Joe's Reaction of the Week (Chris's Version): Five New York Rangers Preseason Considerations

Joe is on sabbatical from Joe's Reaction of the Week until November. Until then, other Blueshirt Banter's writers will be filling in for him. Today, it's Chris Feldman.

When the New York Rangers announced their training camp roster, JayD the GM posed a handful of questions in the comment section of our news piece.

He’s certainly not alone in pondering the answers to his list of questions about how preseason will play out and what this opening night roster could look like. That said, I’ve condensed his list to five pressing matters the Rangers coaching staff will have to have sorted out by the end of next week.

Will the 23rd Roster Spot Go to a Forward, Defenseman, or Goaltender?

Traditionally, the Rangers opt not to carry a full 23-man roster unless they absolutely need to. Whether it be for salary cap implications or for ensuring that as many players under contract are getting the ice time they need, it doesn’t always make sense for the team to carry a full roster when three of them are going to spend most nights in the press box. That said, this season could be an exception to that general rule, as the Rangers have to be mindful of some roster management considerations.

In terms of which position that 23rd roster spot could go to, I felt as though goaltending seemed to be the least likely. But Mike Sullivan was asked about it today and did not rule it out. Both Joonas Korpisalo and Dylan Garand would require waivers to be assigned to Hartford. Despite the fact that they just acquired him, I can't see the Rangers being too worried about the risk of losing a 32-year-old with a $4 million cap hit coming off three seasons with a save percentage under .900.

As for Garand, the Rangers should certainly worry about losing him to waivers. Therefore, I don't see a scenario in which he is cut from the team. In my opinion, he has earned the role of being Igor Shesterkin's understudy and the need to entertain a competition between him and Korpisalo is unnecessary and expensive. Let's not forget, the Rangers still have a veteran presence hanging around in Spencer Martin. But, given what Sullivan had to say, the Rangers very well could start the season with three goaltenders.

If it doesn't go to a goalie, I’d say the decision really comes down to who the Rangers don’t want to risk losing to waivers. Let’s say all the NHL “regulars” make the team out of camp. The fourth line becomes Tye Kartye, Joe Veleno, and Taylor Raddysh, and the third defensive pair is Matthew Robertson and Braden Schneider. That leaves a total of three roster spots up for grabs.

The Rangers need at least seven defenseman, and up until the start of camp it did feel like Urho Vaakanainen was all but guaranteed a roster spot, considering he's a textbook seventh defenseman. However, what we saw from day one of camp could indicate the Rangers aren't committed to him in that role.

The Rangers would also need at least one extra forward, and for as much as a portion of the fan base is over the Matt Rempe experiment, I just don't see the Rangers waiving him, as he would almost certainly get claimed by another team. The fans might be OK with that scenario, but I don't believe the Rangers would be.

So, who gets that third and final roster spot?

If the Rangers truly don’t want to risk losing Scott Morrow or Vincent Iorio to waivers, it would likely belong to whoever of the two they don’t want to lose more. As of the day one groupings, that feels like Morrow. At first I was pretty bullish on this concept until I remembered Anaheim lost the entirety of the right side of their blueline this summer. Either one of Morrow or Iorio would surely be a Duck in a heartbeat if they hit the waiver wire. After all, right-handed defensemen are always a hot commodity, so I could see just about any team claiming them.

In order for that 23rd spot to go to a forward, one or more of Jaroslav Chmelar, Adam Sykora, Liam Greentree, Dylan Roobroeck, Brody Lamb, Cole Beaudoin, or Jusso Parssinen would really have to have an impressive preseason. Beaudoin is currently day-to-day with an injury and would benefit from top six minutes in Hartford, so I’d rule him out immediately. As much as I like Lamb and Greentree, I’d agree that development time in Hartford is for the best.

I kind of feel like the Rangers are over the Parssinen experiment. He’s certainly a useful extra forward, as he can play any position, but I just don’t see them prioritizing him over any of the other aforementioned names. Roobroeck could be a dark horse but, again, top AHL minutes over a fourth line role makes more sense for him. 

It really comes down to Sykora and Chmelar. Again, judging from the day one groups, it looks like Chmelar has the edge there. It’s going to be tough for both of them to make the team now that Eeli Tolvanen is a factor, but I can totally see one of them beating Taylor Raddysh out for a fourth line gig. The Rangers would be OK with Raddysh and Rempe sitting games out as the extra forward, but I don’t see them carrying Chmelar (or Sykora) unless it results in actual playing time. Between the two, I think it’s more likely Chmelar makes it over Sykora, pushing Raddysh and Rempe to the extra forward slots. 

Final Answer: I’d say it’s pretty close to 50/50 between it being a defenseman (Morrow or Iorio) or a forward (Raddysh and Rempe as the extras with Chmelar making the team).