The 23-year-old entered training camp with slim chances of making the New York Rangers’ opening-night roster. His situation worsened on Tuesday when the team announced that the 23-year-old defenseman is sidelined due to a lower-body injury.
Although he is considered day-to-day, every practice or preseason game he misses is a significant setback for him and his hopes of securing a roster spot. The 2019 second-round pick has yet to play an NHL game, but he is competing against veterans Chad Ruhwedel, Connor Mackey, and Ben Harpur for the role of extra defenseman this season.
The talented player was in the lineup on Sunday when the Rangers kicked off the preseason with a 3-2 victory against the Boston Bruins at TD Garden. However, he played only 10 shifts, totaling 8:19 on the ice, likely due to his injury. During that time, he recorded two hits and was present for Victor Mancini’s goal in the first period, but he also led the Rangers with three giveaways.
Last season, Robertson tallied 21 points (four goals, 17 assists) in 68 games with the Hartford Wolf Pack in the AHL. When the Rangers needed to call up a defenseman on two occasions, they opted for Connor Mackey and Brandon Scanlin instead of him.
Despite his declining status, Robertson received a qualifying offer this past offseason and signed a one-year contract. He had a strong start to camp and felt he was in a better mental state after focusing on his mental skills during the offseason.
“I worked on the mental side of the game this summer and tried to improve that,” Robertson explained at rookie camp. “That was probably the biggest thing holding me back. My mental psyche, keeping confident and consistent each day. It’s something that I’ve worked on this summer, and I’m looking forward to seeing how it pans out this year.”
Matthew Robertson faces long odds to make Rangers opening-night roster
Robertson may only miss a few days before returning, but Mackey already had a strong performance on Sunday, logging 23:03 of ice time and recording an assist. Mancini also impressed in his preseason debut, contributing a goal, an assist, and solid two-way play.
Harpur and Ruhwedel are expected to play on Tuesday against the New York Islanders. Ruhwedel is likely to be the extra defenseman to start the season in New York. He was acquired from the Pittsburgh Penguins ahead of the trade deadline last March and re-signed this summer. The 34-year-old brings 364 games of NHL experience and was part of the Penguins’ Stanley Cup-winning team in 2017.
The Rangers’ top six defensemen are established, featuring Adam Fox, Jacob Trouba, and Braden Schneider on the right, with Ryan Lindgren, K’Andre Miller, and Zac Jones on the left.
Harpur is an intriguing option since he served as New York’s sixth defenseman for much of the 2022-23 season. However, he missed nearly the entire season due to a torn pectoral muscle, appearing in just seven AHL games.
Additionally, the Rangers announced that goalie Talyn Boyko and center Ryder Korczak are day-to-day with upper-body injuries.
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