Drew Fortescue using final Rangers stretch as important learning experience and proving ground

This stretch is all about an introduction for Drew Fortescue.All about a chance — seven games as of now, 10 if he plays in the Rangers’ final three games — to flash his potential and gather experience for everything that follows in his career. The Blueshirts’ 5-3 loss to the Sabres on Wednesday captured both of those layers for Fortescue, their third-round pick in 2023 who inked his entry-level deal after his Boston College season ended and burned his first year.

Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mollie Walker about the inside buzz on the Rangers.He collected a Buffalo turnover and hit Alexis Lafrenière in stride to pick up an assist that served as his second career point, and he also encountered the challenge of playing a Sabres team that has “a lot of size” in addition to being skilled, Mike Sullivan said — and that’s something Fortescue will continue to face during the final three games against the Stars, Panthers and Lightning. “We’re gonna play some teams coming up that have a lot of size,” Sullivan said after Wednesday’s game, the Rangers’ final one at the Garden, “and I think defensively, that presents a challenge for a young player — just strength-wise, box-outs, things at the net, things of that nature.

… On the defending side, we’re continuing to work with him with just some of the nuances and the details.“But I think the biggest challenge is — not just with Drew, but young players in general — is just the speed of the game and the size and the strength of the players.

But we’ve really liked what we’ve seen from Drew so far.” Fortescue focused on getting stronger during his third and final season with the Eagles, too.He’d talked with the Rangers front office about taking a patient approach to turning pro, about opting for one final year of college before bolting for the Rangers, and he admitted to reporters in his first press conference a...