Discussion of the Day: 9/19/23

The start of training camp for the New York Rangers is almost upon us, and for the most part all of the spots on the roster are spoken for. There are a few exceptions that include spots in the bottom six, and the third pair for defense, but other than that we know who should make the team and where they’ll play. For that reason, I have an interesting prompt for today that can be answered in a number of ways.

Which player has the biggest opportunity to prove something during training camp?

The player that stands out to me is Will Cuylle, someone that’s either start the season in Hartford as a winger in the top six, or making the team and bringing physicality and a bit of a scoring touch to the fourth line. Last season was Cuylle’s first full season as an AHL player, and he finished the season with a line of 25-20-45 in 69 games.

He stands 6’3″, and weight 212 pounds, and feels like the type of player that Peter Laviolette would want to have at his disposal to plug and play in the bottom six. He was drafted in the 2nd round of the 2020 draft, and made a nice adjustment from his final year in the OHL to his first full year in the AHL.

During his draft year he was described as a strong player and a gifted shooter, and he fits the mold of the type of player the Rangers searched for in the 2010s. A strong camp could help his case in raising his stock, and he’s can use all the help he can get considering that Brennan Othmann is a player who will be eying a roster spot and/or early potential callup.

But that’s just my opinion, and I am interested in what you all think. I hope you have a great Tuesday, and I’ll be back here tomorrow.