Even if it is a glorified pre-season game, it is so nice to have Rangers hockey back. It’s time to look towards the future, and to never look back at the disaster that was the 2024-2025 season. With the upcoming talent showcased in last night, I’m genuinely excited for the future of the Rangers and writing these Rangers Rookie Series recaps. Last night had some head scratchers, but overall the players you expected to look good, looked good. Others on our radar had some good moments as well.

The Flyers stream wasn’t the greatest, so it was hard to keep up exactly who was who. But even with those struggles, Adam Sykora was the standout player last night. His calling card has been his high-motor, tenacious forecheck, and an ability to find open space when needed. Sykora skated like his life depended on it each and every time he was on the ice, and was a major disruptor anytime he went in on the forecheck against the Flyers defense.

Causing turnovers on the Flyers defense, Sykora was able to create some plays, but unfortunately the Rangers just couldn’t get the puck past Carson Bjarnason. If Sykora brings this energy into camp and the regular season, who knows what the future holds.

Another player who really impressed me who did score a goal in the game was Dylan Roobroeck. After 20 goals in Hartford last year, he was the Rangers next best player, winning some key face-offs and showcasing an ability to properly play a 2-way game. His goal probably doesn’t sneak past an AHL goalie, but at the time it put the Rangers up 2-0 early.

Despite Jusso Parssinen being under contract, I think deep down Rangers management hopes one of Roobroeck or Noah Laba fights for that 3C spot on the NHL roster. Both Laba and Roobroeck are slated to start in the AHL, but if they impress they could be midseason call ups.

This might have just been simply a bad night, but I was not impressed with Scott Morrow. After a pretty solid first period, the remainder of the game was a lot of missed passes, bad defensive reads, and a bad turnover that led to a shorthanded goal against. He was on the ice for three goals against, including the OT winner.

It was one game, and these are pretty meaningless after 2 days in camp and little to no experience playing with one another. It’s better to focus on the positive, and hope Morrow figures it out in camp. He’s still a player to watch. Sykora may surprise people in camp as well if he continues to play like this.

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