What to Expect from the NY Rangers 2026 Preseason?
After seeing their newest prospects on the ice against the Philadelphia Flyers, Rangers fans now hope for a successful training camp. We’re just two weeks away from the Rangers' opening game, and just less than a week away from preseason. Although the Blueshirts' newest prospects ultimately came up short against the Flyers both times, fans still have plenty to look forward to as preseason approaches. As the countdown to New York Rangers hockey continues, what can fans expect in a much shorter preseason?
As most may know, preseason means almost nothing for standings or predicting regular-season teams; it's about the prospects fans need to keep an eye on. With only four preseason games, it's a much bigger challenge for the kids to prove they belong in the NHL. As much as New York fans want their beloved prospects to take the ice, they’ll need to prove they have what it takes, and one may have that chance. As unlikely as it seems for players like Liam Greentree, Cole Beaudoin, and Albert Šmits to make the roster opening night, anything is possible; ask Noah Laba one year ago.
This preseason, the chances seem much lower than before, mainly because most spots are already filled on this Rangers roster. With the defense completely rebranded, it's unlikely Šmits will take the ice in MSG to start the year, and with the Blueshirts' newest signing, Eeli Tolvanen, the bottom six looks fine as is. Since we can leave off opening night with these prospects, the clear thing to look for in this preseason may be which prospect is likely to get called up a quarter into the season. If all goes wrong yet again for the New York Rangers, which prospect is most likely to get the call-up to create a spark?
From what we’ve seen from Philly, fans have plenty of prospects to watch this preseason, but two really stood out. First, Dylan Roobroeck proved himself as a physical presence and scored a power-play goal Saturday night. Next, Liam Greentree showed his physicality too, recording an assist off Roobroeck's goal and finding the back of the net himself off a pretty feed from Adam Sykora during Sunday's game. Again, there doesn’t seem to be an immediate need for these prospects going into the 26-27 season, but if the Blueshirts need a spark, these prospects have a chance to prove they could get the call-up sooner than fans may expect.
