Rangers Rookie Camp Preview: Smits, Beaudoin, Tolvanen and the Cuylle Debate

Hockey is back, and Jim Cerny is rolling into rookie camp week on Rink Rap from Forever Blueshirts. The Rangers rookies play the Flyers on Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 5 p.m. at PPL Center in Allentown. Cerny previews the first look at No. 5 pick Alberts Smits, Tomas Chrenko’s next step, Liam Greentree’s first Rangers sweater, and whether Cole Beaudoin can pull a Noah Laba and crash opening night. Then it’s the roster questions that will follow this team into training camp: Eeli Tolvanen’s one-year fit next to Laba and Will Cuylle, why some fans want Cuylle in the top six with J.T. Miller and Pavel Dorofeyev, where Oliver Bjorkstrand lands, and why a Mika Zibanejad slump would be New York’s worst-case scenario after Vincent Trocheck’s departure. Read the latest at ForeverBlueshirts.com Jim on X: @JimCerny Forever Blueshirts on X: @ForeverBluShirt Chapters 0:00 Welcome to Rink Rap 0:47 More on Eeli Tolvanen 1:33 Rookie camp and Allentown schedule 2:29 First look at Alberts Smits 4:01 Ivy League polo and ESPN+ 6:04 Johnny Lazarus and the Ranger tie 6:56 Why the Rangers delayed the rookie roster 9:15 Tomas Chrenko watch 11:58 Liam Greentree and Cole Beaudoin 12:40 Can Beaudoin pull a Noah Laba? 16:18 Nathan Aspinall and the next wave 17:32 Tolvanen deep dive with Rob Simpson 23:20 Cuylle, Laba and Tolvanen on the third line 23:41 Should Will Cuylle play in the top six? 25:52 Cuylle with J.T. Miller and Pavel Dorofeyev 27:00 Keeping Zibanejad, Lafrenière and Perreault together 28:08 Oliver Bjorkstrand’s role 32:54 Mika Zibanejad worst-case scenario 38:37 Weekend games, training camp and the Boston opener