The New York Rangers will be starting off the 2026-27 season soon, and the hope will be that this is an improved team.
Following a year to forget for the franchise, the Rangers are hoping to turn the page this year. After a busy summer, there is reason to believe that this group is going to be much better. However, just how good they can be after a last-place finish in the Eastern Conference is yet to be determined.
Over the next couple of weeks, it is going to be important for all of the new faces to come together and gel. Furthermore, head coach Mike Sullivan is going to have some important decisions to make regarding both the roster and lineups.
While one of the biggest things that people will be curious to see is regarding their top six with the addition of Pavel Dorofeyev , the Rangers also have a clear spot that they need to figure out on the third pair of the blueline.
Apr 5, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers defenseman Matthew Robertson (29) skates against the Washington Capitals during the first period at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
With training camp set to start and the regular season just a couple of weeks away, one of the top training camp battles will be who is starting on the left side of the third pair.
During the 2026 NHL Draft, the Rangers selected Alberts Smits with the fifth overall pick, and he was seen as one of the most NHL-ready players of the class. However, New York doesn't need to rush him into the league, and the case can be made that starting in the AHL makes a lot of sense.
Smits would be able to be one of the featured defensemen there and build his confidence. Unless he really knocks it out of the park in camp and the preseason, starting in the AHL makes sense.
Assuming Smits doesn't force his way onto the team in the next couple of weeks, it should be Robertson starting on the left side. The former second-round pick of New York got a chance to showcase what he could do in the NHL last season, and the results were pretty solid.
In 72 games, he totaled 18 points with six goals and 12 assists. With a rating of -1, New York was a solid team when he was on the ice. Overall, while Robertson might not be a star, he is capable of playing well on the third pair alongside Braden Schneider , and this duo should be pretty good.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/nhl/rangers/onsi as Why Matthew Robertson Should Be Third-Pair Defenseman for NY Rangers .
