Training Camp – Defense
Going into camp this year, the Rangers blueline corps are largely unchanged from the same unit that finished out the season. Karel Rachunek (free agency) and Bryce Lampman (trade) were the only two blueliners with NHL experience who won’t return, while the addition of Andrew Hutchinson (trade) appears to be for depth rather than impact.
Of the six starting spots, five appear to be locked up. Dan Girardi, Marek Malik, Paul Mara, Michal Rozsival and Fedor Tyutin look to be all but guaranteed starting positions for the upcoming season, with perhaps only Girardi (inexperience) and Malik (form) looking remotely like being unseated.