The Rangers will open the 2023-24 season in Pittsburgh with three rookies on their roster.
Matt Rempe, Adam Edstrom and Victor Mancini formally made the Blueshirts out of coaching camp for the primary time in all three of their respective careers.
The three children had been formally recalled from the Wolf Pack on Tuesday.
The Rangers subsequently despatched Anton Blidh, Ben Harpur, Jake Leschyshyn, Matthew Robertson and Adam Sykora — 5 gamers who had been recalled strictly as a paper transaction — again to Hartford.
Will Cuylle was additionally assigned to Hartford as a paper transfer, however the second-year Ranger was additionally recalled with the aforementioned rookies.
Rempe and Edstrom had been front-runners to say ultimate lineup spots, however Mancini was a nice shock this coaching camp.
Not solely did Mancini rating two targets this preseason, however the 6-foot-3 defenseman impressed head coach Peter Laviolette in practices with the varsity group.
Mancini earned a couple of reps alongside No. 1 defenseman Adam Fox in Ryan Lindgren’s damage absence, as effectively.
Lindgren happening injured reserve and Jimmy Vesey happening long-term injured reserve opened the door for Edstrom and Mancini to make the roster.
The rookies will now be charged with serving to open a now-or-never season for this Rangers core.
“I feel there’s an expectation,” Laviolette mentioned of the Rangers season on Monday. “There was final yr, and doubtless earlier than I bought right here, for this workforce to achieve success. After which, finally, you need to go and construct that by way of the common season. It’s important to do the work. You’ve bought to place your self ready to have an excellent common season. To hold that into the playoffs. I don’t assume any of that modifications. I don’t know if it’s essentially stress. I feel that’s what we count on.
“That’s what we need to obtain right here in New York. However that hasn’t modified, I don’t assume. And so it’s nonetheless, bought to maintain transferring ahead, we’ve bought to take extra steps. There’s some good issues that we did, however we bought to take extra steps. I feel that’s the place everyone’s heads at.”
Brett Berard was assigned to Hartford on Monday, however the 22-year-old will definitely stay in Rangers administration’s minds this season.
“He made an impression on everyone,” Laviolette mentioned of Berard. “It’s the best way he works and the best way he competes. You see him out right here combined in with a full NHL workforce, and he seems actually good. It’s his pace, it’s his tenacity. His capacity to make performs. A primary-year participant to go down there and lead the workforce in targets, I feel he had 25 — that’s not a simple factor to do in your first yr.
“He had an excellent yr after which he adopted it by way of with an excellent summer season, got here to camp in form. He’s made a very good impression. I feel any time you’re up right here, you’re benefiting from practices the place you’re taking part in in opposition to greater competitors at a unique tempo and a unique pace.
“He was good, Mancini the identical factor. I feel he’s simply appeared good when all the blokes are out on the ice. They nonetheless seem like they belong.”