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Rangers vs. Flyers: 3 things to watch at weekend rookie games
By Jim Cerny,
5 hours ago
Sep 26, 2022; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers left wing Brennan Othmann (78) looks out during warmups before a game against the New York Islanders at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Jessica Alcheh-USA TODAY Sports
The New York Rangers are back in action this weekend, sort of, playing their first games since losing Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final on June 2. But Igor Shesterkin, Artemi Panarin, Adam Fox and Co. won’t be found on the ice nor anywhere near the game action.
The Rangers and Philadelphia Flyers will play two rookie games this weekend, Friday at 7 p.m. and Saturday at 5 p.m., at PPL Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania, home of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms of the American Hockey League.
Even though these games are glorified scrimmages, with lineups filled out largely by young prospects and minor leaguers, there’s plenty of intrigue and important things to watch for.
3 things to watch for at Rangers – Flyers rookie games
The two rookie games provide an opportunity for each team to evaluate the progress of younger prospects and gauge where the more experienced players fit within the organization this coming season.
Grant Potulny, who was hired as coach of the Hartford Wolf Pack this summer, will be behind the Rangers bench. He’ll get a good first look at a slew of players who’ll be on Hartford’s roster this season, plus three of the four Rangers draft picks from this past June.
Let’s break down the top 3 things to watch when the Rangers rookies face-off twice with the Flyers this weekend.
What Brennan Othmann does at Rangers training camp and how he performs in those preseason games means more than anything he can do in rookie camp or in rookie games. But make no mistake, the forward should dominate game action against the Flyers if he plans on making a run at a top-9 role on New York’s opening-night roster.
This is his fourth rookie camp and the 21-year-old is coming off a 21-goal goal season with Hartford in his rookie pro season. The 2021 first-round pick also got in his first three NHL games with the Rangers last January.
With roughly five extra pounds of muscle on his frame, Othmann just might find himself alongside Mika Zibanejad and Chris Kreider, or possibly on New York’s third line, at some point this season.
If that’s the case, he should be the best player on the ice for the Rangers in these rookie games. He’s embraced being a leader among the prospects both at development camp and rookie camp. Now, let’s see if he embraces the expectation of being their best player.
Raoul Boilard 2024 NHL Draft – photo: Jim Cerny Credit: Jim Cerny
Only first-round pick E.J. Emery is missing this weekend from the Rangers 2024 Draft Class. The talented defenseman, who was selected with the No. 30 pick overall, started his freshman year at University of North Dakota and is not attending rookie camp.
But forwards Raoul Boilard (4th round), Nathan Aspinall (5th round) and Rico Gredig (6th round) are in camp and available to play against the Flyers.
Boilard led QMJHL rookies in scoring last season, with 62 points (22 goals, 40 assists) in 68 games. The Rangers view him as a strong two-way center, with a nice offensive upside. They liked Boilard so much that the Rangers traded up eight spots to select him at No. 119 overall. That was something not lost on the 18-year-old at the draft.
“It means a lot (that the Rangers traded up to make this pick),” Boilard said. “That means they like me, so that’s good. A good organization that likes me, it’s a good sign.”
Several scouts believe the Rangers landed a solid bargain by selecting Boilard in the fourth round. Let’s see what he shows before heading back to junior.
Aspinall will be hard to miss out there against the Flyers. The towering forward stands 6-foot-6 and has been skating on a line with Dylan Roobroeck (6-foot-7) and Jaroslav Chmelar (6-foot-4) the first two days of rookie camp.
Let’s see how well he skates and uses his size in game action against some more experienced players. Last season with Flint in the OHL, Aspinall scored 18 goals and totaled 34 points with 23 penalty minutes.
Gredig is a 19-year-old with good size (6-foot-1, 180 pounds). He played for Davos at two levels last season and represented Switzerland at the 2024 World Junior Championship, finishing with one assist and a plus-two rating in five games.
We know the least about him, so it’ll be interesting to see him in game action.
Matvei Michkov’s first games with Flyers
Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images
If there’s a bigger talent on the ice than Othmann this weekend, it’s Matvei Michkov. Philadelphia’s first-round pick (No. 7 overall) in the 2023 draft has already wowed observers with his high-end skill at Flyers rookie camp, and expectations for him are massive heading into his rookie season, where he’s already considered a top contender for the Calder Trophy.
Michkov had 19 goals and 41 points in 48 KHL games last season as a 19-year-old. Considered an electric offensive talent, he’s exactly what John Tortorella’s Flyers need. But despite all the hype surrounding his earlier-than-expected arrival in North America, he’s still a kid that will need to adjust to a new language, new life and the best league in the world.
Like Othmann, though, if Michkov expects to snag a top-6 spot with the Flyers at training camp, he should be their best player in these rookie games. Getting to watch Michkov play on the same line with Jett Luchanko, Philly’s top pick this past spring (No. 13 overall), could be a vision of what’s to come down the line one day for the Flyers.
“Obviously, my first game in a Flyers jersey, I’m a little nervous, but by time warmups are over, it should be all gone,” Michkov said through a translator Thursday . “Most important is to be confident in yourself and your teammates, and everything else will be resolved.”
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