There aren’t many spots in the Rangers lineup up for grabs, but Peter Laviolette has issued a challenge to the expanded group to make noise and force the head coach to take notice.
Among a prospect-heavy lineup Sunday night in Boston, it was Victor Mancini who made an impression.
In addition to scoring the team’s first goal of the game and assisting on Filip Chytil’s go-ahead score at the end of the first period, Mancini was involved in several different aspects of the game and made some strong defensive plays in the 3-2 win over the Bruins.
Mancini, the Rangers’ 159th-overall pick in 2022, got his first taste of professional hockey last season in Hartford.
After three seasons at the University of Nebraska-Omaha, where he totaled four goals and 19 assists over 110 games, the right-handed defenseman posted three assists in seven games for the Wolf Pack in 2023-24.
The 22-year-old Mancini, who is projected to receive top-four minutes in Hartford this upcoming season, also contributed three assists in 10 AHL playoff games.
Evaluating eyes were also surely on Brennan Othmann, who is certainly someone Laviolette’s message is targeted at.
Othmann threw some big hits Sunday night, in addition to tussling with the Bruins’ Parker Wotherspoon.
“Had a good year last year,” Laviolette said of Othmann, who had 49 points in 67 AHL games with the Hartford Wolf Pack last season. “Put up some points. Comes into camp this year and he’ll get an opportunity to make noise, as well.”
With the skill set of a top-six player, Othmann’s path to a lineup spot is obstructed due to a pretty set-in-stone first two Rangers lines.
Mancini is also further down the defensive depth chart, but his development has picked up in the last year.
Chytil posted a goal, an assist and six shots on goal in the preseason opener.
The game-winning goal belonged to Alex Belzile, who has yet to play in a game for the Rangers despite signing a two-year deal in July 2023.
Back in Tarrytown, another prospect was trying to create his own buzz.
The Rangers’ 134th-overall pick in 2020, Brett Berard, was positively noticeable in the Blueshirts intrasquad scrimmage Sunday.
“He’s a worker,” Laviolette said of Berard, who has yet to make his NHL debut. “He’s competitive. He competes in battles and plays with a lot of juice. He did have a really good year offensively last year. He became somebody that they were counting on. Even last year, I thought he had a good year coming into training camp. This year, I think he’s looking to make an impression.
“When he does get [into an exhibition game] he’s going to have the opportunity to show what he can do, so we’ll put him in the right situations to do that.”
The 22-year-old Berard put up 25 goals and 23 assists for 48 points in 71 games last season with the Wolf Pack. It was his first full professional season after three at Providence College.
Only six NHL regulars were in the Rangers lineup Sunday: Chytil, Kaapo Kakko, Will Cuylle, Jimmy Vesey, Braden Schneider and Jonny Brodzinski.
The Rangers will be off Monday before they return to preseason action on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden against the Islanders.
