Looks as if forward Will Cuylle has earned a spot on Rangers' roster

On the day the players reported for his first Rangers training camp, coach Peter Laviolette was asked what his message would be to the youngsters trying to earn a roster spot. There didn’t seem to be many openings available in such a veteran-heavy group.

“The message is, ‘My eyes are wide open, the [coaching] staff’s eyes are wide open. Come in here and take what you want. Push for what you want, and I’m sure we won’t miss it,’ ’’ Laviolette said.

Will Cuylle pushed for what he wanted, and the Rangers have rewarded him with a spot on what appears to be the roster that will begin the regular season.

On Friday, the day after they played their final preseason game, the Rangers announced that 20-year-old rookie Brennan Othmann had been assigned to their Hartford Wolf Pack AHL affiliate. Then reports filtered out that forward Jonny Brodzinski and defenseman Ben Harpur had been placed on waivers, reducing the roster to 22 players, the number the Rangers intend to carry into the Oct. 12 season opener in Buffalo.

Cuylle, 21, and Othmann were impressive in camp and the preseason, but entering the final preseason game, they were the only players who could have been sent to the minor leagues without having to go through waivers. That made them long shots to make the team.

Cuylle ended up tying for the team lead in scoring in the preseason with two goals and an assist. Othmann had two goals.

“I thought they had good training camps,’’ Laviolette said of the youngsters after the Rangers’ 3-1 loss to the Boston Bruins on Thursday at the Garden. “They’re different players, and we’ll talk about where the roster is going to go, and our status with our lineup, and the players that are still in camp. And then make decisions from there.’’

In the last two preseason games, Wednesday in New Jersey and Thursday, it began to look as though the 6-3, 211-pound Cuylle, a second- round pick in the 2020 draft who led Hartford in goals last season with 25, had nosed his way ahead of Othmann in the battle to force his way onto the team.

Cuylle was slotted on a third line and installed on the second power-play unit in both games; Othmann, the team’s first-round pick in 2021, was relegated to a fourth line. Cuylle scored on Wednesday and played a strong game with four shots on goal in the preseason finale.

After that game, Othmann lingered for a few minutes, almost as if he were savoring his time in the locker room before the club made its final roster decisions. He said he felt as though he’d played well in camp and the preseason.

“I don’t feel that out of place,’’ he said of making the jump from junior hockey to the pros. “Whether it’s here or whether it’s in Hartford, I think at the end of the day, staying here for as long as I did, it’s a great experience. And we’ll see what happens going forward.’’

Putting Harpur on waivers means Zac Jones officially has won a spot as one of the seven defensemen on the roster.

By Colin Stephenson

colin.stephenson@newsday.comColinSNewsday

Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.