Preseason Game #2: New York Islanders vs New York Rangers Open Thread

After the Blueshirts dropped their preseason opener in Boston on Sunday, they’ll look to right the ship at home tonight as they host the New York Islanders. Tonight will be the Islanders’ preseason opener, so expect another game featuring lineups littered with plenty of players destined to spend the 2023-24 campaign somewhere other than the NHL.

While the top priority in preseason for established NHLers is to remain healthy, the Rangers have already had a few players get banged up during practice. Mika Zibanejad missed Sunday’s contest with an upper body injury, and although he’s now off the injury report, Filip Chytil and Artemiy Panarin have made their way on to it with upper body and lower body injuries respectively.

Player to Watch: Erik Gustafsson

Gustafsson arrived in New York as one of the players the Blueshirts plucked out of the bargain bin in the opening rush of free agency this summer. Having been coached by Peter Laviolette during their time together in Washington, Gustafsson entered training camp as the leader in the club house for the every day #6 defenseman role, ahead of Zac Jones and others. Keep an eye on Gustafsson tonight as he looks to strengthen his grip on a roster spot with a strong performance.

Enjoy the game!