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Jack Roslovic, Carolina Hurricanes (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Rangers Should Avoid Giving PTOs Due to Internal Competition

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Lucas Standel | Last updated Sep 9, 2025 4:00 PM ET

For the New York Rangers, this training camp will be different than seasons past because they finally have many talented prospects fighting for roster spots. Before now, the Rangers were known to hand out professional tryout contracts (PTO) to players trying to continue their NHL careers. This season, they should avoid offering PTOs to remaining free agents because they have options within the organization who will compete for available roster spots.

Lack of Talent in the NHL Free Agent Pool

This offseason’s free agent class was one of the weakest in years. Outside of Mitch Marner (signed with the Vegas Golden Knights) and Vladislav Gavrikov (signed with the Rangers), very few major names changed teams.

Jack Roslovic scored 22 goals and recorded 39 points with the Carolina Hurricanes last season, and there were rumors that teams were interested this offseason, but he is still available. It’s likely he will have to settle for a PTO to earn himself a full-time contract. Yet, Roslovic, being the most talked-about name this offseason, shows how weak the class was and still is.

On defense, the biggest name still available is Matt Grzelcyk, even though he is coming off a 40-point season with the Pittsburgh Penguins. He could be an interesting option for the Rangers, after playing for new Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan last season, but the team must give the players already in the organization a chance to fight for a defensive spot.

Ryan Suter and TJ Brodie are also unsigned, but they are on the decline at this point in their careers. With the players still available on the free-agent market, the Rangers must avoid offering PTOs.

Scott Morrow Will Be a Name to Watch in Training Camp

Scott Morrow, acquired from the Hurricanes in the K’Andre Miller trade during the offseason, will be a player to watch on defense at training camp. Morrow, who is 22 years old, was a second-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft and played 16 regular-season games over parts of two seasons, scoring one goal and recording six points. He played in five playoff games last season, but did not register a point. He will participate in the club’s rookie camp this week, so he will get a head start to make an impression.

The Rangers also have three right-handed defensemen on the roster: Adam Fox, Braden Schneider, and Will Borgen. If the team decided to use these three on the right side, Morrow would not have a chance at a roster spot. However, New York could start the season with Schneider on the left, which would open up that right-side spot. However, Morrow will be competing with Urho Vaakanainen, and if Morrow doesn’t win this spot, he is going to start the season with the Hartford Wolfpack in the American Hockey League.

Three Players Fighting for Two Spots on Rangers Roster

The Rangers will likely have three players fighting for two roster spots up front: Brett Berard, Brennan Othmann, and Gabe Perreault. If Mika Zibanejad plays on the right wing, and Jusso Parssinen begins the season as the third-line center, that would leave two spots open on the third-line wings for three possible players. None of them should be playing fourth-line minutes; they all played games in the NHL last season, but were not given a chance to make a real impact.

Berard played 35 games, scoring six goals and recording 10 points. Othmann played in 22 games, scoring no goals and recording only two assists. Perreault played five games with no points. They are all 23 or younger, with Perreault and Othmann being first-round picks in 2021 and Perreault in 2023, respectively.

New York Rangers Brennan Othmann (Danny Wild-Imagn Images)

These three are going to have the most to prove coming into training camp, as they all want to be in the NHL and contribute to the Rangers’ success, but it doesn’t seem like there is room for all of them to start the season therrer. This is another main reason why the Rangers don’t need to give out PTOs — they have these young players fighting for the limited roster spots that are available to start this season.

The Rangers will have some great internal battles to watch as training camp rolls along. With so much internal competition for limited roster spots, management should not waste its time signing free agents. They must give the younger players a chance to make an impact and make the team.