getting back to a physical, take-no-nonsense game.

Othmann's path to a regular NHL role is a bit less clear than Morrow's. Brett Berard certainly won't make it an easy battle, and Conor Sheary is in camp on a professional tryout contract for added competition. If Othmann can carry this strong performance into full camp, however, he'll have a great chance to earn a spot in the NHL this season.

2) Perreault Needs AHL Time, and That's Okay

Skating on the opposite wing from Othmann in the Rookie Series was Gabe Perreault. The 23rd overall pick from 2023 participated in his first Rookie Camp after turning pro this spring.

Unlike Othmann and Morrow, however, Perrault was a bit quieter in the two-game set. He recorded an assist on Saturday and added an empty-net goal in the final minutes of the game. Perreault didn't play bad by any means, but this performance likely sets him behind Othmann and Berard for an NHL spot heading into training camp.

That's perfectly okay.

When Joe and Eric had me on Blueshirt Bandwidth to talk Wolf Pack last month, we all agreed that a year-long AHL stint would be beneficial for Perreault. By sending Perreault to Hartford this year, the Rangers could guarantee him top-line minutes and top power play unit time for the whole season. If Perreault were to crack the NHL roster, he'd be skating third-line minutes and playing on the second power play unit at best.

Perreault will still get a long look at training camp. However, playing the year with the Wolf Pack will be beneficial for both Perreault and the Rangers long-term.

3) Laba, Roobroeck Could Challenge for NHL Spots

It's no secret that the Rangers' center depth is shaky heading into the 2025-26 season. J.T. Miller is the clear-cut number one center. Mika Zibanejad will presumably play on Miller's wing, pushing Vincent Trocheck up to the number two spot. Bottom-six center options include Juuso Parssinen, Sam Carrick, and Jonny Brodzinski.

That's why it was so exciting to see strong performances out of centers Noah Laba and Dylan Roobroeck over the weekend.

Both men recorded a goal and an assist over the series. Laba skated between Perreault and Othmann on the top line, while Roobroeck anchored the second line. The two were also featured alongside Perreault, Othmann, and Morrow on the top power play unit.

Whenever he was on the ice, Laba was everywhere. He played a strong 200-foot game and looked great on both special teams units. One of Laba's highlights was a strong play along the wall to set up Othmann's goal on Friday night.

Roobroeck, meanwhile, played the same responsible game he played in Hartford last season. He showed strong play in all ends of the ice and excelled at the faceoff circle. His goal was a well-placed shot that snuck through the five-hole of the Flyers' goaltender, picking up right where he left off in the Connecticut capital last season.

In all likelihood, Laba and Roobroeck will be the top two centers for the Wolf Pack this season. But if anyone were to have a Victor Mancini-like performance at training camp and force their way onto the roster, it would be one of these two.

Even if both men start in Hartford, it's clear the Rangers have two quality centers in the pipeline that could make their mark on the team sooner rather than later.

4) The Goaltending Pipeline Remains Strong

The Rangers sent two goaltenders to the Rookie Series: 2020 seventh rounder (#197) Hugo Ollas and undrafted free agent signing Callum Tung. Ollas took Friday's game, while Tung backstopped Saturday's contest.

Both goaltenders performed well in the games they played. Ollas stopped 31 of 35 shots against in the overtime loss, while Tung denied 21 of 23 shots in a regulation victory.

The Rangers' goaltending pipeline has been a strength for a long time, from superstars like Henrik Lundqvist and Igor Shesterkin to quality pieces like Alexandar Georgiev and Cam Talbot. However, this might be the strongest we've seen the pipeline in a while.

Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick will once again form a phenomenal duo at the NHL level. Dylan Garand will serve as the starter in Hartford and the top option if either Shesterkin or Quick are unavailable. Ollas, Tung, and Talyn Boyko will battle for the spot behind Garand, with the other two likely heading to the ECHL for the season. That's some great depth to have behind the best goaltender in the world.

Final Thoughts

There was a lot to like about the Rangers' prospects in the Rookie Series. I thought they played well as a unit, looking much more like a team than the Flyers' prospects. It was also a lot of fun to see the rivalry between the teams reach the young guys, with four total fights across the two-game set and plenty of other chippy moments. Most of all, though, it was great to finally have hockey back.

Training camp will start soon, and before you know it, we'll be into the season. If you're interested in keeping up with the Wolf Pack this season, you can watch along on AHLTV on FloHockey or listen on Mixlr.