3 most intriguing Rangers at rookie camp, including Brett Berard
New York Rangers rookie camp kicks off Wednesday, and with that, 25 prospects of varying levels will attend training sessions throughout the week, including two exhibition games against the Philadelphia Flyers rookies on Friday and Saturday.
While the Rangers development camp that took place in July was a chance to bring the prospects together and do light drills, rookie camp is structured to prepare players for the season It’s also an evaluation opportunity for Rangers brass, especially when it comes to the more experienced players, some of whom are battling to get a look in the NHL.
Much of the attention will be focused on Brennan Othmann. The 21-year forward, New York’s first-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft, is expected to dominate rookie camp after he scored 21 goals with Hartford of the American Hockey League last season. Rookie camp is Othmann’s first step this month as he tries to show enough to land a spot on the Rangers opening-night roster.
It should be noted that 2023 first-rounder Gabe Perreault and 2024 top pick E.J. Emery will not attend rookie camp. Perreault started his sophomore year at Boston College and Emery is a freshman at the University of North Dakota. In addition, key defenseman prospect Drew Fortescue is also back at BC beginning his sophomore year of college.
Related: Rangers sign Adam Erne to PTO ahead of training camp
3 Rangers not named Brennan Othmann to watch during rookie camp
Understanding that Othmann is the star of this camp, let’s take a look at three slightly under-the-radar rookies who are worth keeping an eye on.
Brett Berard
Photo courtesy of Hartford Wolf Pack
Berard is a winger who was selected No. 134 overall by the Rangers in the 2020 draft. He played at the NCAA Division 1 level at Providence College and contributed 72 points over three seasons. Despite a smaller build, at 5’9” and 174 pounds, Berard’s made a knack of getting physical on the ice and doesn’t shy away from contact when he has puck possession. His father David Berard is a Division 1 hockey coach at Stonehill College, and it’s safe to say the Berard family values hockey IQ. Berard has great vision and skating ability and has been able to create lanes of play using his physicality and strong skating edges. He spent the 2023-24 season with the Hartford Wolf Pack in his rookie pro campaign and led them with 25 goals. He was second among all AHL rookies with 25 goals and tied for fifth with 48 points in 71 games, one point behind Othmann.
Rookie camp provides Berard with a chance to make a case for himself as an NHL-caliber winger. He’s expected to be one of the best players here. As long as he hits that benchmark, his next opportunity to turn heads will be at Rangers camp and the preseason, which begins next week. Berard should get a look in the bottom six, though much needs to go his way to earn a spot on the opening-night roster. At worst, Berard wants to show he can play with the big boys, then go down to Hartford and be a call-up option when needed.
Victor Mancini
Photo courtesy of Hartford Wolf Pack
Mancini is an exciting defenseman prospect, who the Rangers selected No. 159 overall in the 2022 draft. At 22 years old, he has three years of NCAA Division 1 hockey experience with the University of Nebraska- Omaha. In his transition from college to professional hockey, he played seven regular-season and 10 Calder Cup Playoff games with the Wolf Pack last spring, and made his presence known immediately. He led Hartfprd with a plus-5 rating in the playoffs and notched six assists in his 17 games. At 6’4” and 220 pounds, the good-sized defenseman prioritizes his passing game and the ability to generate chances off the blue line. He’s continuing to develop his offensive abilities but shows promise in his on-ice vision and physical defensive play. His skating ability is one of his best strengths and has allowed him to focus his development on play-making and defending.
The right-handed defenseman has the chance to show off this development at rookie camp this week. The Rangers don’t have the deepest defensive pool, in addition to Mancini, Chad Ruhwedel and Casey Fitzgerald round out the right-handed defenseman options after Adam Fox, Jacob Trouba and Braden Schneider. As such, the Rangers will be interested to see what Mancini can do here and then next week at the main training camp. He’s ticketed for Hartford to begin the season, but can become a prime call-up candidate during the season if he makes a solid showing here at rookie camp and in the preseason.
Dylan Garand
Photo courtesy of Hartford Wolf Pack
In the goaltending department, the Rangers have a promising prospect with Dylan Garand, who was selected No. 103 overall in the 2020 draft. Garand has experience playing with the Kamloops Blazers of the WHL and 88 games over the past two seasons with the Hartford. His numbers in the WHL were excellent, including a .935 save percentage during the 2021-2022 season that saw him awarded the Del Wilson Trophy for top goaltender in the league. Garand was also a major part of Canada’s 2022 World Junior Championships gold medal run, with wins in all six of the games he played. One of his gold medal-winning teammates was Othmann.
The Rangers, of course, are set in goal with Igor Shesterkin and Jonathan Quick and as such aren’t looking for an immediate starter or backup. And if Shesterkin or Quick gets injured, veteran Louis Domingue is available in Hartford. But the future of the Rangers’ net is still to be determined and Garand has the opportunity to make a case for himself at rookie camp. He has played in high-stakes scenarios with his Team Canada performances and excelled in WHL and AHL playoff games. Now he’ll get the chance to show off his skills against the Rangers prospects, and against top Flyers prospects such as Matvei Michkov and Jett Luchanko this weekend.
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