Rangers rookie camp features Brennan Othmann among 25 players
Brennan Othmann is one of 25 players who will take part in New York Rangers rookie camp beginning Wednesday. The camp for prospects precedes the start of NHL training camp next week and features two games this weekend.
The Rangers rookies will play Philadelphia Flyers rookies this Friday and Saturday at PPL Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania, home of Philly’s AHL affiliate Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
All eyes will be on Othmann, the 2021 first-round pick who will look to dominate rookie camp and make a big impression at NHL camp here in September. The 21-year-old forward scored 21 goals as a rookie pro with Hartford of the American Hockey League last season, second most on the team. Othmann promised to arrive at camp this season with a chip on his shoulder, believing that some may not believe in him as a true NHL prospect.
Recently, The Athletic ranked Othmann No. 130 on its list of top players and prospects under the age of 23. Othmann was rated above average in puck skills, compete level and shot. But his skating graded below average.
Certainly, the Rangers remain bullish on him. Othmann and Boston College forward Gabe Perreault are widely considered to be the most promising prospects in the organization. Perreault is in his sophomore year at BC and won’t attend rookie camp.
Othmann, who played three games with the Rangers last January, scored 50 goals with Flint in the OHL in 2021-22 and helped Canada win the gold medal the both the 2022 and 2023 World Junior Championship.
Related: What Rangers best-case scenario may be with Brennan Othmann at training camp
Rangers open rookie camp this week
Othmann will be joined by several of his 2023-24 Hartford Wolf Pack teammates at rookie camp this week. Forwards Brett Berard, Adam Sykora, Adam Edstrom, Ryder Korczak, Bryce McConnell-Barker, Jaroslav Chmelar, Maxim Barbashev, Kalle Vaisanen and Dylan Roobroeck will attend camp, as will defensemen Victor Mancini and Matthew Robertson, and goalies Dylan Garand and Hugo Ollas.
Edstrom has the most NHL experience of the group. He scored two goals in 11 games with the Rangers last season and is expected to compete for the 12th or 13th forward spot on their opening-night roster.
Berard is coming off an excellent rookie pro season, when he led Hartford with 25 goals in 2023-24. He’ll get a look as a bottom-six option in Rangers camp, though is expected to start the season in the AHL.
In a similar position is Sykora, the 20-year-old forward who was New York’s second-round pick in 2022. He had 23 points (eight goals, 15 assists) in 66 games with Hartford as a teenager last season, and will likely head back down for more seasoning in 2024-25.
Related: Hulking prospect Nathan Aspinall had ‘pretty funny moment’ when drafted by Rangers
This is a big camp for Robertson, the 23-year-old defenseman. He’s entering his fourth season as a professional, though he’s yet to play a single game in the NHL. The Rangers would love to see him dominate at rookie camp, considering his age and experience, and carry that into a strong preseason with the big club. They’d like to see him establish himself as a next-man-up option at Hartford this season.
Mancini is another defenseman to keep an eye on. He stepped into the Wolf Pack lineup late last season after finishing up college and snagged an important regular role on the defense corps.
The goalie to watch is Garand, who’s entering his third season with the Wolf Pack. His first two seasons as a pro were inconsistent, but he did shine in the Calder Cup Playoffs each of the past two AHL postseasons. A strong 2024-25 season could help Garand land a job as Igor Shesterkin’s backup in 2025-26, if Jonathan Quick retires at the end of this season.
Three of New York’s four picks from the 2024 NHL Draft will take part in rookie camp. That would be all except first-rounder E..J. Emery. The defenseman started his freshman year at University of North Dakota.
However, forwards Raoul Boilard (4th round), Nathan Aspinall (5th round) and Rico Gredig (6th round) will participate.
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