Rangers vs. Devils: Lineups, storylines, how to watch preseason clash
Opening night of the 2025-26 NHL season is in sight, just five days away. But the New York Rangers still have work to do in the preseason, beginning with a home game Thursday against the New Jersey Devils.
It’s one of two contests remaining on New York’s preseason schedule, with a Saturday matinee in Boston against the Bruins also on the docket. The games are important since Mike Sullivan and Co. must decide on the final makeup of the roster, and get players familiar with new systems and one another.
The Rangers (2-1-1) are coming off a 3-2 overtime win against the Islanders on Monday. Rookie center Noah Laba continued his strong preseason by scoring the game winner. His five points (one goal, four assists) lead the Rangers this preseason.
Laba is one of four top prospects in the Rangers organization to play all four preseason games to date, along with Gabe Perreault, Brennan Othmann, and Scott Morrow. Laba, Perreault, and Morrow will each play again Thursday. Othmann was assigned to Hartford of the American Hockey League on Tuesday.
Artemi Panarin returns from a lower-body injury to make his preseason debut against the Devils. But captain J.T. Miller is out with a lower-body injury sustained Monday at practice.
Adam Fox, Urho Vaakanainen, Brett Berard, Jonny Brodzinski, and Sam Carrick are the healthy New York scratches. Jonathan Quick starts in goal.
The Devils (2-2-1) will go with a representative lineup at The Garden on Thursday. That means Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, Nico Hischier, Timo Meier, Ondrej Palat, Dougie Hamilton, and Brett Pesce are all expected to play.
Defenseman Luke Hughes, who signed a massive seven-year, $63 million contract Wednesday, won’t play after a two-week holdout. Jacob Markstrom gets the start in goal for New Jersey, which lost its preseason opener 5-3 to New York on Sept. 21.
3 storylines when Rangers host Devils
1. First taste of Bread
Panarin’s preseason debut is a big deal because it shows he’s fully healthy after an extended stretch on the sidelines earlier in training camp. The Breadman returned to practice last Friday, and is eager to get some game action under his belt before the regular-season opener Tuesday against the Pittsburgh Penguins.
“It’s more about timing, it’s not so much about conditioning,” Panarin explained to Peter Botte of the New York Post. “It’s just to feel how fast people are moving around you, how the puck’s moving, just kind of to remind yourself of some things, and then the season starts.”
Panarin is the most important weapon offensively for the Rangers. So, it cannot be overstated how important it is to have him healthy, comfortable, and in the lineup, even for a preseason game. He’ll skate with his usual linemates Vincent Trocheck and Alexis Lafreniere against the Devils.
2. Another chance for Scott Morrow to impress Rangers
When the Rangers head to the power play Thursday, look for Morrow to quarterback the top unit. With Fox strategically scratched, Sullivan turns the reins over to the 22-year-old, who’s a highly-skilled offensive defenseman.
Morrow’s impressed Sullivan throughout camp and the preseason, and has a bright future with the Rangers, who acquired him in the K’Andre Miller trade with the Carolina Hurricanes this summer. But he very likely needs to earn a role on the third pair — where he’ll play Thursday alongside Matthew Robertson — because it makes little sense for him to watch consistently from the press box as the seventh defenseman.
If he plays competently in his own zone, and flourishes with Panarin, Trocheck, Lafreniere, and Mika Zibanejad on PP1, perhaps that future becomes more sooner rather than later.
3. Glimpse of things to come for Rangers?
Braden Schneider partners with Vladislav Gavrikov on defense Thursday. Carson Soucy and Will Borgen, who paired together years ago with the Seattle Kraken and much of this training camp, are together again.
The third line, from left to right, is Conor Sheary, Juuso Parssinen, and Taylor Raddysh.
Brett Berard is scratched. So is Jonny Brodzinski.
Are we getting a glimpse into some of the lineup decisions Sullivan is considering?
Schneider and Gavrikov are a tasty second-pair option together. Soucy and Borgen as New York’s third pair? Not too shabby. Though that’d leave Fox to partner with Urho Vaakanainen on the No. 1 pair, and not sure that’s what the coach wants. But it is interesting to see the wheels turning in Sullivan’s head.
Despite how well Laba’s played this preseason, that third line makes a lot of sense for the Rangers.
Maybe we’re reading into things too much. Perhaps not. Let’s see how it all looks against the Devils.
New York Rangers projected lineup
Artemi Panarin — Vincent Trocheck — Alexis Lafreniere
Will Cuylle — Mika Zibanejad — Gabe Perreault
Conor Sheary — Juuso Parssinen — Taylor Raddysh
Adam Edstrom — Noah Laba — Matt Rempe
Vladislav Gavrikov — Braden Schneider
Carson Soucy — Will Borgen
Matthew Robertson — Scott Morrow
Jonathan Quick
Igor Shesterkin
Rangers vs. Devils: When, where, what time, how to watch
Who: New York Rangers vs. New Jersey Devils
When: Thursday, Oct. 2 at 7 p.m. ET
Where: Madison Square Garden
How to watch: MSG
