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Rangers preseason: The winners, losers, and everything in between
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- Rangers preseason: The winners, losers, and everything in between
Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
The New York Rangers concluded a six-game preseason on Saturday afternoon in somewhat underwhelming fashion, falling 4-1 to the Boston Bruins . New York finished sixth in the Metropolitan Division with five points and a 2-3-1 record, dropping four of their last five contests.
But in the preseason, wins and losses often take a back seat to the eye test, with line chemistry, key positional races, and rookies trying to make the varsity taking on greater importance.
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The Rangers find themselves at a pivotal crossroads entering the 2025-26 season. With the hiring of two-time Stanley Cup champion head coach Mike Sullivan, New York seeks redemption after they failed to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the first time in four years. At the same time, there's pressure to develop a promising young core — headlined by 2023 first-round pick Gabe Perreault — and usher in a new era of Rangers hockey.
Accomplishing both will be a tricky tight-rope to navigate for the Rangers, putting the preseason battle between the exciting yet inexperienced youngsters and seasoned, less flashy veterans under a microscope.
Of course, the preseason isn't always an accurate indicator of regular-season success. It was but two years ago that Alexis Lafreniere and Jonathan Quick floundered in camp, only for the former to post career highs in goals and points, and the latter enjoyed a resurgent season as New York's backup goalie.
With that in mind, here are the winners and losers from the Rangers exhibition slate.
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Winner — Noah Laba
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The 22-year-old center is the talk of the town — and for good reason. The fourth-round pick from 2022 burst onto the scene in his first NHL training camp, leading the Rangers with six points in six games and tying Perreault for the team lead with two goals.
Beyond his point-per-game pace, Laba played a complete 200-foot game and appeared to be a capable penalty killer as well. Though their profiles don't perfectly align, it's reminiscent of Will Cuylle 's 2023-24 preseason, when the then-20-year-old forward led the Blueshirts in points and earned a top-nine role to begin the regular season.
Laba's path to starting on opening day is clouded by a handful of veterans, one of whom would need to pass through waivers to create space on the roster for the exciting youngster. While it would be exciting to see him get run from the jump, the alternative — first line reps alongside Perrault in the AHL — isn't too bad either. Regardless, Laba left a lasting impression this preseason and has all but cemented an NHL call-up this season, whether it be right now or somewhere down the road.
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Winner — Gabe Perreault
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Sure, Perreault starts his first pro season in the minors, but the 20-year-old made a solid first impression on Sullivan and the Rangers coaching staff. The 2023 first-rounder didn't shy away from the dirty areas of the ice, won puck battles along the boards and in the corners, displayed high-end skill and hockey IQ, and had four points (two goals, two assists) in five games.
Perreault will only benefit from playing major minutes in Hartford. And he'll be back to help the Rangers at some point this season. Count on it.
Winners — Adam Fox and Vladislav Gavrikov
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Fox and Gavrikov were tethered at the hip during training camp, working as New York's top defense pair. Each was productive in the preseason — Fox tallied a pair of assists, while Gavrikov netted a goal and led the Rangers with a plus-3 rating. Stats aside, this preseason confirmed the enticing prospect of pairing New York's best playmaker on the blue line with an elite shutdown defenseman.
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It's easy to see why the Rangers signed Gavrikov to a seven-year, $49 million free-agent deal in the offseason. The 29-year-old seems the perfect fit to bring out the best in Fox, the 2020-21 Norris Trophy winner who's looking to bounce back from somewhat of a down season in 2024-25 — at least by his elite standards.
The two looked compatible in preseason action, and if Gavrikov doesn't lose a step from his days with the Los Angeles Kings , he'll be far and away the best partner Fox has played with in the NHL. No offense to Ryan Lindgren but Gavrikov has a higher offensive ceiling and graded out as one of the top defensive defensemen last season. There are plenty of questions surrounding New York's blue line, but the No. 1 pair shouldn't be one of them.
Winner — Conor Sheary
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After failing to lock down a consistent NHL role with the Tampa Bay Lightning the past two seasons, Conor Sheary joined the Rangers for training camp on a professional tryout (PTO). The undersized (5-foot-8) forward was a pleasant surprise this preseason, notching a goal and two assists in four games.
