Last season, Noah Laba proved that a strong training camp will be rewarded.
The same rule still applies as multiple Rangers rookies prepare for the first on-ice session of the 2026-27 preseason Thursday.
Of the 16 would-be rookies on the training camp roster, however, only two stand out as having the most legitimate chances before even stepping on the ice.
Goalie Dylan Garand and defenseman Alberts Smits are both in the mix for the few open spots in the Blueshirts lineup.
The backup job behind star netminder Igor Shesterkin is up for grabs after it was vacated by the since-retired Jonathan Quick.
Garand will go toe-to-toe with veteran goaltender Joonas Korpisalo for the role, which the 24-year-old started making a case for last season with a 2-0-1 record through his first three NHL games.
Korpisalo was still brought in from Boston this summer — for Kalle Vaisanen and a 2028 fourth-round draft pick — to ignite some internal competition.
“I think [Garand] showed us late in the season last year that he’s very capable of making saves in this league,” head coach Mike Sullivan said. “That, in and of itself, just his overall growth and development, has given us a little bit more legitimate depth at the goaltending position. Korpy is a guy that I think is a bona fide NHL goalie that’s had success and has a body of work in this league that shows that he can be an effective goaltender, especially at the backup position.
“He’s done an admirable job in the places that he’s been. He’s done an admirable job in the places he’s beenWe feel like that position right now is competitive. I think ultimately as an organization the ultimate goal is to have fierce internal competition, healthy competition at all the positions.”
As for Smits, Sullivan noted that the 18-year-old’s history of playing in international men’s leagues has paved the way to his current position.
Despite acknowledging that Smits has a chance to make the Opening Night roster out of training camp, Sullivan also showed the organization’s caution.
President and general manager Chris Drury also has publicly stated the Rangers’ wish to do what’s best for his development.
Since the Rangers drafted him fifth overall in June, there appeared to be some distaste for the narrative of Smits being the most NHL-ready defenseman in the 2026 class and how it could affect him.
“We’re impressed with his game,” Sullivan said. “I think the most important thing is, and we have talked about this internally, is that in the big picture, the sooner that Smits becomes part of our roster the better. But we also have to make sure that we do the right thing for him, both in the short term and in the long term.
“We’ll see where it goes. We’re going to watch him in training camp with our veteran players, and his play will tell us where we think he fits and what’s best for him.”
Sullivan noted that Pavel Dorofeyev can skate on both the right and left wings. As for where the 25-year-old Russian will start the season, Sullivan said there will be some experimenting.
“I think a lot of it’s going to come down to what we think is the best fit based on the combinations that we put together,” Sullivan said. “We’re going to explore different options to figure out how we can create the balance that we think is necessary to win consistently, but also to set players up for success. Him included. I would anticipate probably seeing him on both sides throughout the course of the next couple of weeks.”
Cole Beaudoin is day to day and Aidan Thompson is week to week with undisclosed injuries.
The new CBA that kicked in Wednesday notably reduces the maximum contract term to seven years for players re-signing with their current team (down from eight years) and six years for external free agent signings.
Multiple teams locked down young talent to the maximum term late Tuesday night, such as the Capitals and Ryan Leonard (eight years, $84 million), the Sabres and Noah Ostlund (eight years, $52.8 million) and the Senators and Drake Batherson (eight years, $86 million).
Asked if there was any inclination to approach, say, Gabe Perreault, or any other of their youngsters for a maximum contract, Drury declined to reveal his stance on the matter.
“As you all know, I’m not going to get into contract negotiations publicly,” he said. “All or any conversations I have with players or agents, keep that private. We’re happy with where we’re at. We’re happy with where our roster is at. We’re happy with our cap projections going into this year and in the future. We’re excited to see Gabe and other young players continue to grow, take on more responsibility, earn more responsibility here and have good productive years for us.”
