NY Rangers Waive 4 Players in First Trimming of Roster

The New York Rangers have begun cutting down their roster for the regular season, waiving four players.

Nov 1, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; New York Rangers defenseman Urho Vaakanainen (18) passes the puck during the first period against the Seattle Kraken at Climate Pledge Arena. Mandatory Credit: Blake Dahlin-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The New York Rangers are preparing for their second preseason game of the year on Sept. 22 against the New York Islanders.

However, before the teams took the ice, the Rangers made some moves with their roster. The deadline to become compliant is Monday, Sept. 28, and New York moved one step closer by waiving four players ahead of the exhibition against the Islanders.

Defensemen Urho Vaakanainen and Dennis Cholowski, center Juuso Parssinen and winger Justin Dowling have been waived by the franchise. They are four of 15 players who hit waivers on Tuesday, following the first wave of cuts on Monday that involved five players.

Should the players not be claimed by another franchise, they will all be AHL-bound, heading to play for New York’s affiliate, the Hartford Wolf Pack. Retaining experienced depth like that would certainly be nice for the organizational pipeline, and it will be interesting to see if they all make it through or not.

Rangers place four players on waivers

Oct 23, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Rangers center Juuso Parssinen (71) at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images / IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Vaakanainen was in the mix for the No. 7 defenseman spot on the opening night roster, but has seemingly been jumped by others on the roster. With so much depth added at the blue line this summer, he was facing an uphill battle to hold onto that spot.

A team without as much depth as the Rangers has could take a shot on Vaakanainen. He is a strong skater and could be a useful player still, at least as a depth piece.

Waiving him could also save the team a little bit of money if they wanted to open up some more cap space. This can also be an indication that New York is willing to open the regular season with Alberts Smits, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, on the roster.

Lot of names on waivers today as we approach final roster deadline on Monday. pic.twitter.com/8UDQoS18Bp

— James Mirtle (@mirtle) September 22, 2026

Should that occur, Matthew Robertson could be the No. 7 defenseman. Drew Fortescue is another player pushing for a spot, and his goal in the preseason opener against the New Jersey Devils will certainly help his case.

The same depth reasons the team moved on from Vaakanainen can be applied to Cholowski. When given a chance with the Devils last season, he looked overmatched at times. Whether it is with the Rangers or another franchise, he is good depth in case an injury occurs, and he is needed to move into the NHL lineup.

Given the team’s lack of talent up the middle, Parssinen being waived this early on isn’t a good indicator of his outlook with the franchise if another team doesn’t claim him. However, they would certainly welcome him back as a depth piece in the AHL because they are in desperate need of help at center.