TARRYTOWN - The Rangers are halfway through training camp, with three preseason games in the next five days to finalize any roster decisions they may be debating.

We've covered the lack of open spots, but whether it's for opening night or a later date, the impressions made at this time of year could position up-and-comers for roles at some point this season. Those are the players we're interested in for this exercise.

We won’t go through some of the obvious names we know will occupy prominent places in the lineup – the Chris Kreider-Mika Zibanejad-Reilly Smith line has looked quite good with an 81.26% xGF through two preseason games together, according to Natural Stat Trick, but they’ve also yet to matchup with a true NHL-caliber top line – but rather shine light on players who have opened eyes in the last 10 days. That could be because they came into camp under the radar and have outperformed expectations, or because they've begun to answer questions surrounding their health or play in encouraging fashions.

Reilly Smith: Why the Rangers believe veteran will be a sneaky good addition

Let's discuss:

Filip Chytil

The 25-year-old had a scare on Tuesday when he collided with Isles defenseman Scott Mayfield and initially struggled to put weight on his left leg, but a crisis was averted. He returned to the game before the end of the first period and has otherwise had a stellar camp.

When healthy, Chytil is reminding us that he can be a dynamic difference-maker. His speed has been evident, and he’s using it to confidently carry the puck down the middle of the ice. Those quick transitions will be needed for a team that’s struggled with zone entries. He’s been highly productive this preseason, as well, with four points (two goals and two assists) through three games played. And to top it off, the Czech center has won 55.6% of his faceoffs (15-for-27), which has long been an area of weakness in his game.

The main question is health. Chytil's history of concussions, including one that cost him 72 regular-season games in 2023-24, has created a skating-on-eggshells feeling that will follow him for the rest of his career. But he’s expressed his desire to rip the band-aid off and play in as many exhibitions as possible, with Laviolette happy to oblige.

“It was an opportunity for him to jump into the season and get back into the game situations,” the coach said following Thursday’s 5-2 win over the Bruins. “Practice is one thing, but getting up there and playing live in games, I thought he's played three pretty good games for us. The speed has been there. You can see that he's elusive with the puck. He's making plays. He's generated offense, so he's done some good things.”

Having Chytil in the lineup gives the bottom six a badly needed infusion of skill and shooting, making him an X-factor of critical importance for the coming season. He's undoubtedly looked up to the task so far, but each day is another hurdle to clear.

Adam Edström

It’s not easy to find a spot for the 6-foot-7 Swede given a roster that has very little room for surprises, but he’s forcing the Rangers to think hard.

It’s one thing to be a standout in rookie camp, which Edström most certainly was, but it’s another to do it while skating with established NHLers. The 23-year-old has been rock solid in every facet, whether it’s sticking his nose in on the forecheck, playing steady, opportunistic defense or finding effective ways to chip in offense. In fact, he’s registered three points (two goals and an assist) with a 67.87% xGF that ranks best among players who have played multiple games and aren’t named Kreider, Zibanejad or Smith.

“I'm proud of myself,” Edström said after posting a goal and an assist in Tuesday’s 6-4 win over the Islanders. “I feel like I’ve kind of showed a new level hockey. I feel like I came into camp very well prepared, and I plan on keep doing the same thing.”

The combination of confidence gained from last year’s 11-game NHL sample and a determined offseason regime back home in Sweden has Edström looking, as he put it, “faster, more explosive.” He’s looked the part of the big, mobile, intimidating fourth-liner the Rangers have been searching for, but they can say much of the same about Matt Rempe.

If it’s truly a competition between those two, Edström has earned a slight edge. But all signs have indicated the Blueshirts don’t intend to send fan (and locker room) favorite Rempe to AHL Hartford. And in Rempe’s defense, he’s had a solid camp in his own right.

Could the big men convince the team’s decision-makers to keep both? A fourth line built around Edström and Rempe sure would be fun, but I'm not so sure the Rangers are willing to healthy scratch a veteran such as Sam Carrick or Jimmy Vesey right out of the gate. An injury could change that equation, with Vesey's status uncertain after he limped off the ice and did not return during Sunday's practice. But Laviolette downplayed the significance, saying, "It seemed somewhat harmless."

