Rangers standout prospects at Rookie Series, including Dylan Roobroeck

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Rangers standout prospects at Rookie Series, including Dylan Roobroeck

Steven Voogel · Forever Blueshirts

Mon, Sep 14, 2026 ·

8 min read

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New York Rangers prospects played a pair of roookie games against their Philadelphia Flyers counterparts in a back-to-back over the weekend. Dubbed the "Rookie Series," the Rangers lost each game and scored just three goals along the way.

On Saturday, the Rangers lost 3-2 in a game that looked sloppy at even strength. It's no surprise that their two goals came on the power play.

The following night, the Rangers were able to keep it close until the final two minutes when the Flyers scored twice into an empty net to close out a 4-1 final.

The rookie games aren't a great indicator of where players stand in their overall development, but it's worth pointing out that the younger Rangers players held their own against older and more physically developed opponents.

Let's take a look at some of the Rangers standout performers.

Who stood out for Rangers in Rookie Series?

The New York Rangers prospects celebrate after a Dylan Roobreck goal against the Philadelphia Flyers in the 2026 Rookie Series. — Credit: @NYRangers X account

Dylan Roobroeck

Dylan Roobroeck had himself a good weekend in Allentown, where the Lehigh Valley Phantoms fans booed him at every turn, familiar with the 22-year-old who played the previous two seasons with the Hartford Wolf Pack. Roobroeck scored a power-play goal Saturday, played in the top-six forward group both nights, and was a physical presence all weekend. The 6-foot-7 center even took on top-line duties Sunday, when the Rangers held Cole Beaudoin out for precautionary health reasons.

Roobroeck gets the #NYR on the board, its 1-1. Full play plus replay. pic.twitter.com/E2y8OxqE5f

— David 🏒 (@DaveyUpper) September 12, 2026

It was good to see because the sixth-round pick from the 2023 NHL Draft has something to prove after an underwhelming sophomore season with Hartford in 2025-26. Roobroeck scored just 11 goals last season after potting 20 as a rookie pro in 2024-25.

Roobroeck looked the part of a mature, veteran leader among the younger prospects. He was consistently engaged in his shifts, and impressed centering the top line with Liam Greentree and Brody Lamb . He came to the aid of Greentree in the dying seconds of the opener Saturday, dropping the gloves with Flyers defenseman Ty Murchison.

With Beaudoin now in the organization and the Rangers set with four centers on the varsity, there doesn;t appear to be an immediate need for Roobroeck beyond playing in Hartford this season. But Roobroeck's size and versatility makes him an intriguing player to keep an eye on. Injuries always happen and if the Rangers need a botom-six player in the mold they seem to love — big, physical, good skater, with some offensive skill — Roobroeck could get a look, assuming his play and production rebounds in Hartford.

Liam Greentree

If we were to slap the label "as advertised" on one player after this weekend, it would be Greentree. The 2024 first-round pick who came over from the Los Angeles Kings in the Artemi Panarin trade last February had a hand in two of New York's three goals in the Rookie Series. The gifted winger earned the primary assist on Roobroeck's power-play goal Saturday, and finished an east-west feed from Adam Sykora by burying it top-shelf while on one knee Sunday.

Greentree just crushed him!!!! #NYR pic.twitter.com/10NbWJL1oJ

— David 🏒 (@DaveyUpper) September 13, 2026

On the defensive side, Greentree also looked solid, going up against Philly's best prospects, several of whom already have NHL experience. The 20- year-old also turned defense into offense with several timely hits that caused turnovers leading to scoring chances in both games. And he was trusted with penalty-killing duties.

Greentree has a lot of competition for a roster spot, but that will be his goal when training camp officially kicks off later this week. The expectation is for him to start in Hartford, with an eye on a call-up during the season.

After a very impressive training camp with the Kings a year ago, when he recorded four assists in four preseason games before returning to Windsor in the OHL, Greentree will try to be even better this month with the Rangers. Stronger and another year older, his play away from the puck could be the key to an extended stay on the roster throughout training camp. Greentree could be one of the final cuts which would show just how close he is to being NHL-ready as one of New York's top prospects .

