Thompson, who was acquired from the Blackhawks in March, has never appeared in an NHL game and likely wasn't going to make the Rangers out of training camp anyways. When he's healthy, look for the 24-year-old centre to start the year in Hartford (AHL), where he had seven points (2G / 5A) in 18 games last season.
As the Rangers prepare to open training camp on Thursday, roster hopeful Cole Beaudoin won't be there. Beaudoin missed Sunday's rookie game against Philadelphia due to injury and remains day-to-day. The 20-year-old was a first-round pick (No. 24 overall) in 2024 and was acquired from Utah this offseason in the trade that sent Vincent Trocheck to the Mammoth.
Trudeau was a fourth-round pick of the Montreal Canadiens in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft, but never suited up for the team at the NHL level. The 23-year-old defenseman spent the 2025-26 season with the Laval Rocket (AHL), where he scored 20 points (8G / 12A) in 68 games.
Cholowski, the 20th-overall pick of the Detroit Red Wings in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft, once viewed as a potential powerplay quarterback, has fallen into more of a depth organizational piece in recent seasons. The 28-year-old defenseman played 17 games last season with the New Jersey Devils, recording two assists.
Gawdin has seen limited NHL action since his professional debut in 2018-19, appearing in just 13 total games. The 29-year-old forward scored 51 points (16G / 35A) last season in 71 games with the Ontario Reign (AHL).
The New York Rangers acquired Marcus Pettersson in a trade, reuniting him with head coach Mike Sullivan, who coached him for seven seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The 29-year-old defenseman recorded 18 points (3G / 15A) and a -19 plus/minus last season in 82 games with the Vancouver Canucks.
Beaudoin was drafted 24th overall by the Utah Mammoth in the 2024 NHL Entry Draft. The 20-year-old has yet to play at the professional level but is coming off a solid final OHL season, scoring 88 points (33G / 55A) in 54 games with the Barrie Colts.
Durzi has been a high-pedigree, talented defenseman who has been buried behind teams with strong defensive depth, preventing him from showing his full potential. He had 41 points (9G / 32A) in 76 games as a 25-year-old in the 2023-24 season. He recorded 27 points (5G / 22A) and a -12 plus/minus last season in 60 games.
For five seasons between 2021 and 2025, Bjorkstrand averaged 54.4 points per 82 games. That said, in the 2025-26 season, his first full season with the Tampa Bay Lightning, the 31-year-old forward battled some adversity, scoring just 32 points (12G / 20A) and recording a -14 plus/minus in 80 games. The Rangers hope Bjorkstrand can return to the scoring consistency he had with the Seattle Kraken and Columbus Blue Jackets.