I also have serious doubts about their willingness to waive likely 13th forward Jonny Brodzinski in order to keep both Edström and Rempe on the roster. He, too, has had a good camp and represents critically important center insurance in a system that’s thin down the middle. He very well might clear waivers, but taking the risk of depleting depth before the season even starts doesn't seem worth it.

I fully expect the Rangers to use both Edström or Rempe at some point this season, but to start, one may have to make the most out of playing big minutes for Hartford. That's probably better for their development than watching NHL games from the press box anyway, as Laviolette explained Sunday.

"I think there's a benefit to playing in Hartford if you're not playing here because it's the start of the season," he said. "To go down and play games and be game ready if needed and called upon to come back up, I think that's always a good situation. ... I think getting playing time and experience is probably more beneficial."

Victor Mancini

It’s no surprise to see Chytil on this list, and we knew Edström was on the NHL doorstep coming out of last season. But the guy who very few expected to be vying for a roster spot at this stage of camp is Mancini.

At this time last year, the 6-foot-3, 229-pound defenseman was entering his junior season with the University of Omaha-Nebraska. The Rangers were quietly pleased with his progress, but I’m not sure even they saw this coming.

Mancini has gone from undrafted in his first two years of eligibility (the Rangers eventually took a chance on him in the 2022 fifth round) to very possibly cracking the opening-night lineup for the reigning Presidents’ Trophy winners in his first full pro season. An upper-body injury to top-pair defenseman Ryan Lindgren left the door wide open, with the Hancock, Michigan native bursting through it.

“I said before camp started, ‘Our eyes are open,’” Laviolette said. “We're watching practices, we're watching scrimmages, we're watching exhibition games, and then all of a sudden, something really unfortunate happens, like it did (with Lindgren’s injury), and so we lose a guy for a few weeks, and we need to just have people come in and replace that. I think (Mancini’s) camp has been really good.”

The 22-year-old has outperformed the remaining veteran options, with Laviolette rewarding those efforts by moving him to top D pair next to Adam Fox the last two practices. It will require playing Mancini on his off-hand side, adding to the already high degree of difficulty, but the Rangers seem to be giving him serious consideration.

He’ll have to solidify that spot in the final three preseason games, with a lot that can happen between now and the Oct. 9 opener in Pittsburgh. But it’s clear that Mancini has leapfrogged the rest of the organization’s defensemen prospects in terms of perceived NHL readiness.

His ascension can be attributed to an increasingly well-rounded toolkit and never-back-down attitude. The size and strength are there, which Mancini utilizes with an aggressive style of defending that smothers opposing forwards. That leads to D-zone takeaways, and when he gets the puck, Laviolette has noted his “escape-ability,” explaining, “he can get himself out of a little bit of trouble, still maintain possession of the puck and make a good first pass.”

The hard-nosed defense has always been Mancini's calling card, but his puck skills are a bit of a revelation. He wasn’t even used on the power play in college, but he’s posted a couple points (one goal and one assist) through two preseason games and looks confident joining the rush. He’ll likely never be a big point-producer, but there's more offense in the tank than he previously got credit for.

Add it all up and you've got a late bloomer who's looking like a fifth-round steal − and the biggest eye-opener at this camp.

“It starts in the defensive zone,” Mancini said. “I take pride in shutting plays down, playing a tough, physical game, being able to win pucks. Then I feel like my vision is a strong part of my game, so using my vision to break out my team and kind of starting the offense in our defensive zone, getting the puck into the forwards hands. And then on the offensive side, being able to join that second layer and find open areas.”

Vincent Z. Mercogliano is the New York Rangers beat reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Read more of his work at lohud.com/sports/rangers/ and follow him on Twitter @vzmercogliano.

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: 3 players who are opening eyes at NY Rangers' training camp