New York Rangers add 7 Wolf Pack players for Stanley Cup Playoffs
The New York Rangers made the call-ups of seven members of the Hartford Wolf Pack official. They are as follows:
- Zac Jones (D)
- Nils Lundkvist (D)
- Jarred Tinordi (D)
- Matthew Robertson (D)
- Tim Gettinger (F)
- Lauri Pajuniemi (F)
- Keith Kinkaid (G)
On Tuesday, the Blueshirts will open their first round playoff series against the Pittsburgh Penguins at Madison Square Garden. For a full look at the schedule with dates, start times, and TV info please click here.
New York Rangers add to roster for playoffs
In the NHL Playoffs there are no roster limits and no salary cap. This allowed the Rangers to add to their deep pool of reserves for what they hope is a long post season run.
If you are wondering why a player like Bobby Trivigno was not included it’s because of CBA rules. A player is only eligible to join the team for the playoffs if they were under contract and their rights belonged to the Rangers prior to the NHL Trade Deadline on March 21.
Trivigno signed on April 1.
Of the seven players added today, Lauri Pajuniemi and Matthew Robertson were the biggest surprises. I felt that Anthony Greco, who played for the Rangers during the regular season would’ve been given consideration.
A look at the Rangers extras
If the New York Rangers are fully healthy for Game 1 on Tuesday, the 7 players from Hartford will lineup behind the these current reserves on the depth chart.
- Ryan Reaves (F)
- Tyler Motte (F – injured)
- Jonny Brodzinski (F)
- Greg McKegg (F)
- Justin Braun (D)
- Libor Hajek (D)
Now let’s take a quick look at the Wolf Pack extras in order of their likelihood to play:
Zac Jones, 21, played 12 games with the Rangers this season and tallied two assists. With the Wolf Pack he was their leading scoring defenseman with 35 points in 52 games. He is without a doubt the most likely player to see playoff action– maybe even over Hajek.
Jarred Tinordi, 30, was signed to a two-year contract in the summer and started the season with the Rangers. He played in 7 games this year with 1 goal. In Hartford, he picked up 5 points in 32 games. He’s a rugged defensemen with 109 games of NHL experience.
Nils Lundkvist, 21, made the Rangers out of training camp but struggled to find consistency in his first year in North America. In 25 NHL games, he notched 4 points (1G – 3A) and then posted 15 points with the Wolf Pack after being sent down in January. The Rangers have high hopes for the first round pick (28th overall) from the 2018 Draft.
Keith Kinkaid, 32, posted a .904 SV% and a 2.94 GAA for the Pack this season. Last year, Kinkaid earned his stripes with the organization stepping in when Igor Shesterkin was hurt and Alexandar Georgiev was struggling. He posted a 3-2-1 record during that stint. This season, he made one start and recored a 3-2 win over the Coyotes in December.
Tim Gettinger, 24, put up 25 points in 45 games with the Pack. He also played 8 games this season for the big club with no points and three shots.
Matthew Robertson, 21, played in his first pro season and put up 11 points in 65 games for Hartford. He is a left defenseman that could make the club in the future.
Lauri Pajuniemi, 22, had a nice first season coming over from Finland. He recorded 26 points in 51 games which included 13 goals.
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