Rangers' Preseason Underway, Can Smits Make The Roster?

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.

The New York Rangers won the first game of their four-game road trip in Philadelphia, but lost the final three games in California to the Anaheim Ducks, Los Angeles Kings, and San Jose Sharks. The Rangers are now last in the Eastern Conference and 28th overall in the NHL standings.

President & General Manager Chris Drury released The Letter 2.0 on Friday, 8 years after Jeff Gorton did the same, signifying a "retool" is upon us. Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck appear at the top of the trade board, as fans join the show to give their thoughts on the state of the Rangers.