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Moreover, the 33-year-old displayed a non-stop motor and ability to play both sides of the uck effectively. That could make him a solid third-line addition. But Sheary's not a lock to make the NHL roster, and has considerably less upside than some of New York's prospects. He is an intriguing option nonetheless. Sheary spent the better part of three seasons playing for the Pittsburgh Penguins under Sullivan, helping them win consecutive Stanley Cup championships in 2016 and 2017. That familiarity could make the difference as to whether Sheary lands a standard NHL contract or not.
Loser — Brennan Othmann
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Brennan Othmann showed improvement after a rough preseason debut, but it wasn't enough to land a spot on the opening-night roster. The 2021 first-round pick appeared in 22 games across the final three months of the 2024-25 season, and while his stats (two assists) left plenty to be desired, the hope was that Othmann would earn a spot in the top nine this season, particularly after the offseason trade of Chris Kreider .
Instead, Othmann starts the 2025-26 season with the Hartford Wolf Pack in the AHL, just as he did the prior two campaigns. It's not the end of the world for a once-lauded prospect who's still only 22 years old, but it certainly feels like a letdown. Othmann was sent down before Perreault, Laba, and Brett Berard , indicating he might not be one of the first call-ups either.
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Loser — Matt Rempe
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For all his warts, Matt Rempe proved himself an effective and valuable fourth-liner for the Rangers in the second half of last season. Unfortunately, some of his inconvenient flaws persist as he enters his third NHL season.
Rempe appeared in five of six games, recording a team-worst rating of minus-five this preseason. New York was out-chanced 16-to-28 with Rempe on the ice, the fourth-worst percentage of any Rangers skater. Issues with puck control and stringing together passes linger as well.
Rempe's best assets remain his size (6-foot-9), physicality, work ethic, eagerness, and surprisingly good skating ability. But his role in the fourth line may remain inconsistent until he tightens up the other areas of his game.
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Loser — The defense corps
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The loss Saturday in Boston was a less-than-ideal showing, especially with the entirety of New York's projected blue line in action. The Rangers overcommitted on multiple plays, leaving the net-front open for the Bruins to capitalize.
Braden Schneider , returning from labrum surgery, posted the fourth-worst xGF percentage on the team. Urho Vaakanainen and Will Borgen both sat under 50 percent in the same metric. Outside of Fox and Gavrikov, the Rangers defense corps could be a significant problem, and this preseason did little to alleviate any concerns.
In between — Juuso Parssinen
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When the Rangers shipped Lindgren and Jimmy Vesey to the Colorado Avalanche before the 2025 NHL trade deadline, Juuso Parssinen was part of the return package. While many fans clamor for Laba to land the third-line center role, it feels like it's always been Parssinen's job to lose.
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Parssinen didn't dazzle in preseason like Laba, but he's put together a solid enough stretch nonetheless, tallying a goal and an assist — and playing decent defensively — in five games. He's got good size at 6-foot-3 and, despite being drafted back in 2017, is just 24 years old. Parssinen wasn't particularly memorable in 11 games with the Blueshirts last season so the leash could be short, especially after Laba's emergence, but he's probably worth another look in the NHL to see if he can put his tools to use. It doesn't hurt that he's versatile and can also play on the wing.
In between — Scott Morrow
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Scott Morrow was an exciting return piece from the Carolina Hurricanes in the K'Andre Miller trade this summer, just 23 years old and fresh off an All-Star campaign in the AHL. The No. 40 overall pick from the 2021 draft has good puck skills and profiles as a quarterback for the second power-play unit.
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Despite some valid excitement surrounding his arrival and potential role in the NHL, Morrow was assigned to Hartford along with Perreault on Friday. Morrow had a decent preseason, notching two points (one goal, one assist) and was minus-two in five games.
Though disappointing that a talented puck mover couldn't earn a spot out of a camp, he'll log valuable minutes with the Wolf Pack and likely run the top power-play unit. It's also worth noting that, barring an injury to one of New York's right-shot defensemen, Morrow's promotion would likely force Schneider to his off (left) side. While Sullivan doesn't seem to be against that, he's opting to start the year with Schneider on his dominant side and Vaakanainen to his left.
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