The New York Rangers have had an interesting start to the 2025-26 season. They have played well at times and have stellar goaltending coming from Igor Shesterkin, but haven’t played well at home and have been quite inconsistent.
Related: New York Rangers Struggling Without Vincent Trocheck
As they continue to push their way up the standings, let’s take a quick look at some updates around the team.
In this edition of Rangers News & Rumors, we look at the trade speculation surrounding Brennan Othmann, the team’s recent loss to the ice-cold Calgary Flames, a positive update for Noah Laba, and the signing of Nathan Aspinall.
Brennan Othmann Trade Speculation Continues
With how much he has struggled out of the gates, it was no surprise that trade speculation began to surround forward Brennan Othmann. In a recent edition of the 32 Thoughts podcast, insider Elliotte Friedman revealed the potential asking price if any team wanted to acquire him.
“When asked, the Rangers have requested good AHL prospects in exchange for Brennan Othmann,” Friedman said.
Othmann, who is 22 years old, has played one game with the Rangers this season, where he had no points. In the American Hockey League (AHL) with the Hartford Wolf Pack, he has one assist through four games.
It doesn’t sound like a trade is imminent by any means, but it sounds like the Rangers are at least gauging the market for the youngster.
Rangers Lose to Ice-Cold Flames
In what was one of the most heartbreaking losses in a while, the Rangers lost to the Calgary Flames, who have struggled mightily out of the gates.
Before that game, the Flames had a 1-7-1 record and were at the bottom of the standings with the worst record in the entire league. Even after defeating the Rangers, the Flames are one point behind the San Jose Sharks and remain the worst team in the NHL.
It wasn’t a close game either, with the Rangers losing 5-1 and dropping to 3-5-2 on the season. Hopefully, it is one they can move on from quickly and can bounce back in their next game against the Vancouver Canucks.
Noah Laba Scores First NHL Goal
The only positive from that blowout loss to the Flames was that Noah Laba scored his first NHL goal, which was the only goal for the Rangers in the game.
Through his first 10 career NHL games, he now has one goal and two assists for three points.
Rangers Sign Nathan Aspinall
The Rangers announced recently that they had signed Nathan Aspinall to a three-year, entry-level contract.
#NYR have agreed to terms with forward Nathan Aspinall on a three-year, entry-level contract.
Full details: https://t.co/r0d4Kwl6Oo pic.twitter.com/hKcrKWppLI
— New York Rangers (@NYRangers) October 23, 2025
Aspinall, who is 19 years old, was drafted in the fifth round of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft at 159th overall after a solid showing in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the Flint Firebirds, where he scored 18 goals and added 16 assists for 34 points through 65 games.
This season, he has scored six goals and added eight assists for 14 points through nine games with the Firebirds. Last season, he played five games in the AHL with the Wolf Pack, but didn’t pick up a point.
At the time of this article, he has scored 42 goals and added 57 assists for 99 points through 165 career OHL games, which comes out to a 0.60 points-per-game average.
As the 2025-26 season moves along, be sure to continue following The Hockey Writers as your source for news, updates, and more from around the NHL and the hockey world.
