If the past few years are any indication, the New York Rangers will likely carry 22 healthy players -- 13 forwards, seven defenseman and two goalies -- on their roster. Heading into training camp, 18 players feel like locks to at least make the team, even if they are not in the opening night lineup.

Forwards (10): Artemi Panarin, Mika Zibanejad, J.T. Miller, Alexis Lafrenière, Vincent Trocheck, Will Cuylle, Taylor Raddysh, Sam Carrick, Adam Edström, Matt Rempe

Defensemen (6): Adam Fox, Vladislav Gavrikov, Will Borgen, Carson Soucy, Braden Schneider, Urho Vaakanainen

Goalies (2): Igor Shesterkin, Jonathan Quick

Notably, I did not include Juuso Pärssinen and Jonny Brodzinski as locks, though both are still likely to earn spots. Pärssinen signed a two-year, $1.25 million average annual value extension over the summer and seems poised to get a look at third-line center, but most of his contract could get buried with AHL Hartford if he has a subpar camp. Brodzinski has been the No. 13 forward in recent years. If he went on waivers, there's no guarantee he'd make it to the minors. Another team could snatch him.

If my projections are correct, four spots are up for grabs: three forwards and one defenseman. Let's preview some of the looming position battles.

Whether or not the 3C job is up for grabs will depend on whether Zibanejad plays wing to start the year. Early indications from Mike Sullivan are that he will. That leaves a potential hole in the center group.

The 24-year-old Pärssinen has yet to play a full NHL season, so assuming he can take on 3C duties is a big ask. Still, he appears in line to get a shot. If he pops and is ready for the responsibility, it would answer a lot of questions for New York. If not, a third line of Pärssinen, a young winger and Raddysh could lag behind other teams in the conference.

Brodzinski is a fall-back option. He had a career-high 12 goals last year and has played more than 50 games each of the past two seasons. In those years he was the No. 13 forward, ready to plug whatever holes arose because of injury.

If Sullivan is underwhelmed by his options, he could move Carrick from the fourth line to the third. That's not an ideal outcome: If he's in the top-nine it opens another hole on the fourth line. Plus he's best-served as a 4C, not as a third liner.

Noah Laba is a dark-horse name to watch. The 2022 fourth-round pick turned pro last season after a strong NCAA career at Colorado College. Will Cuylle and Victor Mancini earned spots out of training camp in 2023 and 2024, respectively, so perhaps Laba could do the same this year. The organization appears high on him.

The battle of young forwards Gabe Perreault, Brett Berard and Brennan Othmann will be fascinating. All three played in the NHL last year, and all three are hungry to show they're ready to play full-time at that level.

The Rangers' drafted Othmann in the first round in 2021, and he's logged 25 NHL games over the past two seasons. Given his draft pedigree and age (22), he probably has the most pressure on him of any of the young wings entering camp. He'll no longer be considered a prospect after this year and needs to show he can consistently play at the NHL level. He's still waiting on his first goal but had two assists in 22 games last season.

Berard has been a developmental success story for the Rangers, going from a fifth-round pick in 2020 to someone who looks like a potential bottom-six NHL player. He's a high-motor winger who had six goals and 10 points in 35 games with New York last season. As is the case for any of the young players vying for spots, he'll have to show he can handle the defensive responsibilities necessary to make the team.

Then, of course, there's the 20-year-old Perreault, widely considered the team's top prospect. He debuted after his Boston College season ended and has the most skill of the team's young wingers. That helps him in terms of ceiling, but he also will benefit from consistent playing time in offensive situations. If the Rangers put Cuylle in the top six, which feels likely, they might want Perreault to start in Hartford so that he can play lots of minutes and get top power play unit time. Sullivan could also experiment with Perreault in the top six and Cuylle on the third line if he wants to balance out the lineup. As mentioned earlier, the third line looks like a potential issue; if Cuylle is on it, he raises its floor.

Conor Sheary is also worth monitoring in camp. The veteran won two Stanley Cups with Sullivan in Pittsburgh and picked a professional tryout deal with the Rangers over NHL contracts with other clubs, according to a league source. That doesn't mean he got any guarantees to make the team in New York, but it does indicate he sees potential for an opportunity. Sheary was previously with Tampa Bay, but his time with the Lightning didn't go as planned. They put him on waivers last season and he spent most of the year with AHL Syracuse, where he had 20 goals and 61 points in 59 games.

Fox, Gavrikov, Borgen, Schneider and likely Soucy appear set to play opening night against Pittsburgh, assuming they are healthy. That leaves one spot open in the lineup, likely Vaakanainen or Scott Morrow, and another as an extra.

Morrow, acquired in the K'Andre Miller trade, is 22 and debuted last season for Carolina. Given his age and the fact that he's exempt from waivers, he doesn't make much sense as a No. 7 defenseman. He either should be in the NHL lineup or down in Hartford, where he'd get experience playing heavy minutes in all situations. The Rangers don't need another Zac Jones situation where a young defenseman is sitting in the press box as a healthy scratch most nights. That benefits no one.

Vaakanainen came over in the Trouba trade, and the Rangers extended him for two more years at $1.55 million AAV. He averaged 16:43 a game for New York last year in serviceable third-pair minutes and also made the Finnish team at the 4 Nations Face-Off.

If the Rangers want the right-shot Schneider in the top four, they could shift him to the left side, where he played with Ryan Lindgren hurt at the start of last season. That could lead to this potential lineup with Morrow in it:

Gavrikov-Fox

Schneider-Borgen

Soucy-Morrow

If Schneider stays on his natural right side on the third pair, Vaakanainen could remain on the left. Then the defensive pairs could shake out something like:

Gavrikov-Fox

Soucy-Borgen

Vaakanainen-Schneider

If Morrow makes the team, Vaakanainen feels likely to stick on the roster as a 7D. But if Morrow starts the year in Hartford and Vaakanainen is in the opening night lineup, Matthew Robertson could be an option as the seventh defenseman. The 2019 second-rounder made his long-awaited NHL debut at the end of last season.

New York also signed veteran Andrej Šustr to a professional tryout. He could be a 7D option or bring organizational depth to Hartford if the team chooses to sign him. Šustr has 361 games of NHL experience, including 333 with the Lightning. He also has 46 career playoff games with Tampa Bay. He spent the last two years playing in Europe.

The young wingers don't make much sense here because they need to be playing games. Brodzinski has been a mainstay in this role the past couple seasons, but Sullivan could also consider Sheary, given their familiarity. Justin Dowling, who played 52 games for the Devils last season, could also get a look. The Rangers signed him to a two-year, two-way contract over the summer.

Biggest position battles at New York Rangers training camp: Will a young winger step up?