The New York Rangers announced their roster for training camp as they prepare for their play-in series against the Carolina Hurricanes.
As the NHL continues their attempts to finish up the 2019-20 season and award the Stanley Cup, their teams begin formal training camp workouts as part of Phase 3 on Monday, July 13. As such, teams have to submit the roster of players that will be taking part in the training camp and eventually joining the team in their bubble for phase 4.
In preparation for camp, the New York Rangers announced their roster for training camp on Monday morning. The team is bringing 19 forwards, 10 defensemen, and four goalies into their training camp for a total of 32 players.
Your #NYR Phase 3 Training Camp Roster is in. ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/pSD3qzRPM8
— x – New York Rangers (@NYRangers) July 13, 2020
They are allowed to bring 31 players into the bubble for Phase 4, a number they will have no issue cutting down to, as defenseman K’Andre Miller is not eligible to play with the team in Phase 4. Miller, who signed his entry-level contract during the NHL pause after playing two seasons at the University of Wisconsin, is only allowed to work out with the team in New York.
There are no surprise omissions amongst forwards, as it was already known Lias Andersson wouldn’t be joining the team during the restart. He was loaned to HV71 in the SHL after leaving the Rangers mid-season. Due to the uncertainty about when the NHL and AHL will start their next seasons (they expect to start in December, which would be a very long wait to play games for a young player), it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him remain in Sweden next season to continue to get regular playing time.
Top prospect Vitali Kravtsov is on the roster after a rollercoaster season in which he failed to make the Rangers and returned to Russia. He came back to join the Hartford Wolf Pack after struggling to get consistent ice time with his KHL team, Traktor Chelyabinsk. The team has indicated that they would like to leave all of that in the past, and his inclusion in training camp is a signal of that commitment.
Kaapo Kakko is on the Phase 3 roster, and he appears intent on playing despite having Type I diabetes, which places him at an elevated risk of having serious symptoms of COVID-19. Keeping him healthy and safe will be important for the team as they navigate these uncharted waters.
Forward Micheal Haley is listed on the roster but is still on injured reserve after having core muscle surgery in February. Brendan Smith is listed by the team as a defenseman, a position he returned to after the trade of Brady Skjei to the Carolina Hurricanes, who the Rangers meet in the best-of-five play-in series.
Adam Huska joins Henrik Lundqvist, Igor Shesterkin, and Alexandar Georgiev as the team’s fourth goalie, although it’s very unlikely he sees ice time barring a string of injuries/illnesses striking the team.