Tomáš Chrenko

The next three players aren't fighting for a roster spot just yet, but their performances this weekend were very encouraging nonetheless. Starting off with a fan favorite from New York's 2026 Draft Class , 18-year-old center Tomáš Chrenko . On Saturday, he seemed to struggle to get going, but part of that may also have been because he was centering the fourth line with Jacob Battaglia and fellow 18-year-old Spencer Bowes on the wings.

Greentree ties the game, Chrenko and Sykora with the Assists #NYR pic.twitter.com/DPD1vZIkEg

— David 🏒 (@DaveyUpper) September 13, 2026

Chrenko turned it overover a few times Saturday, including once in his own end after being muscled off the puck, leading directly to a Flyers scoring chance. But there were glimpses of what he can do with his vasr skill set, too. Playing on the second power-play unit, Chrenko showcased his passing prowess, setting up Battaglia for a Grade-A scoring chance.

Where Chrenko really turned heads was with his performance on Sunday. With Beaudoin sidelined and Roobroeck moved up into top-line duty, Chrenko jumped into the top-six, playing on a line with Nathan Aspinall and Sykora, a fellow HK Nitra product and Slovak native. In that second game, Chrenko showed a lot more confidence and looked more like the player advertised as one of the more highly-skilled prospects in the Rangers system.

In the second period, with the Rangers down 1-0, it was Chrenko who stole the puck from 2025 first-rounder Porter Martone, and finessed it to Sýkora who set up Greentree for a highlight-reel goal. Chrenko, who displayed some swagger playing with a white stick, backed it up with that sweet play.

How long he lasts in training camp, or whether he gets into a preseason game with the big boys, remains to be seen. But either way, the Rangers must be pleased with how Chrenko bounced back with a solid performance after uneven play the night before.

Felix Färhammar

Credit; @NYRangers X account

One of the biggest surprises of the weekend was defenseman Felix Färhammar , who played both games. The 19-year-old who was drafted in the seventh round of the 2025 draft spent his D+1 season with Malmö's u20 team in SuperElit (Sweden's junior league) where he finished third among defensemen in points with 33 in 36 games. In the rookie games, Färhammar partnered with Hartford defenseman Jackson Dorrington and that pairing was a pleasant surprise.

Dorrington, 22 played, his off (right) side, with the Rangers lineup having just one right-handed defenseman, Evan Passmore . With that challenge, Färhammar did not look out of place and was very comfortable with the puck. There were a few shifts where he was out of position, but his ability to recover stood out. He moves the puck well, and is a smooth-skating defenseman, which led to sustained pressure in the offensive zone several times when he and Dorrington were on the ice.

Committed to the University of Massachusetts in 2027-28, Farhammar will play for the Muskegon Lumberjacks in the USHL this upcoming season, coming over from Europe. It is a move we saw recently with Rangers forward Jaroslav Chmelař a few years ago, when he joined Providence College. That NCAA route gives the Rangers more time to assess the player and allows them to keep a close eye on his development domestically.

Danai Shaiikov

Lastly, we focus on the goalie who guarded the crease so well on Sunday. Drafted in the third round this year out of the QMJHL, 19-year-old Danai Shaiikov tracked the puck really well, and showed his ability to move laterally and correct his positioning on the fly, when the Flyers created several big scoring chances against the Rangers. Shaiikov's glove saves stood out , including a gem on Oliver Bonk late in the third period with the Rangers then down by one goal.

What a save by Danai Shaiikov #NYR pic.twitter.com/XAFLsp1taU

— David 🏒 (@DaveyUpper) September 13, 2026

His ability to play the puck with ease is something to keep an eye on as well. Shaiikov's style is reminiscent of Igor Shesterkin ; and on the Gatineau Olympiques, a team that finished dead last in their conference (That sounds familiar…) he made the fifth most saves of any goalie in the QMJHL last season.

What's next?

The Rangers report to training camp midweek and are expected to begin on-ice sessions Thursday. They'll play four preseason games in five nights, beginning Sept. 21 against the New Jersey Devils at Prudential Center.

The Blueshirts face the Devils and Islanders twice each in the preseason. The first regular-season game is Tuesday the 29th when the Rangers skate against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden.

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