Rangers' Preseason Underway, Can Smits Make The Roster?

The Rangers lost star netminder Igor Shesterkin for the season during Friday's game in Washington to a knee injury. Rookie Dylan Garand, who was waived to start the season, is the new number one, and he just keeps on winning. Alexis Lafreniere is becoming the first overall pick the Blueshirts were promised, and the team defense has been superb. Jonny Lazarus of Daily Faceoff joins the show to talk about the surprising start to the season for the Rangers and whether the good vibes can continue. 

After the New York Rangers were shut out on opening night, bringing feelings of last season into the new campaign, they have rattled off four straight wins, matching their season high from 2025-26. In those four victories are three at home, a feat which they failed to accomplish until December 2nd last season.

On the heels of a season in which the New York Rangers were shut out 10 times, the most in the NHL, they kicked off their new campaign with a performance eerily similar to a season ago.

The New York Rangers have dropped their first two preseason games to the New Jersey Devils and New York Islanders. 5th overall pick Alberts Smits has gotten consistent reps next to Braden Schneider as the third pairing and may be playing his way onto the opening night roster.

The New York Rangers have overhauled their blue line and made some splashes this offseason, while some familiar faces have moved on.

The New York Rangers will select 5th overall in the 2026 NHL Draft after falling two spots at the NHL Draft Lottery.

Alexis Lafreniere, Gabe Perreault, and Mika Zibanejad have been on fire since the Olympic Break. Waiver Wire pick-up Tye Katye has been terrific since joining the Blueshirts, who are 6-1-2 since they returned to action and have won 4 in a row.

Despite buzz circulating the New York Rangers and center Vincent Trocheck, General Manager Chris Drury did not budge on his asking price for the veteran and held onto Trocheck at the NHL Trade Deadline.

The New York Rangers traded star forward Artemi Panarin just ahead of the Olympic Roster Freeze to the LA Kings, for prospect Liam Greentree, a conditional 2026 3rd, and conditional 2028 4th. 

The New York Rangers continue their fall towards the bottom of the NHL. Artemi Panarin has been held out of the lineup indefinitely in the hopes of preserving his health for a trade.